What to Do With Ashes After a Cremation

For many, preparing for a cremation is the difficult part. Between the paperwork and preparing for funeral services, there are unfortunately a number of items on one’s agenda at a time when grieving can itself feel like a full-time job. But even when a cremation is complete there are still some decisions to be made, particularly with respect to the decedent’s ashes. Speaking with a specialist may be helpful in the event you’re looking into Plainfield, IN cremation services. In the meantime, it may be beneficial to familiarize yourself with the post-cremation landscape and review some of your options. 

Whatever you elect to do with one’s ashes after a cremation, it’s important to take their last wishes into account. They may have had very specific plans for their remains, and one of course owes it to the dearly departed to honor those wishes. 

Before one becomes too invested in the question of the deceased’s ashes, you’ll first need to obtain them from the crematorium. They will generally be placed in a plastic bag before going into an urn or other container that has been provided by next-of-kin. You can make arrangements for the crematorium to receive that container with a funeral home or funeral director. They will point you in the right direction and discuss your options for housing the ashes in a dignified and appropriate fashion. 

But then what? 

There are some obvious options for the handling of one’s ashes. And there are some less than obvious options, too. One of the more traditional possibilities is burial itself. Just as you’d bury a body by way of casket, you can also bury one’s ashes. This assures the deceased a gravestone and a standard location where others can visit them in the future. Another traditional decision is to have the ashes interred at a mausoleum or something like a memorial garden. Again, this means that friends and relatives may visit a common site in the future. 

Some, however, prefer a more personal touch. This can include anything as basic as keeping the ashes displayed in an urn at someone’s home or another location that may have been meaningful to the deceased or those they knew. Often in conjunction with last wishes, ashes may also be scattered at a site that enjoys some kind of significance. Families may wish to associate the ashes with certain memories (e.g. at a beach or near a vacation home), and the act of scattering the ashes can itself figure into the grieving process. 

Finally, there are a few more unconventional options, including having the ashes themselves turned into a diamond. Ashes can also be converted into ink in order that a tattoo or special design become a form of lasting artwork. And, of course, ashes can be contained in more unusual items, just as they might be left in an urn. So long as the idea fits the wishes and personality of the deceased, it’s probably reasonable enough. 

Discussing these options in greater detail may be helpful. If you or someone you know is interested in cremation services located in or near the Plainfield, IN, area, consider reaching out to Carlisle-Branson Funeral Service & Crematory. We have a long tradition of supporting friends and family in their times of need. You can visit us at 39 E High St, Mooresville, IN 46158, or place a phone call to (317) 831-2080.