Cremation service has recently become the predominant choice for American families when experiencing the loss of a loved one. People choose cremation for a variety of philosophic, economic and environmental reasons. When considering cremation in the Philadelphia, PA area, you probably will have many questions. Becoming more educated regarding cremation will help you gain confidence in your decision-making process. At Delaware Valley Cremation Center, our experienced and empathetic team can help provide you with the answers you need. As you plan on how to handle the arrangements for yourself or a loved one, you deserve to work closely with a kind team of individuals who can provide you with the answers and services that you need in Philadelphia, PA.
History of Cremation
Scholars today quite generally agree that cremation probably began in any real sense during the early Stone Age — around 3000 B.C. — and most likely in Europe and the Near East. In North America, modern cremation didn’t really start until the late 1800’s.
During the late Stone Age cremation began to spread across northern Europe, as evidenced by particularly informative finds of decorative pottery urns in western Russia among the Slavic peoples.
With the advent of the Bronze Age — 2500 to 1000 B.C. — cremation moved into the British Isles and into what is now Spain and Portugal. Cemeteries for cremation developed in Hungary and northern Italy, spreading to northern Europe and even Ireland.
In the Mycenaean Age — circa 1000 B.C. — cremation became an integral part of the elaborate Grecian burial custom. In fact, it became the dominant mode of disposition by the time of Homer in 800 B.C. and was actually encouraged for reasons of health and expedient burial of slain warriors in this battle-ravaged country.
Following this Grecian trend, the early Romans probably embraced cremation some time around 600 B.C. and it apparently became so prevalent that an official decree had to be issued in the mid 5th Century against the cremation of bodies within the city.
By the time of the Roman Empire — 27 B.C. to 395 A.D. — it was widely practiced, and cremated remains were generally stored in elaborate urns, often within columbarium-like buildings.
Prevalent though the practice was among the Romans, cremation was rare with the early Christians who considered it pagan and in the Jewish culture where traditional sepulcher entombment was preferred.
However, by 400 A.D., as a result of Constantine’s Christianization of the Empire, earth burial had completely replaced cremation except for rare instances of plague or war, and for the next 1,500 years remained the accepted mode of disposition throughout Europe.
Modern cremation, as we know it, actually began only a little over a century ago, after years of experimentation into the development of a dependable chamber. When Professor Brunetti of Italy finally perfected his model and displayed it at the 1873 Vienna Exposition, the cremation movement started almost simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic.
In the British Isles, the movement was fostered by Queen Victoria’s surgeon, Sir Henry Thompson. Concerned with hazardous health conditions, Sir Henry and his colleagues founded the Cremation Society of England in 1874. The first crematories in Europe were built in 1878 in Woking, England and Gotha, Germany.
Meanwhile in North America, although there had been two recorded instances of cremation before 1800, the real start began in 1876 when Dr. Julius LeMoyne built the first crematory in Washington, Pennsylvania.
In 1884 the second crematory opened in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and, as was true of many of the early crematories, it was owned and operated by a cremation society. Other forces behind early crematory openings were Protestant clergy who desired to reform burial practices and the medical profession concerned with health conditions around early cemeteries.
Crematories soon sprang up in Buffalo, New York, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Detroit and Los Angeles. By 1900, there were already 20 crematories in operation, and by the time that Dr. Hugo Erichsen founded the Cremation Association of America in 1913, there were 52 crematories in North America and over 10,000 cremations took place in that year.
In 1975, the name was changed to the Cremation Association of North America to be more indicative of the membership composition of the United States and Canada. At that time, there were over 425 crematories and nearly 150,000 cremations.
In 2014, there were more than 3000 crematories in the United States performing over 1.2 million cremations per year (47% of all deaths in the US), and as of 2015, cremation has overtaken earth burial as the predominant choice for all Americans.
It is projected that by 2030 just over 70% of all American families experiencing a death will choose cremation.
Frequently Asked Questions About Cremation
Q: What is Cremation?
A: Cremation is the process of reducing human remains to its basic elements in the form of bone fragments through flame, heat and vaporization (usually 1800 – 2000 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours or more). Cremation occurs at a crematory in a special kind of furnace called a cremation chamber or retort. The resulting bone fragments are further reduced in size through a mechanical process and are referred to as “cremated remains”. (It may surprise many to learn that ashes are not the final result since cremated remains have neither the appearance nor the chemical properties of ashes.) After processing, the cremated remains are placed in an urn or other container suitable for memorialization, transport or interment. Depending upon the size of the deceased’s skeletal makeup, there are normally four to eight pounds of cremated remains resulting.
Q: Is a casket required for a cremation to take place?
A: A casket is not required for a cremation to take place. In most states, all that is required is an alternative container which can be constructed of wood or cardboard, and is cremated along with the deceased.
Q: Is embalming required prior to cremation?
A: No. Public health law states that “any human remains held 24 hours beyond death, and not yet cremated or interred at a cemetery, shall be either embalmed, or kept under refrigeration.”
Q: Can a cremation be witnessed by the family?
A: Yes, in most situations, the cremation provider will permit family members to be in attendance when the body is placed into the cremation chamber. Actually, a few religious groups include this as integral part of their funeral practice.
Q: Are there any religions that do not approve of cremation?
