What happens after the cremation is finished?

The cremation furnace operates for  one to three hours before the cremation ashes can be removed. The time varies depending on the type of cremation furnace, the weight of the person being cremated, the starting temperature and several lesser variables.   Upon removal, the cremation ashes are put into a pulverizing machine and turned into a granular powdered form. This allows loading directly into an urn selected by the family from cremation urn catalogs or from the funeral home display. There are several materials used in making urns. Wooden cremation urns are popular. Other materials such as metal, ceramic, glass, cloisonné and bio-degradable substances are available.   Urns come in many styles and shapes. Most funeral homes display a representative selection of urns, but offer hundreds more from their cremation urn catalogs. Styles range from the classic Grecian to a very modern design. Wooden cremation urns may be made from polished cypress knees taken from a swamp in the Southeastern region of the United States or an exotic hardwood such as ebony native to the tropical areas of Asia, Africa or Sri Lanka. Many other woods, both native and imported, are available   Some of the newer urns are the bio-degradable designs for placement in either soil or water. The materials range from paper mache which quickly dissolve in water, to wooden cremation urns for a slower disintegration in the ground. The paper mache urns are preferred by families performing ceremonies and rites on lakes, rivers or the sea. The wooden cremation urns are specified by many churches for burial in memory gardens or memorial gardens. They can be found in the cremation urn catalogs on hand at the local funeral home providing cremation services.

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