Ash Scattering Society Launches Holyland Ash Scattering

Holyland Ash Scattering, a division of Ash Scattering Society LLC, the leading provider of ash scattering services partners with Funeral Directors to offer a unique option of returning ashes to the earth in Holy Land.

Arlington, VT, May 29, 2012 -  Holyland Ash Scattering was started in response to the public’s desire to have their sacred earthly remains scattered to the four winds. The company has now made it possible for funeral homes to profit by offering professional scattering services. A new website www.holylandashscattering.com will help guide and educate families. Funeral Directors struggling with declining revenues due to the rise of cremation, now have a unique opportunity to help those that they serve by offering a very  special scattering service. Holyland Ash Scattering has developed a private memorial scattering garden in the Holyland. They will take care of all of the details to arrange safe and secure shipping of the ashes to their office in Israel. The ashes will then be scattered in the most spiritual place in the world. Overlooking the Sea of Galilee, in the hills where Jesus lived and taught, their private memorial garden is a sacred place for a secure, final disposition for all time. To further commemorate the sacred scattering ceremony, the company professionally videotapes and preserves this event on DVD as well as a You Tube download, to give  your client families added piece of mind,  and as keepsake to watch and share with friends and family. A handsome framed certificate of scattering is also included as an heirloom gift from your funeral home.

• Cremation is increasing at an alarming rate, reducing funeral service revenues. Partnering with Holyland Ash Scattering is one way to help reclaim some of your lost revenue while distinguishing your funeral home and your product offerings.
• Many families are choosing cremation and more than half of them are considering scattering. You can assist them in providing a professional scattering service that will make the event more meaningful and spiritual, while taking away the burden of trying to figure out the perfect sendoff.
• Baby Boomers are seeking new and innovative ways to memorialize their lives and passing. They have already embraced scattering as their preferred choice. Now you can offer them the option of being returned to the earth in this special place that marks the birth of civilization.

Our Memorial Scattering Garden

Ash Scattering Society LLC has over twenty years experience working in the funeral service industry. We understand the shrinking margins that funeral home’s face today. We know today’s client families demand up to date options. General Manager Jeff Staab say’s we have developed this service based on 3 core principles:

1. 1. Comfort: Funeral Directors can provide added comfort to their client families by offering the best possible option for scattering their loved one’s ashes, utilizing the most professional and caring people to perform the service.
2. 2. Confidence: Often client families are not comfortable handling the scattering of ashes. Plagued by the desire to do it right and not knowing the options is the main reason so many put it off indefinitely. As a result the liability of storing ashes often falls on the funeral home. Offering a professional service will help give families the confidence they need, knowing they made the best choice.
3. 3. Closure: Making the choice to use a professional scattering service and returning their loved ones to their spiritual roots will provide the much needed closure for client families. Eliminating the need for second guessing and guilt about doing the right thing is a gift that Funeral Directors can give their client families.

The Process:

• Holy Land Ash Scattering  partners with Funeral Directors in offering the best scattering options to their client families and compensates them well for their recommendation.
• Holy Land Ash Scattering takes care of shipping the ashes and then performs a dignified scattering ceremony in our own private memorial park in the hills overlooking the Sea of Galilee; an area rich in history & spirituality.
• Holy Land Ash Scattering will also assist in decreasing funeral home’s inventories of ashes. The families you have served in the past can now be given an option. Remove your funeral home from the liability of storing ashes indefinitely. Even if they do not choose our service, you have opened the door to discuss other options and hopefully get them out from under your roof!.

Who We Are:

• Ash Scattering Society LLC is the industry leader in Ash Scattering worldwide. They are the most trusted, professional and experienced service provider in the funeral service industry.
• They use  proven marketing strategies and apply them to funeral service for an optimal outcome. They make it easy for funeral professionals and supply all the needed professional marketing materials and documents to offer their services. Services are very affordable to client families and provide a new and needed stream of revenue to Funeral Directors.
• Their first brand is the Holyland. This was the obvious first choice due to the high percentage of the Christian market who embrace this sacred location. They will be launching other unique brands/locations, utilizing both sea and sky scattering services. Future brands will include sports venues, golf courses and women centric locations. All brands will be professionally managed with a focus on quality, integrity and trust.

Providing client families with cremation choices is what you do. Partnering with Ash Scattering Society LLC gives you the ability to offer families the best scattering option available. By scattering in the Holy Land, families are able to have comfort, confidence and closure knowing that they have assisted their loved ones to complete their journey on earth and return to their spiritual roots to rest undisturbed for all eternity.
For more information visit: www.HolyLandAshScattering.com or contact Jeff@holylandashscattering.com or call 888-720-1961

Solar Array Means Savings for Arizona Cemetery

A 30 kilowatt-hour solar array is being installed to provide electrical power to the Southern Arizona Veterans' Memorial Cemetery.

The $170,000 project, with funds provided by the federal and state governments as part of an ongoing "green" program, is expected to be in full operation by the first of April.

Cemetery Administrator Joe Larson said the solar array, being installed by Phoenix-based Sky Renewable Energy, will mean the cemetery's budget of between $1,400 to $1,500 a month for electricity will be saved.

"The grant money came through the Arizona Department of Administration," Larson said.

The amount of power which will be provided will be sufficient for daily operations and none will be sold back to the electrical provider, which is the Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Co-op, he said, adding on days where not enough power is generated by the solar array SSVEC will be the backup source.

Mark Hardison, the company's foreman for the job, said there will be 126 panels on three separate arrays which will fulfill the cemetery's electrical needs.

The amount of power — 30kwh — is enough to provide electricity to five homes, Hardison said.

The project, which began about a month ago, includes a number of specialized equipment as part of the system which will convert alternating current to direct current.

Working with him is one other man, Broc Matthew, who is an apprentice with the company.

Each of the arrays tilt at 30 degrees "to receive the maximum sunshine," Hardison said.

The system is spaced so no shade from one part of the three arrays interferes with another set of panels, thereby degrading the amount of power generated, he said.

SOURCE: http://www.htrnews.com/usatoday/article/38889765?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|s

Better Business Bureau Offers Advice for Navigating Funeral Process

At an average cost of $7,000, funerals are one of the more expensive purchases consumers ever make.

During such an emotionally-charged time, it can be easy to spend more than might be necessary. The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota (BBB) offers the following advice for navigating the funeral process.

Most funeral providers offer a variety of package plans that include products and services that are most commonly sold. However, it’s important to remember that no package is obligatory and it’s important to take the time, even though the time to make these decisions may be short, to find the individual products and services that best serve the needs of you and your loved ones. The “Funeral Rule,” enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, requires funeral directors to give you itemized prices in person and, if asked, over the phone.

As outlined by the Funeral Rule:

• You have the right to choose the funeral goods and services that you want (with some exceptions).
• The funeral provider must state this “Rule” in writing on the general price list.
• If state or local law requires you to buy any particular item, the funeral provider must disclose it on the price list, with a reference to the specific law.
• The funeral provider may not refuse, or charge a fee, to handle a casket that you bought elsewhere.
• A funeral provider who offers cremations must make alternative containers available.

One way to reduce stress during a time of grief is pre-planning. The National Funeral Directors Association offers a “Bill of Rights for Funeral Preplanning” (www.nfda.org/planning-a-funeral/preplanning.html) that its members follow. You do not have to prepay for a funeral in order to preplan one, although there may be financial benefits to doing so.

