CREMATION OPTIONS

So many people want to know how and when cremation first started as part of the death and burial process. While cremation has been around for centuries, it has never before received such wide spread attention as it has today due to its many advantages. In order to help you understand more about the origins of cremation, here is a brief history of cremation.

Burning a corpse as a final rite of passage has been in practice since prehistoric times and there is evidence that the Chinese started using this as a form of body disposal as early as 600 BC as well as the Greek, Swedish and Viking communities. In the early Renaissance period, cremations all but disappeared from Europe when Catholicism was introduced,  until it re-emerged in the fifth century during many of the worst epidemics ever seen.

In Asia, due to a mostly Buddhist culture, cremation continued to be the preferred method of post-death body treatment. Cremation was most often combined with ceremonies honoring the dead, with formal burials often performed afterwards.

Modern cremation emerged in the late 1800’s with the invention of the modern cremation chamber by Professor Brunetti, who revealed it at the 1873 Vienna Exposition. Championed by Queen Victoria’s surgeon, Sir Henry Thompson, and driven by public concern for hygiene and health desires to reform burial practices, crematoriums slowly began opening in Europe and in other civilized regions. The first crematory service  in America was established in the state of Pennsylvania in 1876.

Cremation is currently performed in over 31 countries around the world, with many of them mandated by religions such as Hinduism. In India, open-air cremations are performed in the holy city of Varanasi immediately upon death to release the spirit of the deceased. Bodies are burned atop funeral pyres on the banks of the Ganges River and are witnessed by families as they say their final goodbyes.

The importance and sacrament of the body, as well as the fact that groups that opposed the church also happened to advocate cremation, led to the Roman Catholic Church’s long-time opposition to cremation, although it wasn’t technically against church dogma. In the late 1960s, canon law was relaxed and the Catholic church declared that cremation was allowed without penalty to followers who chose this method. Today, the Requiem Mass can be held with a body that would be cremated or, upon permission of the local bishop, with the cremated remains.

While some religions, such as Judaism and Muslim, still do not allow for the destruction of the human body following death, most other religions now recognize cremation as a perfectly acceptable form of body disposition following death. Today, the numbers of consumers who choose cremation have risen dramatically as the process has become common and much less expensive than traditional embalments and burials. In America in 2009, as many as 40% of all consumers decided to use cremation services instead of regular burial. This makes it possible for anyone to have the type of memorial service they desire without the additional costs.

Want to learn more? Contact Cremation Options and talk to one of our experienced cremation service representatives today. 1-877-989-9090

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After the passing away of a loved one, the only thing that is in the mind of the family and relatives are the memories of the one who has passed. One of the best ways to store the memories, practiced is storing the ashes of the loved one in a cremation urn that has been a tradition following on from centuries. Some people often choose to store the ashes in an urn and as some bury it like with the casket.

After it is decided to store the ashes in an urn the first thing to do is to choose a cremation urn that best suits your desire. Cremation urns are not just a pot to showcase in the corner of a living room. The urns will posses the remains of your loved one which will remain in your home after the funeral for generations; the main factor to consider will be that of visual appeal. They are chosen to reflect the personality of the person passed away so that he can be remembered and stay in the memories of his family and the loved ones. The urn can be chosen according to your home décor and color and comes in different shapes and sizes.

This is a tradition that is practiced almost around the world. Different people use different materials to make an urn. Like in China they use marble as in South America they use Arizona wood. These urns are not made of cheap stained woods. They are made from exotic, top quality, Arizona hardwoods. Large cremation urns are about 250 cubic inches in size. These urns receive at least 8 coats of polyurethane protective coating in order to properly seal and protect the wood for a very long time. The polyurethane also provides a beautiful luster that really brings out the natural grain. Polyurethane is UV resistant as well as resistant to soap and most cleansers. The lids on the lathe turned urns are threaded for easy opening and closing, making the urns spill-proof.

Urns are made very carefully keeping in mind the traditions of it. They are specially crafted and designed keeping in mind the importance and value of it. Often urns are designed according to the desire of the person. The material used the color the size etc.
Often people want a cremation urn that suits the personality of the loved one who has passed away so that whenever they look at it, it reminds you of him and so he will stay with them in their memories forever.

Urns have unique designs and shapes. There are different types of urns like large round urns, box style urns, small urns, keepsake urns and so on. Urns have been around for centuries as a beautiful tool for assuring that a person’s memory lasts for the ages. Nobody likes to think about a loved one passing away, but it is an irreversible part of life and one of the best ways to memorialize a loved one is with cremation funeral urns. By this you can store the memories of the person with you for generations to come.

