Warren, MI cremations now account for almost half of final disposition plans. Cremations are environmentally-friendly and they allow remains (called cremains) to be easily moved, either back to a hometown or to be scattered. There are also many creative ways to use cremains to keep a loved one’s memory alive.

Direct cremations are cremations that take place without any kind of service beforehand. When direct cremations take place, the funeral home will transport the body of the deceased from the place of death to the funeral home.

A death certificate, which is completed in conjunction with medical personnel (cause of death and time and date of death) will be filed. A cremation permit be obtained.

The deceased will be bathed and dressed. Since there is no service before the cremation, the body will not be embalmed, since direct cremation normally takes place within 24-48 hours after death. The deceased will then be placed in a fully-combustible container and taken to the crematorium.

The cremation process is very thorough. A designated family member of the deceased will be required to fill out paperwork authorizing the cremation. This paperwork will also contain information about who will pick up the cremains and what type of storage container the cremains should be placed in.

The body of the deceased will be identified at the crematorium by a current photo or by a family member. A non-destructible tag will be placed inside the cremation container and it will stay with the deceased throughout the cremation process.

If the deceased has any kind of electrical implants, such as pacemakers, or metal prosthetics, such as artificial limbs, they will be removed prior to cremation. The crematorium will either give these a recycling facility where they are refurbished and provided to people who may not be able to afford them any other way or they will melt them down.

All jewelry, glasses, and hearing aids will be removed and stored to return to the family with the cremains. Glasses and hearing aids can be donated to organizations that will refurbish them and use them to help people in need with the gift of sight and hearing.

The body is then put into a cremation chamber, which is large enough to hold a single body. Cremation, which is automated, occurs through the application of fire, intense heat, and evaporation. The process normally takes two to three hours.

After cremation, the cremains are cooled down. They will be inspected for any remaining pieces of metal, such as titanium pins, screws, or plates. These will be removed either by hand or with a magnet and sent to a metal recycler.

What is left then is bone fragments. These are gathered up and ground to a very fine consistency, which can appear to be ashes, which is why they’re often called “ashes.”

If the family purchased an urn for the cremains, they will be placed in a plastic bag and put inside the urn and the family will be notified that they are ready to be picked up. If the family has not chosen an urn yet, the cremains will be put in a plastic bag and placed in a temporary container and given to the family.

For additional information about Warren, MI cremations, our caring and knowledgeable staff at Lee-Ellena Funeral Home is here to assist you. You can visit our funeral home at 46530 Romeo Plank Rd., Macomb, MI 48044, or you can call us today at (586) 412-8999.