The BBB has Business Reviews on more than 1,350 funeral homes and mortuary service providers across North America, available for free at www.bbb.org/search.

For more consumer tips you can trust, visit www.bbb.org/us/bbb-news.

The mission of the Better Business Bureau is to be the leader in building marketplace trust by promoting, through self-regulation, the highest standards of business ethics and conduct, and to instill confidence in responsible businesses through programs of education and action that inform, assist and protect the general public.

SOURCE: http://hometownsource.com/2012/02/15/better-business-bureau-offers-advice-for-navigating-funeral-process/

Air Force Admits More Ashes Sent to Landfill Than First Believed

The Air Force confirmed today that as many as 274 sets of cremated partial remains were disposed of in a Virginia landfill, significantly more than had been originally acknowledged when the now-discontinued practice was first reported a month ago.

“We regret any additional grief the past practice may have caused,” said Lt. Gen. Darrell Jones, deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services.

Jones briefed reporters after today’s Washington Post article that detailed 274 instances prior to 2008 when the ashes of partial remains were disposed of in a southern Virginia landfill.

The Air Force Mortuary at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware cremates any partial remains that might emerge after a family has taken possession of their loved one’s body. Jones described the partial remains as usually consisting of small pieces of soft tissue or bone fragments. Families are provided with a form where they can choose to not be notified if such remains emerge and agree to the military disposing of such remains.

From 2003 to 2008, the mortuary would send additional partial remains to a funeral home that would then send them to a contractor for cremation. The ashes would then be disposed of in a southern Virginia landfill. When presented with the forms, families were not told that the disposition meant that the ashes would ultimately be sent to a landfill.

In June 2008, the new head of the mortuary reviewed the practices at Dover and concluded that disposing cremated partial remains at sea was a more fitting option. The “retirement at sea” has since become standard practice for the mortuary.

Asked if the practice prior to 2008 was disrespectful, Jones answered, “It is certainly not the way we would have done it. Looking back, that’s why in 2008 when we saw that practice we changed that practice.”

Jones said 14 urns containing the ashes of partial remains have been taken out to sea aboard a Navy ship for “retirement at sea.” The urns are made of salt so they will dissolve in water. After the briefing, Jones said the 14 urns were all taken out to sea in January 2011 in a group retirement at sea.

The Air Force has established a hotline since the practices at the Dover Mortuary have been in the news. So far, it has received nine calls and only one that dealt specifically with the issue of the ashes being placed at the landfill.

SOURCE: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/12/air-force-admits-more-ashes-sent-to-landfill-than-first-believed/

My Big Fat Green Funeral

At the end of your life, what will be your final act? How do you want to be remembered?

So help me, God, do not bury me in a casket from Costco. I don’t even want a casket. I wish to be buried at sea. Splish, splash, I’ll be taking an eternal bath.

In Cuba, they practice another technique, whereby graveyard space is reduced, reused, and recycled. The unembalmed body is placed inside an aboveground vault that is tightly sealed -- but not too tightly, because eventually it will be reopened.

When a new body moves into the vault, the old, decomposed remains are stored in a box in the corner. That way, the entire family’s remains are kept together.

That system sounds pretty eco-friendly to me. But the funeral industry in this country would not appreciate it, because its profits would dramatically decrease.

Natural burials tend to cost much less than modern, materials-intensive burials. A typical, modern funeral will run a family about $10,000. By comparison, at the Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery in Gainesville, the rate for burial is $2000.

A green or natural funeral should be the right of every individual. After all, every other living thing that dies away from human contact has a natural burial. Dead whales sink, dead trees fall, and living decomposers recycle them. That’s the circle of life. The decomposers get us, too, but we tend to slow down the process with formaldehyde.

You don’t have to be embalmed. You don’t have to purchase a casket. You don’t have to use a funeral home.

Religion dictates how a deceased human body must be handled, and these traditions must be respected. Interestingly, they tend to be much greener than industrialized methods. Traditionally, Jews and Muslims practice quick burials, thereby avoiding the need for unnatural preservation. They also tend to dispense with caskets. It’s just a body, wrapped in a shroud, put into a hole in the ground. Simple and pure.

Viewers of the HBO series Six Feet Under will recall the natural burial of Nate. Despite running a funeral home, Nate preferred to go low-tech. His final resting place was underneath a tree.

But how natural is natural? The Green Burial Council website (www.greenburialcouncil.org) defines it as “a way of caring for the dead with minimal environmental impact that furthers legitimate ecological aims such as the conservation of natural resources, reduction of carbon emissions, protection of worker health, and the restoration and/or preservation of habitat.”

The council offers a free online burial planner. This document complements a living will, which itself is a good idea.

Cremation, which conserves space, falls into the questionable category. The process is energy-intensive and produces large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. Perhaps levels of pollution will be reduced in the future with better practices.

A new form of low-energy, liquid cremation pioneered in Europe was brought to the U.S. this past year by the Anderson-McQueen Family Tribute Center in St. Petersburg. Called resomation, the process uses a large boiler and additives to separate liquids from solids. The fact that it uses large amounts of water, however, could be considered wasteful.

For people choosing cremation, you can go low-tech and scatter the ashes by hand, or you can go high-tech and travel to almost any place on earth (and in the future, surely outer space). For those who prefer inner space, or the ocean, one of the most spectacular choices exists right here in Miami. Located just outside state waters, roughly three miles off Key Biscayne, is the Neptune Society’s Memorial Reef.

Memorial Reef is the world’s largest artificial reef, and an underwater cemetery. It has giant lions and pearly gates and benches for fish. Cremated remains are mixed in concrete and attached to the existing structure. Eventually it will cover 16 acres and house the remains of more than 100,000 people. This diving site is open to the public.

A company with a similar concept is Eternal Reefs, based in Georgia. The company’s main business is manufacturing reef structures, so concrete reef balls with cremated remains are placed in various artificial reef locations.

Even if you opt for a modern burial, try to minimize your impact on the earth. Request green options, and pick a cemetery that has been certified or that offers green practices. Choose an urn or casket that is relatively biodegradable, or make your own. To offset the impact of a burial, purchase some trees and make a donation to a conservation organization.

A natural funeral is an American tradition. Before the Civil War, when Americans were not embalmed, home viewings of the dead and do-it-yourself burials were common.

Don’t wait to make this choice. Write down today what you want to happen at your funeral, because, if you don’t, tomorrow you might be forced into a casket from Costco.

SOURCE: http://www.biscaynetimes.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1096:my-big-fat-green-funeral&catid=70:going-green&Itemid=200

BBB Advises Consumers To Shop Around, Ask Questions Before Buying Funeral Services

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is advising consumers to ask lots of questions and consider several providers before buying or planning funeral services.
Americans spend billions on funerals every year, but the funeral or burial services don’t have to be costly. A funeral can be a simple internment or an elaborate affair with music, speakers, customized caskets and refreshments for mourners. Family, religious or personal preferences are important, but cost and convenience should be considered as well.

“Many families are forced to make decisions about funerals under stress,” said Michelle L. Corey, BBB President and CEO. “By educating themselves about the process and taking time to ask questions and compare costs, families can avoid overspending. They’re more likely to get the kind of service they want, too.”
The Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule gives consumers a number of rights, including the right to receive written price lists, explanations of cemetery or legal requirements and the choice of using a container other than a casket for cremation. Some cemeteries have their own requirements, which must be explained fully before you make a purchase.

