Cremation Choices
& FAQs
Everything you need to know about cremation.
Urns
The selection of the urn is very important since it provides a dignified receptacle for the cremated remains. The urn can become the focal point at a memorial service and can serve as a permanent memorial to the deceased. The type of urn selected depends on what you wish to do with the cremated remains after the cremation. Urns are available for scattering, for interment in a cemetery plot or niche, or for home display.
Keepsake Urns
Keepsake urns are smaller versions of full size urns and are manufactured to hold a small portion of cremated remains, a lock of hair or ceremonial flowers. Keepsake urns allow you to share the cremated remains of your loved one.
Urn Personalization
Engraving can turn an urn into a permanent, personal memorial. We offer a variety of choices to help you create a unique and meaningful tribute to a loved one.
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You have many options to choose from for the final placement of cremated remains. Some examples of these include scattering, in-ground burial, above-ground entombment, and cremation niche interment. You also have options such as scattering some of the cremated remains and burying the rest, keeping the urn containing the cremated remains in your home, or dividing up the cremated remains among several of your family members. Keepsake options like cremation jewelry offer an appealing way to feel close to your loved one.
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Cremation is a clean, ecologically sound process, in which a body is reduced to its basic elements. A casket or container holding the deceased is placed into the cremation chamber, where the temperature between 1500 and 1900 degrees Fahrenheit. A couple of hours later, the remains are carefully removed from the chamber and processed into what's known as "cremated remains".
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Cremated remains are often referred to as "ashes", but in fact they are made of pulverized bone fragments. This is because all traces of organic, carbon-based matter are removed during the cremation process, leaving behind only bone and small amounts of salts and minerals. Because all organic material and bodily fluids evaporate, what remains does not present any sort of hazard to people or to the environment
Just as each person is unique, their cremated remains are also unique. The amount of certain elements changes from person to person, creating an elemental signature that's as distinctive as a fingerprint.
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A cremation niche is a compartment designed to hold one or more urns containing cremated remains. Cremation niches are often inside of columbaria, which are buildings or structures that can be located indoors or outdoors, and which often house many cremation niches.
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Cremation memorialization helps loved ones pay tribute to a life that was lived. There are many different forms of cremation memorialization, from burial of the remains with a monument marking the spot, to placing an urn in a cremation niche, and there are even memorial keepsakes and jewelry. In fact, there are so many unique ways to memorialize someone after cremation that you're sure to find one that honors the life that was lived.
At our funeral home in Big Stone Gap, VA, Holding Funeral Home offers several cremation packages to make it easier for you to choose the right products and options for your needs. You can find out more about our cremation services by calling us at (276) 523-1470.