A: Most major religions readily accept cremation, with the exception of Islam and Orthodox Judaism. Today, all of the Christian denominations allow cremation and are pleased for their members who choose it. (The Catholic Church approves cremation, but advocates the interment of the cremated remains in a cemetery.) Buddhists favor cremation, and for Hindus, cremation is the orthodox method of disposition.
Q: Can more than one cremation be performed at once?
A: No. Not only is it a practical impossibility, but it is illegal to do so. The majority of modern cremation chambers are not of adequate size to house more than one adult.
Q: What usually happens after the cremation is finished?
A: All organic bone fragments and all non-consumed metal items are collected into a stainless steel cooling pan located in the lower front of the cremation chamber. All non-consumed items, such as metal from clothing, joint replacements, and dental bridgework, are divided from the cremated remains. This separation is accomplished through visual inspection as well as using a strong magnet for smaller and minute metallic objects. Items such as dental gold and silver are non-recoverable and may be commingled with the cremated remains. Remaining bone fragments are then processed in a machine to a consistent size, sealed in a plastic bag, and then placed into a cremated remains container selected by the family.
Q: What do cremated remains look like?
A: Processed cremated remains are a mixture of powdery and granular substances, and are very light gray to white in color. The remains of an average sized adult usually weigh between four to eight pounds.
Q: Are all cremated remains returned to the family?
A: With the exclusion of minuscule and microscopic particles, which are impossible to remove from the cremation chamber and processing machine, all of the cremated remains are returned to the family.
Q: Are urns required to collect the cremated remains?
A: There is no law requiring an urn. Nevertheless, the cremated remains must be held in some type of container. A more traditional urn may be desired if the cremated remains are to be memorialized at home, at a public memorial service, or the remains are to be interred at a cemetery. A family member may also supply a container or containers suitable for holding the cremated remains.
Q: What options are available with the cremated remains?
A: After the cremation, the cremated remains may be returned to a designated family member or friend to be kept at home, scattered or buried on private property, or released to a cemetery for burial or above-ground entombment. (Delaware Valley Cremation Center also offers a sea scattering service three miles off the southern New Jersey coast.) Cremated remains are often divided to satisfy various memorialization requests. There are smaller urns and even jewelry which hold “keepsake” portions of cremated remains. Cremation offers infinite possibilities to memorialize a loved one.
Q: How can you be certain that all remains are kept separate, and you receive the correct remains?
A: All responsible cremation providers have thorough operating policies and procedures in order to provide the highest level of service and reduce the possibility of human error. If you have questions, ask the cremation provider what procedures they use, and if you are allowed to witness all or any of the procedures relating to the cremation, including retrieval, processing, and packaging of the cremated remains. It is not only your right, but also your responsibility to gain a feeling of confidence in your cremation provider’s facility, employees, policies, and procedures. Choosing your cremation provider is one of the most critical decisions you need to make.
If you or a loved one is interested in learning even more about cremation, Delaware Valley Cremation Center serving Philadelphia, PA, and the surrounding areas is a cremation provider that can help.
Cremation Services
If you are worried that choosing cremation means you won’t have a proper funeral or gathering time to remember and reflect on the life of a loved one, you needn’t worry anymore. At Delaware Valley Cremation Center, we offer memorial tribute gathering options at our popular State Room event center following the cremation process. This allows family and friends to gather, reminisce and honor a loved one’s life, legacy, and contribution to the world in an inviting and comfortable setting.
Take advantage of the benefits of cremation without missing out on the funeral/memorialization/gathering process by working with Delaware Valley Cremation Center to arrange your loved one’s cremation service. This more complete process provides an outlet for family and friends to more comfortably pay tribute to a loved one and better begin the grieving process.
Cremation Provider
One of the most important and irreversible decisions you will be making is where and how the actual cremation will take place. Which cremation service provider near Philadelphia, PA should you choose?
We, at Delaware Valley Cremation Center in Philadelphia, PA, are proud to provide complete confidence and peace of mind to the families we serve through our nationally recognized, state-of-the-art cremation policies and procedures. Our caring and attentive team has been providing unparalleled care and assistance to those looking for cremation services in the Philadelphia, PA area for 30 plus years. We take painstaking care as we ensure no detail is overlooked and that the highest standards for the cremation process are carefully and transparently adhered to.
In order to achieve the complete peace of mind you deserve, you’ll need to have satisfactory answers to a few key questions.
- Can you tour and inspect the cremation facility?
- Can you and/or other family members attend the cremation?
- Do they provide you with a written copy of their operational policies and procedures?
- What is the average time between receiving the deceased and the completion of the cremation?
- What is their procedure to track the remains throughout the cremation process and verify the identity of the cremated remains following cremation?
- What is their policy in reference to disposition of prosthetics, artificial joint replacements, etc., and other non-combustible material?
- How are the cremated remains returned? What is their policy regarding holding of the cremated remains after the cremation is completed?
- Will they give you references of other families who have used their services?
- Are they a member of the Cremation Association of North America? If not, do they adhere to some other code of cremation ethics?
- Have their crematory operators been certified by a recognized organization, such as CANA, in the proper use of the cremation equipment and care of human remains?
In your search for a quality cremation provider near Philadelphia, PA that is knowledgeable, procedurally transparent, respectful and considerate, please call or visit Delaware Valley Cremation Center in Philadelphia, PA. We are available 24 hours a day by phone at 215-543-9339.