The BBB offers the following tips for avoiding funeral scams:

• Be an informed consumer. Call and shop around before making a purchase. Funeral homes are required to provide detailed price lists over the phone or in writing. Ask if lower priced items are included on the price list.
• Contact the BBB for a Business Review of any funeral home, cremation service, cemetery or other provider you may be considering. Check whether the funeral services director or embalmer is licensed. Reviews are available at www.bbb.org or by calling 314-645-3300.
• Be alert for unsupported claims. Sellers who claim to have a product or service that will preserve human remains over the long term are misleading you. Funeral providers cannot determine how long a casket will preserve a body, so keep that in mind when deciding whether to purchase the more expensive “sealed” or “protective” casket. A casket is not legally required for a direct cremation.
• Cemetery plots or niches in a mausoleum are sold more like a perpetual lease than a real estate deed. The rights of use should be spelled out in the contract. Ask if there are additional fees for vaults, opening the grave or perpetual care. Ask whether the cemetery has an endowment to provide for upkeep over time.
• Research funeral home service fees. The Federal Trade Commission’s Web site at http://www.ftc.gov/ has information on charges that are prohibited under the Funeral Rule.
• Embalming is not required if you choose direct cremation or immediate burial.
• Resist high-priced sales pitches from funeral industry vendors. They should treat you with compassion; not pressure you.
• Consult a friend or family member. Take along a friend or relative when you visit the funeral home. Someone who is not as emotionally invested as you are can assist with difficult decisions.
• Require all proposed plans and purchases to be put in writing. Compare the posted prices and any oral promises with those listed in the contract. The contract should itemize all prices and specify any future costs. Check the contract for any restrictions.
• Carefully read contracts and purchase agreements before signing. Ask if the agreements you sign can be voided, taken back or transferred to other funeral homes.
• Prepaying for a funeral has advantages as well as risks. If you choose to prepay, carefully research your options and know your rights. You can always make plans in advance, without prepaying, and you may be better off putting money for a funeral in a savings account. Be sure to share your specific wishes with those close to you. 

SOURCE: http://interact.stltoday.com/pr/business/PR02031209378133

Embalming: Preserving Life in The Time of Death

The death of a loved one can be a difficult time for many, and a funeral can be especially difficult for some people to deal with.

Stephanie Dubois/ Rep Staff Serenity Funeral Service Funeral Director

and Embalmer Quinn Furey

Although it can be hard, dealing with death is part of a normal day for local embalmers and funeral directors.

Considered to be a morbid profession by some, embalmers are a necessary part of society and play a major role in the preservation of a body after death, said one Leduc embalmer.

“I think the healthiest point of view you can have is this is a role that needs filling and this is a role in society that has to happen,” said Quinn Furey, an embalmer and funeral director with Serenity Funeral Services in Leduc, who said many people are unaware of what happens to the deceased during the embalming, cremation or burial process.

The embalming procedure, which is not mandatory and depends on the family’s wishes, is one which dates back to the Egyptian dynasty where Egyptians would prepare their dead for the afterlife. Although the process has changed substantially since then, the preservation of the body so family members can view it as part of their grief is still an important part of the method.

According to Furey, the enshrining process can be described as “the preserving of the human body through the use of chemicals and also retards micro-organism growth.” One of the main issues with a deceased person is the risk of bacteria growth, which can release harmful microorganisms into the air, and is why embalmers use chemicals such as formaldehyde to stop the body’s tissue from decomposing.

The three, main steps to embalming

Considered to be a somewhat lengthy process, embalming a dead body has three main priorities: sanitation, preservation and restoration, , Furey said.

The first step requires the mortician to remove all bacteria from the body by using chemicals.

Furey said tuberculosis is one of the biggest concerns when dealing with sanitation, because it is a bacteria that presents itself in the lungs and still manifests after the person is deceased.

Called vascular embalming, Furey said the funeral home relies on the body’s arteries to flush out the blood and circulate the chemicals used in order to maintain the body’s tissues. Using a special machine to pump the liquid, the mortician first creates an incision to a major artery and inserts the liquids through the major artery.

“Basically what we are doing is pushing the blood out. We inject in the artery and then we open up the vein. We use it because it is the closest to the heart and it’s a major distributor. We can inject [the fluids] in any major artery and we will do that if an area gets plugged,” said the local funeral director.

The fluids used not only contain formaldehyde, but also water, dyes to pigment the skin as well as other embalming agents.

“Most of the colour in Caucasian skin is blood showing through the skin. When someone passes, the blood settles to the lowest point and the tissue gets a greyest colour, so we have a few different dyes to help.”

After inserting the enshrining liquid, the embalmer then does what is called ‘aspiration.’

The practice sees the major organs such as the stomach and lungs punctured and filled with a special liquid, which stops bacteria growth.

After the fluids are injected, the body is then prepared for the viewing process. The embalmer first sets the features of the deceased, which includes closing the eyes and wiring the jaw shut. The person’s face is then shaved, they are dressed in the clothing chosen by the family and are placed in the casket.

Once the body is placed, the deceased person then has makeup applied by an embalmer in preparation for the viewing.

“One of hardest parts is lips on men because the lips go grey usually. There is quite a bit of blood vessels so one of the harder things, oddly enough, is to get the lip colour right,” said Furey.

After the viewing, depending on the family’s wishes, some people choose to have their loved ones’ ashes cremated.

Although the Leduc funeral home does not do the cremation at their local office, their affiliate branch does take care of the deceased. Furey said the cremation process generally takes about three to four hours, depending on the size of the person and the box they are cremated in.

Resembling the concept of an oven, the crematorium burns the deceased person and the closed container they are placed in at 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. The ashes are then collected by using a series of brushes and are placed into a metal bin with spinning blades.

Although it is mostly bone marrow that remains as somewhat larger pieces, Furey said the ashes are put through the machine to become fine ash, with all metal removed prior.

The remains are then placed into a special heavy-duty plastic bag, which is then put into the urn or container of choice of the family members.

The ashes are then given to the family or prepared for the funeral.

The viewing: one of more important parts of grieving process

According to local funeral directors, the viewing portion of the funeral can be difficult for many but can be one of the most important steps in grieving over the loss of a loved one.

“I think death denial is rampant and it is something our culture has embraced fully because most people don’t know what happens in the funeral industry. Just because the viewing is unpleasant doesn’t mean it isn’t important,” said Furey.

One of the more difficult parts of being a funeral director, according to Leduc staff, is having to see the family during the committal portion of the funeral, which is when the casket is placed into the ground. Furey said most people are able to contain their grief during the majority of the funeral proceedings but this portion of the grieving ceremony is when many are unable to hold back.

“That seems to be where the family has held themselves together and that’s where they break. That can be the toughest part,” said Furey, adding seeing parents with a child who passed away is also a difficult moment. “I think the toughest times is when you see somebody who is my parents age and somebody my age is the deceased. There is a similarity between me and the deceased, which is difficult because then it becomes personal.”

Local embalmers agree that no matter how difficult death may be to some, it is an equalizer that everyone will encounter and that by understanding what happens after a person passes can help lessen the fear of death many have.

“I think many people believe talking or thinking about death is bad or morbid but most people I meet want to know more out of curiosity. I think it is a good thing that people are curious. The less it is demystified, the less fear there is.”

