Cremation

Cremation is selected for many reasons ranging from religious beliefs or ethnic customs to cost. Many people select the process simply because of personal preference.

Some people are surprised to learn that cremation does not preclude a funeral with all the traditional aspects of the ceremony. Visitation or viewing with a funeral ceremony and church or memorial services are options to be considered. In Wisconsin, funeral homes are permitted to rent caskets for viewing and services.

The Cremation Process

The body is contained in an appropriate casket or other acceptably rigid container.The containerized body is placed in a furnace or retort.The cremation process exposes the body to open flame, intense heat and evaporation, reducing it to bone fragments in two to three hours. Cremated remains are primarily bone fragments. Cremation usually results in three to nine pounds of remains.

Depending upon arrangements made by the family, cremated remains are placed in a temporary container for transport or in a more permanent container, such as an urn, and returned to the funeral director or a family member.

After Cremation

There are a variety of options for the final disposition of cremated remains. Urns or other containers may be placed in a niche at a cemetery. Oak Grove has niches available in the Garden Mausoleum as well as the Historic Mausoleum, the Chapel, and the Columbariums. Families may elect to bury the urn in a family plot or cemetery or keep it in another place of personal significance, such as the home. Oak Grove Cemetery provides an area for scattering. Most people find consolation knowing there is a specific place to visit when they wish to remember and feel close to the person they have lost, regardless of whether or not the deceased person’s remains are actually located at that place. That’s why it’s often a good idea to select some ‘place’ where people can go to remember the deceased person. Each family must make those important decisions for themselves.

If you have additional questions about cremation or would like to discuss other
pre-arrangement options, please call us at (608) 782-6956.

Information adapted from the National Funeral Directors Association.