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Remember, Cremation Options is here to help you all day, every day with your funeral and cremation needs. We’re open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To contact us, simply call 1-877-989-9090. At any time of day or night, you will be able to speak with one of our trained, sympathetic and understanding representatives.

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On a picture perfect day tens of thousands of people descended upon the nation’s Capitol to pay their respects to “the greatest generation” and to witness the dedication of the World War II Memorial some 59 years after the treaties were signed ending the battles that claimed more than 400,000 American lives. The 7. 4 acre site on the National Mall between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial has been some 17 years in the making. With 1940’s swing music playing, guests started arriving just after dawn for the 2 p. m. event. On hand to witness President Bush dedicate the memorial were two former U. S. presidents, past and present members of Congress, and what has been called the largest gathering of World War II veterans since 1945. Organizers said that 117,000 tickets had been distributed with veterans accounting for about 60 percent of the total. Thousands more watched the ceremony on large screens along the mall. Also in attendance were a number of officers and members of the National Funeral Directors Association which wage an aggressive fund raising campaign to help make the monument a reality. NFDA raised nearly $3 million for the project which makes the association the second highest non-corporate donor behind only the Veterans of Foreign wars. “I am very proud of the NFDA members across the country who embraced this cause and helped to raise nearly $3 million through grassroots efforts in their communities through NFDA’s Celebration of Freedom campaign,” said Christine Pepper, NFDA chief executive officer. “Funeral directors probably more than any group, recognize the importance of memorializing. The WWII Memorial is a lasting tribute to the men and women of honor who served and fought for our freedom. “One of the most memorable experiences for NFDA President Mark Musgrove was at a reception the previous night. “I sat at a table with two congressional medal of honor winners. “Musgrove asked the man if he was comfortable talking about having received his medal. The man told Musgrove that he was in France his platoon was a hill and the Germans stormed the hill eight times over 36 hours-most of his platoon was killed. He was wounded three times. “Listening to him remember that. . . then Bob Dole got up and spoke and they played the “National Anthem” and “God Bless America,” standing there was something I will never forget. “It’s a shame that all funeral directors couldn’t actually be there,” said Mark Musgrove, president of NFDA. “It was truly a moving experience. We sat in an audience of 130,000 veterans and sharing their memories with them was very special and I’ll remember it the rest of my life. “NFDA past President John C. Carmon said this cause was especially significant to funeral directors. “For years funeral directors have learned a great deal from the veterans and their families they have served,” he said. “Dedication, sacrifice and commitment in particular. We have been in a unique position to understand how their war experience has affected their lives and their families. Working on the Memorial has been a privilege and honor to help a nation remember these sacrifices and a greater honor for an organization that was able to unify behind such a great national cause and accomplish such a unselfish goal. Personally seeing the tears well in the eyes of sons and daughters whose veteran fathers had died and knowing that we were remembering and honoring them has made every bit of this effort worthwhile. “Former president Robert Vandenbergh expressed his wish that all members of NFDA who helped in the fundraising effort could have been on hand. He added that the dedication had a personal significance. “My father-in-law served the U. S. Army in the jungles of New Guinea for three and a half years, and he was not even a U. S. citizen,” Vandenbergh said. “It was a small way of saying thank you to him and all the others who served so that we can live as we do today. As I sat there during the ceremony I thought about all of the WWII veterans whose services I have conducted over the years and wished they could see and feel the pride of their comrades who were there that day. It was truly a moving experience to be in Washington for the event.

Acknowledge a Debt

“At this place at this memorial we acknowledge a debt of long standing to an entire generation of Americans-those who died, those who fought and worked and grieved and went on,” said Bush with his father former President George H. W. Bush who was a decorated navy pilot and former President Bill Clinton seated on the dais behind him. “We will raise the American flag over a monument that will stand as long as America itself,” Bush said calling the monument “a fitting tribute. “The ceremony included a moment of silence for those U. S. service members killed in the war. Some 16 million Americans served in the war. The 90 minute ceremony also featured actor Tom Hanks star of “Saving Private Ryan,” and NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw who has authored books focusing on “The Greatest Generation. “Other speakers included former senator Robert J. Dole who led the $175 million memorial’s private fundraising drive. “What we dedicate today is not a memorial to war,” said Dole who was severely wounded as an Army Lieutenant serving in Italy. “Rather it is a tribute to the physical and moral courage that makes heroes out of farm and city boys, that inspires Americans of every generation to lay down their lives for people they’ll never meet. ” Only about 4 million veterans are still alive but they are now dying at the rate of about 1,100 a day according to estimates by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The idea for the memorial was first put forth in 1987 by Roger Durban an Army tank mechanic in the war from Berkey, Ohio. He took his idea to Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio who fought for six years to get Congress to authorize the memorial. Durbin died in 2000 but Kaptur and Durbin’s daughter participated in the ceremony.