SOURCE: http://www.leducrep.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3458788

Nearly Half of Californians Choose It

San Francisco Archbishop George Niederauer has given his approval to plans by a Dominican parish to build a columbarium with 320 niches for the cremated remains of parishioners, the archdiocesan newspaper Catholic San Francisco reports.

The newspaper described the plans at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church as “a first for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, and a sign of how things have changed from the past when the Catholic Church banned cremation except for extraordinary circumstances such as an outbreak of the plague.”

“A columbarium is a building or portion of a building where niches are placed to house cremated remains to honor and remember our deceased family and friends,” says the parish website.

“It is estimated that niche prices will vary from $4,200 to $15,200 depending upon location of the niche,” according to St. Dominic’s website. “This price is for up to 2 persons per niche. There will also be opening fees.”

“St. Dominic’s proposed columbarium is an example of how prevalent cremation has become, particularly in California, the state with the highest number of cremations in the country with 107,769 in 2009,” reported the Dec. 9 edition of Catholic San Francisco. “Forty-six percent of Californians chose cremation over whole body burial in 2009, according to the Cremation Association of North America. Nationally, cremations rose from 33 percent in 2004 to 38 percent in 2009, according to the association report.”

Some observers have concluded that the rise in cremation can be attributed in part to the bad economy. In an example provided in a Dec. 9 New York Times article on the subject, the family of a 54-year-old woman who died from cancer spent a total of $1600 when it opted for cremation -- compared to $10,000 to $16,000 for a traditional burial and funeral.

Archbishop Niederauer’s approval for the parish columbarium “was specific to the circumstances at St. Dominic, which is owned by the Dominican Order,” the archdiocesan newspaper reported. “In general, the archdiocese recommends burial or interment at Holy Cross or one of the other Catholic cemeteries in the archdiocese.”

“This is not a precedent,” the archbishop was quoted as saying by Catholic San Francisco. “If there are other parishes that want to proceed with this in the future, we need to approach those requests on a parish by parish basis, judging the situation individually.”

The niches in the columbarium at St. Dominic’s will be available only to registered parishioners. Holy Cross Cemetery -- the archdiocesan cemetery in Colma -- already provides for cremated remains either by traditional burial, above-ground indoor and outdoor marble niches, and glass-front niches in the cemetery’s All Saints Mausoleum.

Other dioceses in California also operate cemeteries designed to handle cremated remains. In the Oakland diocese, the Mausoleum at the Cathedral of Christ the Light includes 1850 niches for cremated remains, which can cost as little as $1500 or as much as $110,000. The mausoleum below the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles includes 4794 niches for urns containing cremated remains.

In the dioceses of San Jose, Orange and Sacramento, Catholic cemeteries provide burial, mausoleums and niches to handle cremated remains.

Permitting cremation is relatively new to the Church, which forbade it -- except in rare circumstances -- until 1963. In 1997, the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments further refined the Church’s position, authorizing local bishops to set their own policies on whether cremated remains may be present at funeral Masses. Canon law on the subject has also changed, with the 1983 edition lifting a ban on cremation that had been in the 1917 Code.

“While the Church favors traditional burial, it now allows cremation,” explains a section on the Sacramento diocesan website about cremation. “In the past the Church prohibited cremation because the practice had been associated with a denial of the Christian belief in the resurrection of the dead and the immortality of the soul. The Church removed this prohibition in 1963 and now forbids cremation only if it is done ‘for reasons that are contrary to Christian teaching.’”



SOURCE: http://www.calcatholic.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?id=e23be521-0b61-4afd-8001-a369fa8fd6f1

I-Team: Pet Cremation Business Accused Of Operating Without License

Recently, pet cremation business Heaven’s Pets said they began getting an influx of business.

Out of sight, in the back of the Lake Lawn Metairie Cemetery, under the sound of an incinerator, Jen Melius was hard at work.

Melius owns Heaven’s Pets and said she has been flooded with phone calls lately.

“Why? I'm not 100 percent sure, but we have had some calls from other vets on the Northshore who in the past have not called us for service,” she said.

The calls came after one Northshore-based pet cremation business, the Pet Stop, shut down.

A flyer obtained by the WDSU I-Team said the business is located in Albany, La., and run by Jean Carpenter. Prices were listed on the flyer for regular and private cremations.

Dr. Susan Strain with the Claiborne Hill Veterinary Clinic said she used the Pet Stop for more than a decade. However, that all changed about two weeks ago.

“She gave us a call and said that part of her cremator wasn't working and she brought back the bodies they collected,” Strain said.

The call Strain received came after the WDSU I-Team called Carpenter. The I-Team discovered that Carpenter’s business wasn’t registered with the state. There wasn’t any record in Livingston Parish of any occupational license to operate, either.

Carpenter told WDSU that she had been out of the business for "a while" when asked about operating without a proper license.

However, numerous clinics from Hammond to Covington said they have used Carpenter and the Pet Stop in recent months.

Carpenter said the Pet Stop has been closed for 10 years, but said she has a man who “picks up the dogs and takes them to the dump, but my cremation business does not go with it.”

Strain said that Carpenter's closed business was news to her.

“It was more of a working relationship and we never questioned it,” Strain said.

Now, the doctor is questioning it. Strain is the wife of Dr. Mike Strain, the commissioner of the state Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

He worked with his wife until his election to state office in 2007.

“I'm sure Mike will speak with secretary (Tom) Schedler about this to see if he has any concerns, and there needs to be,” Strain said.

Schedler is the Secretary of State. All limited liability corporations and businesses have to register with the Secretary of State’s office.

Businesses that handle pet remains are required to have state and parish business licenses to operate, but don’t need a special license to handle dead pets.

Businesses are supposed to be following the official rules laid out by the International Association of Pet Cemeteries and Cremators.

SOURCE: http://www.wdsu.com/mostpopular/30363265/detail.html

Saying Farewell to Fido

So there she was — a 57-year-old Benedictine nun-turned-chemist-turned Protestant pastor — sprawled on her belly in a 4-foot-deep closet conversing with Simon.

The 13-year-old Scottish terrier had lived a long life, often relaxing in the shade among the backyard hostas. But now he was having problems, and the Rev. Karen Clarke sensed he was afraid — that he knew the end was near.

His cancer spreading, Simon retreated to the closet corner and huddled beneath a rack of blue jeans and plaid shirts. During thunderstorms, he often hid there. But this time, he wasn’t there because of the rain.

“Simie, I know it’s time for you to go,” Clarke whispered in the dark closet as she scooted past the long dresses, inching closer to the terrier. “Will you come out so I can help you?”

Simon obliged.

***

When animals like Simon die, they often leave behind human companions trapped in a complex grieving process that Omaha-based psychotherapist Teresa Freeman said is the same as when a human loved one dies.

That’s why Freeman leads a pet loss support group at Omaha’s Humane Society, where a dozen or so grieving animal lovers gather twice a month to share tips on moving past their companions’ deaths. Some bereaved owners plan thousand-dollar burials for their gerbils or cats. Others struggle to move on without their horse or dog, like the woman who had a bench installed next to the graves of her Great Danes.

The sorrow is normal and healthy, Freeman said, but it surprises some pet owners and can lead to serious psychiatric issues such as depression and anxiety disorders if ignored.

“People don’t automatically assume that they are going to feel this kind of grief for an animal,” she said. “Our culture doesn’t really allow us to acknowledge how deep our relationships are with our pets.”

