More Opting for Cremation in Tough Times

The recession has forced consumers to cut back on spending in almost every area of life. Now death, it seems, is no exception, as the funeral industry is changing to accommodate budget-conscious families.

The Cremation Association has Oregon ranked as the third-highest state in the nation for the percentage of people cremated, a trend that has been growing as the economy is slowing.

The saying goes: Nothing is certain in life but death and taxes.

But the slump in the economy has even the funeral industry feeling the impact, and more people are choosing a cheaper alternative.

Nearly 70 percent of Oregonians are choosing cremation over a traditional burial.

"There being so few jobs available and so few other alternatives, cremation has become an issue that more traditional families, where they have not considered it in the past, they are considering it now," said Jerome Daniel, owner of Deschutes Memorial Chapel Gardens and Crematorium in Bend.

According to Daniel, the estimated cost of an adult funeral and burial is about $6,000 -- plus the cost of a casket. A typical cremation service costs only one-fourth that amount.

"To actually cremate, as final disposition, is in my opinion a great alternative," Daniel said. "It seems a lot of people look at us as a great resource, but I'm not sure that they're feeling like they really want us involved in the process as much as they used to."

About 1,000 people die each year in Deschutes County. Daniel says of that number, he's cremated 600 to 700 people, and only buried about 200.

And some religions that once banned cremation say that now, it's becoming the norm.

"People can be buried from the Catholic Church who are cremated, provided they are not getting cremated as an insult to god," said Father Joseph Reining, vicar general of the Bend-based Diocese of Baker.

"We even have modified the funeral liturgy to take care of what we call the 'cremated remains,' rather than the body," he added.

Though it's still an $11 billion-a-year industry, the economic crunch is forcing the funeral industry to change with the times.

The rising popularity of cremation has prompted many funeral homes to embrace the service, with colorfully designed urns and other features. It's even become part of their marketing effort.

Brad Baird, the owner of Baird Funeral Homes, said, "We do offer a full line of pendant jewelry, bracelets, bookmarks to 'thumbees,' which are transferring the thumb print onto the jewelry. So cremation does have a lot of options."

"The Baby Boomers are a big factor in this -- cremation really appeals to them," Baird said. "In terms of cost and tradition, the thinking is really changing."

The cremation process takes about three hours, and in the state of Oregon, there are no laws restricting where you are allowed to spread someone's ashes.

By the year 2025, it's estimated more than half of all who die will be cremated.

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