Cremation Process Explained

In Ohio, the state law requires us to wait at least 24 hours from the time of death and we must have the death certificate sign and filed with the municipality of death. The following is a explanation of the cremation process.

The cremation of the Decedent's remains may take place before or after ceremonies to memorialize the Decedent. Cremation is performed to prepare the remains of the Decedent for final disposition. It is carried out by placing the Decedent's remains in the casket or alternative container, which is then placed into a cremation chamber or retort where they are subjected to intense heat. All cremations are performed individually. During the cremation process, it may be necessary to open the cremation chamber and reposition the remains of the Decedent in order to facilitate a complete and thorough cremation. Through the use of suitable fuel, the incineration of the container and its contents is accomplished and all substances are consumed or driven off, except bone fragments (calcium compounds) and metal (including dental gold and silver and other non-human materials) as the temperature is not sufficient to consume them.

Due to the nature of the cremation process, any personal possessions or valuable materials, such as dental gold or jewelry (as well as any body prostheses or dental bridgework) that are left with the remains and not removed from the casket or container prior to cremation may be destroyed or if not destroyed, will be disposed of by the Crematory. The Authorizing Agent understands that arrangements must be made with the Funeral Home to remove any such possessions or valuables prior to the time that the remains of the Decedent are transported to the Crematory.

Following a cooling period, the cremated remains, which will normally weigh several pounds in the case of an average-size adult, are then swept or raked from the cremation chamber. Although the Crematory will take reasonable efforts to remove all of the cremated remains from the cremation chamber, it is impossible to remove all of them, as some dust and other residue from the process will be left behind. In addition, while every effort will be made to avoid commingling, inadvertent and incidental commingling of minute particles of cremated remains from the residues of previous cremations is a possibility, and the Authorizing Agent understands and accepts this fact.

After the cremated remains are removed from the cremation chamber, all non-combustible material (insofar as possible) such as dental bridgework and hinges, latches, and nails from the container will be separated and removed from the human bone fragments by visible or magnetic selection. The Crematory is authorized to dispose of these materials with similar materials from other cremations in a non-recoverable manner, so that only human bone fragments will remain.

When the cremated remains are removed from the cremation chamber, the skeletal remains often will contain recognizable bone fragments. Unless otherwise specified, after the bone fragments have been separated from the other material, they will be mechanically pulverized. The process of crushing or grinding may cause incidental commingling of the remains with the residue from the processing of previously cremated remains. These granulated particles of unidentifiable dimensions, which are virtually unrecognizable as human remains, will then be placed into a designated container.

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