Resources for grieving pet lovers include an online network of support websites that allow bereaved owners to light virtual candles in honor of their dead pets or post suggestions on when it’s appropriate to adopt new companions.

This month, The New York Times published a story about the proliferation of pet ministries, and USA Today wrote about the success of pet-centric charities in a recent fundraising drive.

The attachment between pet and master isn’t a modern phenomenon. Archaeologists in Egypt have found domestic monkeys and dogs mummified and buried alongside their ancient owners. For centuries, a Lakota warrior’s favorite horse was shot and placed near the burial site, helping ease the journey to the spirit world.

And when Oblio the harbor seal died a couple of years ago, the Lincoln Children’s Zoo sent his remains to Whispering Pines Pet Cremation in Martell and had his ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean.

***

Meathead has a beautiful office.

There’s ample shade under sprawling pines. The perpetual trickle of customers keeps him occupied, but not swamped. And his bosses are never far away if he wants company.

But, of course, there’s another perk: When the teenage feline dies, he won’t have far to go.

The silver-coated cat spends his days wandering between the headstones at Rolling Acres pet cemetery. Surrounded by bronze corn stalks on three sides and a winding gravel road on the other, the 35-year-old enterprise is tucked off O Street between Lincoln and Eagle near Crooked Creek Golf Course.

Meathead’s favorite spot isn’t far from the graves of Gene and Dorothy Bush — and their 19 deceased pets.

The Bushes fell in love with Rolling Acres back in the cemetery’s early days. Dorothy, an elementary school teacher for 40 years, was a lifelong animal rights activist. She lobbied governors and newspaper reporters to support neutering campaigns, and she started burying her beloved bichons at Rolling Acres in the 1970s on a sprawling family plot.

Today, headstones pay tribute to Misty Doll, Sweetie Pie, Odie, Jack and 15 others. Artificial flowers mark the ground around the ashes of Gene, who died decades ago, and Dorothy, who died of a brain bleed in 2007 while planting pansies.

“Whether I go to heaven or hell,” she said shortly before her death at age 87, “my pets are all going to be there to meet me.

“And I plan on going to heaven.”

***

Rolling Acres started in the 1970s when Oakie the dachshund died. Founder Pat Strnot didn’t want her pet tossed in the garbage or cremated with other animals, but couldn’t find a resting place she found suitable. So she made her own.

In the decades since the cemetery between the cornfields opened, hundreds of dead cats, horses, dogs, gerbils, rabbits and other critters have signed long-term leases.

Even as Lincoln grows eastward — and the frequent sounds from the golf course public address system confirm that steady sprawl — a special zoning permit means Rolling Acres will remain untouched. That allows Strnot to accommodate people like the Bushes, who can’t imagine separating from their pets — even after death.

The site includes two crematoriums, (although humans buried at Rolling Acres are cremated elsewhere) and a so-called feline resort for cats not yet on their 10th life.

Pat Strnot still works the phone, but she sold the business to her son a few years ago. After a career as a pilot, Tom Strnot said tending to the gravesites and running the crematoriums is a fulfilling job.

But Rolling Acres hasn’t dodged the effects of a lagging economy. Tom Strnot said people who would have buried their pets a few years ago now are opting for cremations.

The Strnots, however, have been known to turn away business. The owner of a boa constrictor once called to inquire about cremation. While mammals are Rolling Acres’ specialty, Pat Strnot was open to the possibility if a vet would certify the snake was actually dead.

Turns out, the reptile coroner found a heartbeat. The snake was in a dormant phase, but still very much alive.

People without their own golden retriever — or boa — sometimes get the wrong idea about Rolling Acres, Tom said.

“They say, ‘It’s just a dog.’”

That’s why if a stranger asks him what he does for a living, he either says he’s a mortician or works in the pet industry.

But he thinks those skeptics don’t appreciate the deep bonds that form between human and animal, and the desire — perhaps even obligation — to honor those pets in death.

The Strnot family pets have a row of their own at the front of Rolling Acres. One day, Meathead will join those other dogs and cats with his personalized headstone.

But most dead pets in Lincoln are disposed of with much less fanfare. Veterinarians often cremate animals in groups and then dispose of the ashes. A private grave at Rolling Acres costs about $210.

“They spent 10-15 years of their life with you,” Tom said. “I think finding a nice place for them to be buried is a lot better than them being put out in a Dumpster.”

***

Karen Clarke is the pet pastor at Lincoln’s First-Plymouth Congregational Church.

After a dozen years as a nun and then a high school chemistry teacher and researcher, her health began to fail.

At one point, doctors called in her son from Wisconsin to say goodbye. Besides Crohn’s disease and kidney failure, she had a brain bleed and was in a coma.

She wasn’t supposed to make it, but a few days later, she woke up.

Clarke credits her Scottish terriers, McTavish and Fergus, with seeing her through the illness. In the years she spent homebound, at least one always kept vigil at her bed.

“They were my primary companions. They never left my side.”

So when she started visiting First-Plymouth a few years ago while recovering, she wanted to do something to honor animals like her Scotties. The church was starting an animal ministry, and Clarke’s theology degree qualified her to lead it.

Through Faithful Friends, Clarke comforts pets and owners. She blesses puppies and kittens. It’s important work, she said, that often leads her to inconsolable pet owners in animal hospitals and family rooms.

When Simon’s owner called, Clarke told her it was time for him to go.

“I know,” the owner said. “Will you come over?”

Simon had barricaded himself in the closet and wouldn’t budge. Clarke promised both dog and owner to see them through the next few hours.

Then she crawled through the closet to the dog. She whispered to him nose-to-nose and scratched his left ear. The right one was bleeding from cancer.

Simon eventually crawled out of the closet, and Clarke held him tight while his owner drove to the vet.

The trip was only a few miles, and he wanted to look out the window. So Clarke rolled it down and allowed Simon to rest his bloody right ear on her T-shirt.

When the vet gently pushed in the needle, Clarke prayed over Simon’s soul. Simon’s owner drove him back home for a private burial. Clarke went home to change her shirt.

Before wrapping him in a towel and placing him in the ground, they laid Simon on the patio so the family’s three other dogs would know their friend died. One sat vigil outside the box where Simon lay, another peeked once and sat solemnly alone in the backyard with his back turned. The other dog took one glance and went back inside.

Then they dug a hole, and Clarke said a prayer.

And Simon was laid to rest underneath the shade of the hostas.

SOURCE: http://journalstar.com/news/local/article_d825c7e4-ed49-554f-a238-bed46c954c2c.html

Dutch Company Turns Cremation Remains into Global Charity

When a body is cremated, if it has any metal parts, like a titanium hip, those metal parts are left behind. For years it was either buried in graves or sent to the dump. But a Dutch company, OrthoMetals, has a business that gathers those materials and processes them for industrial reuse, sending the proceeds to charity.

OrthoMetals Co-Founder Ruud Verberne

Advances in medical technology, combined with the fact that people are living longer, means more of us pass away with some kind of surgical implant.

For some, it’s a steel pin, others a titanium hip. But what happens to them after death? For almost 15 years, a Dutch company called OrthoMetals has been recycling the metals leftover from cremation, and giving the bulk of the proceeds to charity.

OrthoMetals’ recycling facility sits in a nondescript building in an industrial area on the outskirts of the Dutch city of Zwolle. Giant sorting machines twirl and clank as tiny bits of metal run through them. Co-founder Ruud Verberne points to a big plastic container full of knee implants.