If you or a family member have any further questions or concerns with respect to cremation, cremation services, cremation costs or a direct cremation please feel free to contact Cremation Options toll free 24 hours daily at 1-877-989-9090.

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Cremation Options & the Medical examiners and coroners focus on the grim task of collecting and attempting to identify numerous caskets and burial vaults that were uprooted out of area cemeteries from the hurricane’s storm surge. On Monday, August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, making one of the worst natural disasters in U. S. history. The category 4 storm killed over 1,000 people, making it the deadliest since the Galveston Hurricane of 1900, which claimed between 6,000 and 8,000 lives. Hurricane Katrina devastated a wide territory, from Mobile, Ala. , to New Orleans, La. , with fierce winds and high storm surges. In New Orleans, which sits below sea level, the situation worsened after Katrina left town. On August 30, the levee system that protects the city of 450,000 from the water of Lake Pontchartrain was breached, resulting in heavy flooding. Draining the city would take months. U. S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff described the situation as “probably the worst catastrophe, or set of catastrophes” in our country’s history. More than 1 million people were displaced from their homes, and millions more lost power. Just when they thought the worst was over, another unwelcome visitor showed up on the gulf’s doorstep, a lady named Rita. The storm tattered Gulf Coast took yet another direct hit from a powerful hurricane when Hurricane Rita made landfall in Southwestern Louisiana during the early morning of September 24 with winds approaching 120 miles an hour. Heavy damage and flooding were reported in Cameron Parish, La. , where the hurricane’s eye came ashore with a 20 foot storm surge around 3:30 a. m. EDT. The Western border of Cameron Parish is on the Texas Louisiana boundary. After striking Cameron Parish, Rita’s eye moved northwest into Texas and eventually dissipated. As the counting of the dead from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita finally slowed to a trickle in the Southern states of Louisiana and Mississippi, not only did the authorities have to deal with the on-going collection, handling and identification of those who died during the Hurricanes, but state and local medical examiners and coroners are now focusing on the grim task of collecting and attempting to identify numerous caskets and burial vaults what were uprooted out of area cemeteries from the storm surge of the hurricanes. “I’ve had caskets in the tops of trees that I’ve had to take out with backhoes. I’ve had caskets in people’s living rooms,” Louisiana Parish Councilman Mike Mudge told Reuters. Of the 15 cemeteries in his rural Parish, south of New Orleans, most were ripped apart by Katrina’s wall on the 17th street canal was breached by the storm surge. Neither the living nor the dead escaped the effects of Hurricane Katrina. At Metairie Cemetery, a burial spot of many of the area’s famous sons and daughters, the water line was observed as being several feet high on some of the mausoleums and tombs as the cemetery was under water for several weeks from the flooding caused by the break in the 17th street canal levee. In Biloxi, Miss. , at least 50 caskets were displaced from Southern Memorial Park and another 10 or so that were disinterred at Live Oaks Cemetery in Pass Christian were Hurricane Rita made landfall in late September, less than 30 days after Katrina. Cemetery vaults lay broken open as a result of the normal high ground water level combined with the flooding waters of the storm. Of about 60 cemeteries in Vermillion Parish in Southwestern Louisiana, about a dozen were missing approximately 20 vaults or caskets. At Big Woods Cemetery in Vinton, rain continues to trickle down into vaults, left cracked open by Hurricane Rita. Groundkeeper Edward Richard said, “We have a lot of graves damaged. I took rough count of 35 vault lids that area crushed. A lot of the caskets are showing. A lot of the family members are real concerned about it. ” All in all, storm surges from the two hurricanes disinterred about 1,300 sets of remains over the entire area. DMORT estimates 90 percent of those have been found. For those of us unfamiliar with the normal burial rites in this Southern area, ground burials, when possible, are typically shallowly interred only a few feet below ground utilizing a heavy concrete vault which is then pressed into the ground so that a portion remains above ground. This ritual is primarily due to the high water table, poor soil conditions and low ground elevation of the area, making digging a typical 8 foot deep earth grave impossible. When the water forces of the hurricanes attacked the cemeteries, it was very easy for these ground interred caskets and vaults to surface and literally float away. Caskets were reported to have been found as far as several miles away from any known cemetery and mostly not found until well after the flood waters receded. It is also believed that some may never be located and are feared lost in the Gulf of Mexico. In some of the older, less frequented cemeteries, a lot of the above ground burial tombs were already in poor condition because of neglect and age, and obviously sitting in standing water as a result of the storms accelerated further deterioration of the tombs. Few of those interred in metal caskets within the last few centuries had information inside the caskets that helped identify the remains. Others, particularly the very old caskets, did not. As one could imagine, the wooden and cloth covered minimal caskets did not survive well. In the majority of those caskets and vaults disinterred by the forces of Hurricane’s Katrina and Rita, little bore any sort of permanent identification markings on their exterior which would have permitted easy identification of where the casket or vault was purchased, manufactured or finally interred without further interior inspection. DMORT teams had to rely on their painstaking efforts of using photography, dental and full body x-rays, finger printing, DNA collection and visual examination of the deceased and the casket contents for any signs of personal effects that could link the deceased to a family. Most caskets recovered were not able to be reinterred due to the damage from the water or storm and were