Welcome Guest
Join here
Members Log-In
Privacy Policy

Friday July 30,2010

Cremation memorial options

by Cremation Association

Memorialization a time-honored tradition

Memorialization is a time-honored tradition that has been practiced by caring people through the centuries. As survivors we care about and want to remember those who precede us in death. Memorialization helps us to remember and to be remembered.

Selecting and establishing a permanent memorial for a family member or loved one not only satisfies an immediate need, but it also fulfills the need to preserve our heritage. Memorials are stepping-stones to the past, and to the future. They link the generations.

Cremation preparation for memorialization

Many people mistakenly believe that the process of cremation - reducing human remains to bone fragments - is an end in itself, but it is not. Cremation is preparation for memorialization just as is traditional burial. In fact, the options for the final disposition of cremated remains and the subsequent memorials used to honor them are many and varied.

Cremation Memorials making the selection

It is never too soon to set up a visual symbol in beautiful surroundings that will perpetuate cherished memories. But beautiful memorials don't just happen. They require forethought and planning. Many families make their memorial selections in advance so that decision-making can be done together and can be eliminated during a time of stress. But whether a memorial purchase is made prior to need or at the time of need, you will want to be familiar with the many cremation memorial options that are available.

Columbarium Niche

A columbarium is an indoor or outdoor wall containing niches. A niche is defined as a recessed compartment designed to hold urns. Columbariums may be an entire building, a room, a wall along a corridor or a series of special alcoves or halls in a mausoleum, chapel, or other buildings located in a cemetery or on other dedicated property. Niches come in many sizes with a selection of fronts such as glass, marble, bronze, granite or mosaic. Glass fronts may be clear, tinted, frosted or etched. Some columbarium niches are designed for specific size urns hile others may contain a double size space for two urns or even larger niches for multiple urns. Some clear glass fronted niche allow meaningful memorabilia to be placed inside along with the urn.

The Urn Garden

Many cemeteries or memorial parks have areas designated specifically for the interment of cremated remains. These areas are called Urn Gardens and are set aside for those who desire ground or above-ground interment. Some gardens offer individual urn burial plots that will accommodate a marker. Others offer unmarked areas for interment of the urn, with adjacent walls or sculptures for memorial plaques. Check with your cemetery or memorial park on the types of permanent memorialization they offer for garden interment of cremated remains.