“These are the knees that we have to separate,” Verberne yelled as the machinery whirred on. “We take it apart so that the right metal gets into the right recycling area."

OrthoMetals recycles the metal implants from bodies that have been cremated.

Verberne had a long career in aluminum recycling. But in 1987 he met Dr. Jan Gabriëls, an orthopedic surgeon. Gabriëls asked Verberne what happens to the metal implants after cremation. Verberne had no idea, but he started doing research.

“The metals either ended up in the scrapyard, or in the case of France, Belgium, the U.K., and partly in Holland, they were put in old graves on the crematory premises. So, they were burying all of it.”

But the metals, Verberne knew, had a lot of value.

A decade later, in 1997, Gabriëls and Verberne founded OrthoMetals, and took their idea to cremation facilities.

“We told them that we would collect the metals for free, sort them, and then sell them back to the market. We take care that it’s being recycled, and not reused.”

This is an important point. These metal parts do not end up back in other people. Instead, they are melted down and resold for industrial purposes, like in cars, planes or even wind turbines.

It turns out it’s a lot of scrap metal. Verberne says OrthoMetals recycles more than 250 tons a year from cremations.

“We deduct the costs we have for the collection, the sorting, the administrative costs, the fees, and the remainder is given back to the crematoria, and they spend it on charity.”

To be clear, OrthoMetals does make a profit. But it tries to give 70 to 75 percent of what it brings in back to the crematoria for charitable purposes.

Henry Keizer oversees a memorial fund named after the first Dutch person ever cremated, back in 1913. He said the fund has helped crematoria distribute thousands in OrthoMetals donations to everything from cancer research groups to school libraries in the Netherlands.

“I think the recycling of implants, and artificial joints, etc. is an excellent idea,” said Keizer. “Now we get to use them for good purposes, for funds for people that do social things that are extremely important.”

OrthoMetals is now working with crematoria in more than 15 countries, including the United States.

The Donohue Funeral Home in Upper Darby, Pa., has been in business since 1898. Michael Donohue, a fourth generation funeral director, said cremation is becoming more popular in the U.S. So much so, he said, that the funeral home decided to build its own facility a few years ago.

“Before we actually started to get up and operating, our biggest thing was — what are we going to do with the metal remains that are left at the end of the process?” he said.

He did a Google search and found OrthoMetals.

Donohue said the funeral home is up front with loved ones about the recycling program.

“We are honest with them, and tell them that whatever money is given to us goes to the local organizations, and they love knowing that something from their loved one is being used in a great capacity.”

Verberne said his kids are now working for the company, as are his business partner’s kids.

Verberne has no metal implants himself, but he said his partner’s wife, who was helping sort out bits of metal in the factory on this day, has two titanium hips.

“She was asked once, 'Isn’t it strange that you know that one day your hips will run through this conveyor belt?’"? Verberne said. “And she said, ‘No, it’s just a part of life. You’re going to die, and I know that reusing metals is a very good thing, because I have worked for years in this business, so it is no problem at all. And my mother’s hip was on there too!’”

SOURCE; http://www.pri.org/stories/science/technology/dutch-company-turns-cremation-remains-into-global-charity-8198.html

Cremations on The Rise

Fifty years ago, cremations were almost non-existent in the U.S.

"Cremation to most families was something that they just didn't go for. It just wasn't in their tradition. They wanted to keep the person intact. They wanted to bury the person. Some religions frowned on it," said Jan Maloff, the funeral director at A. DeWitt Memorial Funeral Home.

In 1985, fewer than 15 percent of people who died in the U.S. chose cremation. Now that number is over 40 percent. A large driving factor is economics.

"With the average cost of a funeral being well over $6,000, even to cut that cost in half, that's a big expense, especially with the economy today and people's view of that and how much they want to spend," said Kevin Mathewson, the funeral director at Cremation Services of CNY.

Maloff added, "We have people who value what they can leave behind for their descendants financially more than they value what they can be done for them at the time of funeral."

Besides economics, there's been a changing attitude in the U.S. that's more accepting of cremations and funeral directors have had to adapt to accommodate the increase.

"It helps people provide closure when they memorialize the person. So, this is why there's memorial services. This is why there's rental caskets now. People can have all the affects of a tradition funeral, with a lot less expense," said Maloff.

Experts say they anticipate the popularity of cremations will continue to increase.

"The more you see this generation turning to cremation, now you've got future generations seeing that as being a family choice," said Mathewson.

The Cremation Association of North America predicts that by 2017, cremation will surpass traditional burial.

SOURCE: http://centralny.ynn.com/content/top_stories/572176/cremations-on-the-rise/

BBB Warns Area Veterans of Questionable Sales Pitches by casket company

The Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota (BBB) has been alerted to an out-of-state casket and funeral supply company, which claims to be a veteran’s group.

The company, U.S. Patriot Services, lists addresses in Kansas City, Missouri and Rossmoor, California, and a motto on their paperwork claims they are ‘Veterans Serving Veterans.’ Recently, the BBB contacted the company’s national headquarters – in Rossmoor – to learn more about this claim. However, the company has failed to respond to our inquiry.

From a report the BBB received recently, the company seems to be focusing on elderly veterans in the Twin Cities metro area, going door-to-door and selling caskets and funeral urns. Based on how their paperwork is drawn up, the company makes it seem as though they’re offering interment in National Cemeteries free of charge as part of their sales package. However, all U.S. veterans who are honorably discharged from the military are eligible for free interment in National Cemeteries, meaning this is not a benefit U.S. Patriot Services or any other funeral service company can offer.

The BBB is advising area veterans to ask the company to verify that they’re actually a veteran’s organization. In addition, the BBB reminds everyone to always request multiple quotes prior to making any purchase. The report the BBB received regarding U.S. Patriot Services indicates the company may have attempted to charge an area veteran more than double for funeral urns, compared to another funeral service company. According to this report, the veteran was able to get the company to refund his money after being made aware he’d been overcharged.

U.S. Patriot Services’ General Manager, Shawna Estrada, has been linked to other funeral supply companies, including a company called American Veteran KCA. In 2010, that company reached a settlement agreement with the Kansas Attorney General’s Office. As part of the settlement with the attorney general, all customers of that company received a letter stating the company was not affiliated with the VA, nor any National Cemetery or governmental agency. In addition, all customers who had purchased caskets from the company were entitled to a full refund as part of the settlement, provided they made that request before a certain date. The company also had to pay a $20,000 fine.

The BBB offers the following tips to families and individuals looking to make funeral arrangements:

• Be an informed consumer. Take time to call and shop around before making a purchase. Funeral homes are required to provide detailed price lists over the phone or in writing. Product mark-ups can be significant. Ask if lower priced items are included on the price list.

• Check out the funeral service. Contact the BBB for a report on the funeral home. Check whether the funeral services director or embalmer is licensed.

• Be wary of outrageous claims. Sellers who claim to have a product or service that will preserve human remains over the long-term are misleading you. Funeral providers cannot determine how long a casket will preserve a body, so keep that in mind when deciding whether to purchase the more expensive “sealed” or “protective” casket. Also, a casket is not legally required for a direct cremation.

• Research funeral home service fees when shopping for products elsewhere. The Federal Trade Commission’s Web site at www.ftc.gov has information on charges that are prohibitive.

• Embalming is not always required. You are not required to have embalming if you choose direct cremation or immediate burial.