properly disposed of after being decontaminated. The remains were re-casketed with a new 18 gauge metal casket supplied by the government. Most of the forensic work to identify the unknown victims has been through dental records. There is no longer any doubt that there is now a growing need for casket manufacturers to begin looking at adding some sort of permanent, traceable serial number on the exterior of their caskets in a non conspicuous location. A 1995 attempt at passing a law in the state of Georgia would have mandated all funeral directors to “require that all caskets used for interment appropriately identify the remains of the deceased with the name and social security number of the deceased being affixed to the casket. ” However, House Bill 75 never made it to a vote before being repealed. As is the case with most casket manufacturers, individual serial numbers are included on stickers inside the lid. Even though the serial number sticker is able to be tracked from the factory to the funeral home where the casket was sold, it is not indelible. However, about 95 percent of the caskets manufactured by Batesville Casket Company do in clued the “Memorial Record System,” a tube that screws into the casket where an official record of the deceased may be placed. The idea, patented by Batesville in 1954 originally as a means of identifying the deceased contained within the casket, also allows consumers to enclose parting thoughts or mementos to be buried with the deceased. “The idea of Batesville affixing a permanent, stamped serial number on our caskets as a means of identification in the event of a disinterment just hasn’t been asked for yet,” said Joe Weigel, director of public relations. “It’s not beyond happening and if enough of our customers came forward we would certainly look at it. ” Some casketed remains from Katrina and Rita were fortunate to contain a bracelet or morgue identification tag still affixed to an extremity which was of great assistance in aiding in identification. It was unbelievable to find a compromised casket that had been interred for several decades still bore a readable hospital or nursing home identification bracelet with the deceased’s name on it. Some funeral directors routinely remove these bands during embalming and save them to ensure that they have taken proper custody of the correct body from a hospital or nursing home long after burial or cremation. If more funeral directors had left these id bracelets on the remains more would have been identified early on. In most parishes, the casket disinterment project is being tackled by the Federal DMORT group under the careful eye of the local and state medical examiner and coroner officials who are legally charged with the task of returning the displaced to their original resting place. A team of approximately 150 workers at a new DMORT morgue situated in the tiny town of Carville, LA. , a town bordered by sugar cane fields and the Mississippi river, work 12 hour shifts every day about 70 miles west of New Orleans. Three parishes are still deciding on whether or not to utilize the DMORT team, trying to handle the disinterments by their coroners’ offices. The facility recently moved to Carville from its previous location in Saint Gabriel. The new $17 million facility is designed for more long term use and storage if needed. The new location includes a morgue, offices, storage facilities, a cafeteria and six dormitory-style buildings that can house 300 staff members, two employees to a room. On any given day the facility has about 150 DMORT staffers working at the site and 50 other local, state and federal employees. The two main buildings are made with metal frames and a tension fabric similar to military facilities built in the deserts of Iraq for the war. The original temporary morgue was set up soon after Hurricane Katrina in the Iberville Parish community of Saint Gabriel. That morgue, in a privately-owned leased warehouse and old elementary school, has since been shut down. Operations at the new 52,000 square foot facility in Carville began December 6, 2005. Federal DMORT workers continue their search for disinterred caskets and vaults by land and air, driving by the swamps of flying over them in helicopters, looking for the telltale rectangular shapes. Hauling the 4. 000 pound vaults back to the cemetery is no small feat. DMORT Strike Team members must wade into the alligator and snake infested waters and wrap the casket or vault with a chain and attach it to a helicopter that moves it ever so gingerly, always anticipating the possibility of either the casket or the chain failing. If the whereabouts of the casket is know, it is returned onto a truck and taken to the DMORT Carville site and further examined. As of December, the official number of Katrina storm related deaths was 1,069. 897 bodies have been examined at the DMORT morgue, and 487 have been released to families. Another 147 have been identified, with all but two of those ready to be released as soon as family members can be found. Examiners have been unable to identify 263 bodies. DMORT workers have performed forensic examinations on more than 800 of the hurricane victims so far. DMORT officials found out in early December that the federal government approved $12. 8 million for DNA tests to identify hurricane victims. Right now, the federal government is paying 100 percent of the costs for the DNA testing, but the state will have to start covering 10 percent at some point after the new year. Sadly enough there is no horse-drawn hearse to take these disinterred caskets to the cemetery, equipped with the normal wailing jazz band trudging behind them through the city streets. These dead are not getting the traditional New Orleans send off. Instead refrigerated trucks escorted by federal uniformed police carry them away to the DMORT morgue in an attempt to identify where the caskets originated from before the floods and return them to their final resting place. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita have become much more than just the most expensive disasters in American history. They’re the new looking glass, much like Sept. 11 was showing us a future of surprising challenges and tough choices. We struggle to remember that a family who has lost a loved one once doesn’t expect them to be disturbed in our society. With the assistance of the federal DMORT teams, local and state officials are now getting through the process of putting them back in their resting place, Again.

