The quick checklist of cremation arrangements

Though it may not be pleasant to think about, there will come a time when most of us have to start the process of planning a memorial service for a loved one. If you find yourself facing this tragic situation and are not sure what to do next, this list will help guide you through some of the decisions that need to be made.

• The first step, of course, is to choose the company that you wish to do the cremation. This is possibly the most important decision to make because you are placing your loved one in that company’s hands.
• Once you have made this critical decision, you will need to determine the location of the actual service. This will be the place where your friends and family will gather to mourn your loved one. The service can be held at a funeral home, a chapel or somewhere else entirely. Many people are now choosing to have memorial services outdoors or at a location that was meaningful to the deceased.
• You will need to decide who will officiate at the ceremony. This can be a member of the clergy, a close family friend or someone else that holds importance in the deceased’s life. This person will be the facilitator of the memorial service, so ideally it should be someone who knew the person in life and can eulogize him or her in the best possible way.
• You will also need to determine what will be done with the ashes, or cremains. Some people choose to keep them in an urn so that their loved one can always be nearby. Or you may choose to scatter the ashes or bury them just as you would in a traditional burial.

Planning these types of occasions are not something that you will likely relish. It is a painful time when you lose someone that you love. If possible, discuss these critical decisions with your loved ones while they are still alive. Knowing how someone wishes to be memorialized will take the strain and stress off of planning so that you can honor your loved one’s memory without being distracted.

Heartland Cremation has four generations of experience in cremation and funeral care, and serves the greater Kansas City region, including Columbia, Boonville, Macon, and Jefferson City, Missouri. Please contact us today to learn more about the cremation services we can provide for your loved one.