• Resist high-priced sales pitches from funeral industry vendors. They should treat you with compassion; not pressure you.

• Consult a friend or family member. It might be a good idea to take along a friend or relative when you visit the funeral home or talk to a funeral service representative. Someone who is not as emotionally invested as you are can assist with difficult decisions.

• Get everything in writing. Compare the posted prices and any oral promises with those listed in the contract. The contract should itemize all prices and specify any future costs. Check the contract for any restrictions.

• Carefully read contracts and purchasing agreements before signing. Ask if the agreements you sign can be voided, taken back or transferred to other funeral homes.

•Remember, prepaying for a funeral has advantages, as well as risks. If you choose to prepay, make a well-informed decision, carefully research your options and know your rights (http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/products/pro19.shtm). You can always make plans in advance, without prepaying. Be sure to share your specific wishes with those close to you.

The mission of the Better Business Bureau is to be the leader in building marketplace trust by promoting, through self-regulation, the highest standards of business ethics and conduct, and to instill confidence in responsible businesses through programs of education and action that inform, assist and protect the general public.

SOURCE: http://hometownsource.com/2011/12/20/bbb-warns-area-veterans-of-questionable-sales-pitches-by-casket-company/

Plants to Dispose of Dead Pets

When his beloved dog Xiaoqi died earlier this year, Liu Jiang did not know what to do with the body, so he dug a 50-centimeter grave for his pet beneath a tree in his community.

"I couldn't find any better solution for my pet," said the 29-year-old living in the Shijingshan district of the capital.

"I really miss him and didn't want him to sleep far from me," he added.

Liu is not the only resident who has buried their pet in this way.

However, Wang Bin, director of the veterinarian management department at the Beijing municipal bureau of agriculture, said that this could be a health risk.

"Since how to cope with dead pets is still a blank in the relevant regulations, few pet hospitals take responsibility for animals' funerals and most residents just throw their dead pets away like daily garbage. But the bacteria on dead animals can pollute the soil, which might be harmful to people's health," he said.

More than 60,000 registered dogs die in the city each year, according to statistics from the bureau, but the total number of dogs that die each year is more than that, because at least 1 million dogs haven't been registered, and there are other animals besides dogs that are kept as pets, Wang said.

To try and limit the practice of people burying their pets in communities, the municipal government is establishing nine disposal plants next year that will be able to dispose of 12 tons of dead animals a day.

"Not only pets in the central city will be sent to the plants, but also the dead animals on rural farms," he said. "The bodies will be disposed of using an advanced technology that does no harm to the environment and people's health."

The new plants will be located in the outskirts of the capital, such as Shunyi, Changping and Fangshan districts.

But some pet owners are unhappy with the plan as the disposal treatment used at the plants chemically dissolves the bodies, which means they will not be given their pet's ashes.

"I would want to take my pet's ashes home. After all, it's a big comfort for most pet owners," said 24-year-old He Yimeng, a resident in Xicheng district, who buried a cat last year.

Liu said that he would only use the disposal plants if they provided the ashes, but if they did he would be willing to pay a reasonable fee.

Both He and Liu considered using a private cremation company when their pets died, but both found the service too expensive.

Chen Shaochun, 42, manager of Baifu Pet Heaven Burial Center, said a cremation is 400 yuan ($60) for each pet, while a burial is about 1,200 yuan.

Up to now, his company has buried more than 3,000 pets since it was established in 2005.

At another pet crematorium, Boaibanlu in Changping district, an employee surnamed Wang said they cremate dead pets in line with their weight.

"Pets over 20 kilograms cost 800 yuan and the lighter ones 500 yuan," she said, adding the all-round service, including the cremation, cemetery and some flowers, is 1,850 yuan.

SOURCE: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2011-12/19/content_14284237.htm

Bodies Switched by Colorado Funeral Homes

The bodies of two men who died on the same day at a Denver hospice were picked up by the wrong funeral homes even though one was white and one black.

Robert Mitchell of Denver was cremated as Perry Heath of Aurora, KUSA-TV reported. His ashes, which have been exhumed, were buried at Fort Logan National Cemetery.

Staff members at Taylor Funeral and Cremation Services of Aurora realized a few days before Mitchell's viewing they had the wrong body.

The TV station suggested the reason for the confusion was that Taylor and 5280 Cremation and Funeral Services of Aurora, which was to handle arrangements for Heath, used subcontractors for much of the work. Both bodies were picked up after the men died Nov. 10 by subcontractors and the body believed to be Mitchell's was sent to another subcontractor for embalming. The cremation was carried out by the company that had picked up what was thought to be Heath's remains.

Both transportation companies apparently assumed The Denver Hospice had identified the bodies correctly.

SOURCE: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/12/15/Bodies-switched-by-Colorado-funeral-homes/UPI-20561323986049/?spt=hs&or=tn

New App Can Arrange Cremations

Virginians will be able to set up a cremation on their smartphones, thanks to an app from the Cremation Society of Virginia.

"They can go through their phone via the app to arrange the cremation," said Sally Briggs, the company's general manager.

"Some people don't have computers or might not have access to a computer," she noted.

And an increasing number of consumers are using smartphones, she said.

The Richmond-based service believes it is the first cremation society to have such an application for mobile devices.

Its new app is designed to educate family members, caregivers such as hospice workers, and clergy about the cremation process, the Cremation Society said. It is available on iPhone, Android and Windows operating systems.

"The best service we can offer those interested in cremation is to provide information in a timely and professional manner that helps them through a very difficult period in their life," Briggs said in a statement.

"The public is expecting to have their information needs met in various ways, and our industry is no different from others in that we need to respond to what people want," she said. "We will continue to offer our traditional personal service but are responding to the needs of a tech-savvy public."

The app walks individuals through the steps necessary at the time of an individual's death, the Cremation Society said, as well as providing information on Virginia rules regarding cremations and funeral services.

It allows families to plan cremations online, either in advance or at the time of death. The app also offers directions and contact information.

Using the program, clients can even buy cremation services through the company's online store and read the latest national obituary news via RSS webfeed.

The free app was created by Award Web Service of Richmond using AppSoEasy.

Though the Cremation Society does not release the number of cremations it performs, the firm considers itself to be the largest provider of cremation services in the state.

More than a quarter of Virginians choose cremation rather than burial, the company said.

SOURCE: http://www2.timesdispatch.com/business/2011/dec/22/tdbiz03-biz-to-go-new-app-can-arrange-cremations-ar-1560908/

Tips for Choosing Cremation Urns

There is never a good time to start looking at cremation urns because whether you are planning in advance for a death or dealing with a death that has brought you to a funeral home your emotions are likely to be running high. However, there are a few factors that you should consider when you actually start to look at cremation urns that can help make your final decision a little bit more appropriate.

Palermo Brass Keepsake Cremation Urn

For instance, one thing that you will need to think about is where you are going to place the urn once you purchase it as this will influence which of the cremation urns is going to be the best fit. As it is something that you are likely going to hold onto for the rest of your life, or something that someone else will hold onto in remembrance of you it is important to make sure that you make the best choice. By taking this matter into account you will be able to narrow down your options.

You will also want to think about the spirit of the person that you are browsing through the cremation urns for because you want your final choice to embody their spirit. Many cremation urns now have inscriptions on them which are a perfect way to remember those you have loved while others may feature angels, butterflies, or similar patterns making it easier to pick out one that will remind you of your loved one every time you catch a glimpse of it.