If you or a family member have any further questions or concerns with respect to cremation, cremation services, cremation costs or a direct cremation please feel free to contact Cremation Options toll free 24 hours daily at 1-877-989-9090.

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Can you see the future of funeral service?Many predictions have been made about what is happening and what may happen in this changing industry, but no one can truly see the future. The closest we can get to looking forward is by taking a close look at the source:The students. A random survey of mortuary science students across the United States, conducted by American Funeral Director set out to discover what students were doing and thinking with regards to their education and post graduation plans. Overwhelmingly students were pleased with their education and excited to begin working and placing their own unique stamps on the funeral world. In fact 83 percent of those students surveyed said they are either satisfied or very satisfied with their funeral service education experience. Another 14 percent are moderately satisfied leaving only 2 percent of the students who are dissatisfied. Similarly a very small percentage (3 percent) of students strongly oppose the current continuing education requirements while 67 percent strongly or moderately favor the requirements. The remaining students had no opinion. We expected going into this survey that percentage of women would be near 50 percent. In fact the survey conveyed that 64 percent of mortuary science colleges in the United States is comprised of women. Should this be a shock?Or should be the shock be that it has taken this long for women to be in the majority?After all, women have played an integral part in funeral service for generations, helping their funeral director husbands and sons with everything from washing and caring for the bodies to cosmetizing, accounting and greeting families. Until recently however women have stayed out of the formal education arena but all that is changing. Mandi Lindseya student in her final semester at St. Louis Community College is excited by the shift. “I think more women in the industry is wonderful. It will definitely change for the good,” she said. “I’ve had a lot of families tell me they are mover comfortable meeting with women than men. “Whether male or female the students surveyed fell into two major age brackets; they were either very young, with 43 percent in the 18-25 year old bracket or they were in the 40 to 50 year old bracket which made up 22 percent of the students surveyed. Students between 26 and 30 years of age made up only 14 percent of the students surveyed; and students in the 30 to 35 and the 35 to 40 brackets made up 7 percent each. Despite cremation personalization and preneed being at the forefront of many conversations and seminars these students overwhelmingly rated embalming (76 percent) and restorative arts (58 percent) as the aspects of funeral service of most interest to them, followed by funeral arranging (43 percent) business/managerial (24 percent) and preneed counseling (22 percent). These students for the most part have serious and realistic goals for their futures. As far as salary is concerned the majority of students expect an entry level salary of $25,000 a salary of between $40,000 and $60,000 after 10 years. Although these salaries might be on the low side compared to other professions these students could have chosen money doesn’t seem to be the leading factor determining this career choice. When the students were asked what attracted them to funeral service 57 percent said they chose the field because they enjoy helping people in their time of need. Answers ranged from “it’s a calling,” to “I have respect for human life and wish to help,” to “I find it fascinating work. “Lindsey took a part time job as a secretary in a local funeral home in order to decide whether or not a career in funeral service was for her. “That’s when I saw much funeral directors can help the families that come in because they are completely lost at that time,” said Lindsey. “The directors I served my apprenticeship under were wonderful people; they were all about helping the families. “Ivy Mackay a student in her last semester at Florida Community College of Jacksonville also enjoys helping people navigate their way through the funeral process. As a child Mackay was not allowed to see her grandmother before she died, and she always felt she did not get the chance for a proper goodbye. So now she helps others and understands the importance of that final goodbye. “I love my job and the employees,” she said. “I know this is where I want to be. “Mackay also has a degree in psychology and this is not unusual. Many of the students surveyed entered funeral service from other careers or from other degree programs including education, banking, city government, factory work, law enforcement, cosmetology, homemaker, food