Our Services

In many countries, including England and Japan, cremation is the most common form of disposition. In America, only about 15 percent of the population choose cremation for themselves or a loved one.

Those who choose cremation over earth burial give their reasons for doing so as a desire to save land, save money or follow the ashes-to-ashes and dust-to-dust philosophy.

Those who don’t choose cremation often say their reasons are religious or have to do with personal beliefs.

Cremation changes the body into its basic elements through heat and evaporation. The body is placed in a container (usually either a casket or a rigid combustible container) and taken to a crematory, or crematorium. The container is placed in a retort – a specially designed furnace – where intense heat or fire reduces the body to ashes in about two hours. During the cremation, smoke and gases are re-circulated through the furnace so they don’t escape into the open air. After cremation is completed, the ashes are placed in an urn or canister.

The family has several choices concerning the deceased person’s cremated remains. One choice is inurnment, whereby the remains are kept within an urn and placed in a columbarium, an arrangement of niches or recessed compartments.

Another option is to bury the container or urn in a grave within a family plot. The cremated remains of one or two people can be buried in a single space; some families choose to erect a memorial stone at the site.

A final option is to scatter the remains – over the ground, into a stream or over a body of water. The location is usually one that held some significance for the deceased person. It is illegal to scatter remains in some locations, however, so families should ask their funeral director for advice when selecting a site.

A person who chooses cremation over earth burial does not have to forgo the traditional customs that make up a funeral. Visitation can still be held if desired, and friends and family members may still attend a worship service or ceremony to commemorate the deceased.

Cremation allows more options because the memorial service doesn’t have to be held right away as traditional services do.

Those interested in cremations are advised to look into the process, find out what kind of services are available in their area, and discuss their wishes with their family. This will prevent the need to compound the family’s grief at the time of death.

We at Sharp Funeral Home, can offer you a variety of burial urns, as well as keepsake urns and keepsake jewelry. Feel free to compare our prices and quality with any other funeral home.

The funeral home is required to obtain a cremation permit. This permit must be signed by the medical examiner from the county in which the death occurred and also the attending physician. Upon receiving permission from the medical examiner and physician, the permit is then sent to the health department for certification. Once this has taken place the funeral home is free to take your deceased loved one to the crematory for cremation. The funeral home must place an identification tag on the deceased.

We hope this will be helpful in your decision concerning cremation. 

For more information on our Oliver Springs cremation services, please call (865) 435-7261.