SOURCE: http://www.cremationurn.com/tips-for-choosing-cremation-urns/

Crematorium Eases Burden of Last Rites

Hindus in Sharjah will be able to observe last rites for their dead when the emirate's first crematorium is completed by the end of 2012.

This is the fourth crematorium to be built for Hindus and Sikhs. However, expatriates had not been allowed to cremate or bury their dead at facilities in emirates where they did not have a residency visa. That restriction has now been partially lifted in Dubai.

"A crematorium has been a longstanding need," said Nissar Thalangara, secretary of the Indian Association Sharjah. "Earlier a dumping yard was used in the emirate for burning and we strongly felt the need for a better place for families to cremate bodies in a more dignified manner."

Officials estimate that more than 350,000 expatriate Indians live in the emirate. In 2010, 1,332 Indians died in the UAE. This year, between January and October, 1,053 died.

Ten acres of land in an industrial area were gifted to the Indian Association Sharjah by Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed, Ruler of Sharjah, for the purpose of building the crematorium. Although land was gifted to the community three years ago, officials say approvals and permits only came through recently, and the first phase of building began last month.

Known as the Hindu Sikh Crematorium, it will cost more than Dh9.5 million to build. When complete, it will house two incinerators that each can cremate up to three bodies a day.

A separate burial ground will also be allotted within the facility for children below the age of five to be buried according to Hindu customs.

Mr Thalangara said funeral grounds in the UAE were used mostly by Indians who had lived in the country for several years and had family here, and blue-collar workers whose relatives could not afford to repatriate bodies home. In case of accidents, where the body is disfigured and cannot be shipped back, cremation must be completed here.

The oldest crematoriumis in Dubai. It opened more than 65 years ago, followed by a second in Abu Dhabi a decade ago and another multi-faith facility set up earlier this year in Al Ain.

Cremation in Dubai initially took place in Bur Dubai. It was then moved to three other locations before being established in Jebel Ali almost a decade ago, said Vasu Shroff, a committee member of the New Sonapur Hindu Cremation Ground in Jebel Ali. Other communities also use the facility, he said.

Between eight to 12 cremations - mostly of Hindus - take place every month at the Dubai facility.

Cremation costs about Dh3,500, whereas shipping the body back can be twice as expensive. This includes the cost of a ticket for the accompanying passenger.

"It is definitely cheaper to cremate here," said Vivian Albertyn, managing partner of Middle East Assistance. His company facilitates cremation in Dubai and repatriation to different countries including India after completing local formalities, at an additional cost of about Dh3,500.

"Repatriation charges largely depend on the weight of the person and the coffin used," said Mr Albertyn, adding that the cause of the death also determined rates, as it would mean completing more formalities.

When a body is cremated here, the time spent obtaining clearances from various government departments is also considerably reduced. The committee that overlooks the Dubai facility often reduces or waives charges for workers. But social workers say the exorbitant repatriation costs may not always be a deterrent.

"People want to be buried or cremated wherever they have relatives, that is the most important thing for them," said Sarvotham Shetty, former president of the India Social Centre. "It's not a question of money or whether it's more expensive to cremate here or send the body to India. If the person has relatives in India, they will want the body back at any cost but when the entire family is here, then the UAE will be their choice."

SOURCE: http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/crematorium-eases-burden-of-last-rites

New Flameless Cremation Process Could Be Legalized In Illinois

For 20,000 years, people have been using fire to cremate their loved ones. Now, for the first time, there’s a new way to do cremations and, if Gov. Pat Quinn signs a measure approved by the legislature, it could be available in Illinois by march.

A flameless cremation process

But, as CBS 2′s Mike Puccinelli reports, some say it should be investigated first.

It’s a way to cremate human bodies without flames.

Illinois Funeral Directors Association President John Humes III said, “I think alkaline hydrolysis is the first major innovation in funeral service in probably the last 100 years.”

It’s a flameless process that’s been available commercially for just months. It achieves the same result as fire with just water and chemicals, but its backers say what’s not the same is the amount of pollution.

Steve Schaal, President of Matthews Cremation North America, said, “It’s better for the environment, because we are eliminating the greenhouse gases that are associated with traditional flame cremation. And we’re able to reduce the carbon output by over 75 percent.”

That’s because alkaline hydrolysis creates no smoke. It does, however, generate more than 100 gallons of waste water.

“Our concern is the byproduct. What chemicals are in it and how do they interact with the normal system of water treatment that exists now?” Humes said. He said it’s possible human remains could be in any water byproduct from the new cremation process.

Humes said state environmental regulators should look at the process to make sure it’s greener than traditional cremation.

Under the alkaline hydrolysis procedure, a body would be placed on a tray and pushed into a chamber filled with liquid, which would be heated to 300 degrees. After about four hours, all the soft tissue would be liquefied.

The skeleton would remain, as in a typical cremation, and would be similarly pulverized to ash.

“If a family were to choose alkaline hydrolysis or cremation, they would go home with an urn holding their loved one’s remains,” said funeral home owner Steve Dawson.

He said he’s thinking about using the technology if it becomes legal in Illinois, but is concerned about the possible stigma.

If the governor signs the measure, Illinois will become the eighth state to legalize alkaline hydrolysis. Ohio has put the procedures on hold.

State Comptroller Judy Baar Topinka released a statement saying her office will study the process to see if any additional regulation is necessary.

SOURCE: http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/12/28/new-flameless-cremation-process-could-be-legalized-in-illinois/

Soldiers complete documentation of Arlington National Cemetery

Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) soldiers, photograph and document every tombstone, grave marker and cremation site in Arlington National Cemetery, Va.

Day or night, rain or shine, these men had a mission to complete.

Soldiers with Delta Company, 1st Battalion, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), finished photographing and documenting the location of every tombstone, grave marker and cremation site in Arlington National Cemetery, Va., Dec. 23, 2011.

"We are calling ourselves Task Force Christman, after Pvt. William Christman, who was the first soldier buried here," said Maj. Nate Peterson, commander, Delta Company. "The primary purpose of this process is to establish an accountability of all remains in Arlington National Cemetery. The cemetery dates back to 1874 when the cemetery was run by Union soldiers who just had bad record keeping practices over the years. What we are doing is verifying what's on record and correcting anything that's not."

Peterson added the detailed information will be housed in a large electronic database. Over a period of a few months, the task force dedicated numerous hours to cover the more than 259,000 sites spread across 624 developed acres of the cemetery.

"Our unit walked over every inch of the cemetery taking pictures of the front and back of every tombstone. We also tagged every site with a GPS locator with its section and grave number," said Spc. Al Carney, an infantryman with Delta Company.

It was evident for Carney the importance of the completion of this task.

"What we are doing here is for the families of the fallen because it helps pay respect and keeps track of where they lay," said Carney.

Like Carney, the demeanor of every Soldier involved in the documentation process was very focused and solemn.

"This mission is taken very seriously by the Army," said Peterson. "How we conduct ourselves as professionals in the military is the same attitude we carry here taking pictures."

With the process now over, Peterson said he is proud to have honored our nation's heroes in such an exceptional way.

"This is an unprecedented mission because it has never been done before and it probably will never be done again," said Peterson. "What we are doing is paying tribute to our fallen comrades."

SOURCE: http://www.dvidshub.net/news/81858/soldiers-complete-documentation-arlington-national-cemetery#.TyhuEvlQE4k