service, airline sales and computer engineering. Some 42 percent of students named their highest level of education as high school. Those with an associate’s degree make up 15 percent of surveyed students while those with a bachelor’s degree make up 22 percent. Six percent hold a master’s degree. Just as change in this industry comes in the form of gender, another important shift is the many future funeral directors who are entering the profession without any family ties to the business. Where this industry has traditionally been a generational business nearly one-third of the students when asked about their first experience with the industry wrote that they have not yet worked in a funeral home. Samuel James a student at Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood S. C. works in a family owned funeral home but it is not owned by his family. For as long as he can remember he wanted to work at a funeral home. At age 16 his father contacted the local funeral director and expressed his son’s interest. Soon after James said “he offered to let me come and get a feel for the business by just working on weekends. That developed into a job the summer between my junior and senior year and has continued as a part-time position for me ever since. “James will receive his degree at Piedmont around the same time he will also graduate from Erskine College with a degree in business. “My family is not in the business at all,” said St. Louis Community College’s Mandi Lindsey, “and actually they think it’s one of the crazier things I have ever done. “The students who did not grow up in the industry do have some disadvantages admitted Lindsey. The students who did not grow up in the industry do have some disadvantages admitted Lindsey. “They have been around it forever,” she said adding that the students with this lifetime of history know more about the goings-on of the day-to-day business from the start. And “they also pretty much have a job when they get out of school where most people have to go out and try to find a place to work or serve their apprenticeships. “However this doesn’t seem to stop these first generation funeral directors from answering what many of them feel is their calling. Of course the traditional passing of the torch from one generation to the next will never completely disappear within an industry so rooted by its very nature in family. But perhaps the shift is this: in today’s mobile information packed world children have more awareness and opportunity to work outside the family business than they ever have before. If they do indeed infinite possibilities and they still choose funeral service that certainly says something about their dedication and love for the business. Aaron Mathis who attends St. Louis Community College never felt pressure from this funeral director father to go into the business. Yet he can’t remember a time in his life when he wasn’t interested in following in his father’s footsteps. In fact he literally followed his father around the funeral home. “Growing up my father worked a lot ,” said Mathis and I realized if I wanted to be around him I would need to spend time over there. “But Mathis never felt pressure to go into the business. “When I got older I became more and more interested but my father still would allow me to see an embalming because I don’t think he wanted me to feel pressured into the occupation,” he said. But his father did finally give in and Mathis has been hooked ever since. Although every college or university has its share of students who become cynical about their chosen field and a lot of those students might leave the program to pursue something else or simply never follow through with their original goals. But of the students we surveyed very few fit this category. They are instead overwhelmingly focused o n the future of this industry. And they seem to not only understand the way funeral service is changing but they embrace it from the increase of women in the field to the rising cremation rate and the move toward the funeral home becoming a one-stop shop equipped with flower shops coffee shops and catering. Still what has always been important what has always been the funeral director’s greatest gifts of caring for the dead and helping the living map their way through death and grief remains steadfast and alive. Changes such as “coffee shops and Power-point presentations. . . all of these things will eventually be in the funeral home” said Mathis. “All of these things will be great for the family and friends; however If we as directors take our sights of the main reason we are here then our jobs are pointless. Added Mathis, “the family must come first. ”

If you or a family member have any further questions or concerns with respect to cremation, cremation services, cremation costs or a direct cremation please feel free to contact Cremation Options toll free 24 hours daily at 1-877-989-9090.

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