Cremations services in Penn Township, PA are not new at all. In fact, historians believe that humans started burning their dead as early as 3000 B.C. Archeologists have discovered pottery shards and urns that service as evidence that cremation started spreading across northern Europe, Spain, Portugal and the British Isles during the Bronze Age, from 2500 to 1000 B.C.

Cremation became more and more popular until Homer’s time, around 800 B.C, when it became the most common disposition method. This rise in cremation is assumed to be because of the growing number of dead from both war and disease. By 395 A.D, when the Roman Empire was at its peak, cremation was widely practiced, and people stored the ashes in elaborate urns like we do today. However, the early Christians still practiced traditional Jewish body disposition, and therefore disapproved of cremation. When Constantine made Christianity the official Roman religion in 400 A.D, the practice almost disappeared in favor of the traditional Jewish burial.

Cremation as we know it only began in 1873 when an Italian professor displayed his new cremation chamber model at the Vienna Exposition. His new invention jump-started the cremation revolution on both sides of the Atlantic. The first modern cremation chamber in the United States was built in Washington, Pennsylvania in 1876 by Dr. Julius LeMoyne, with the second not far behind in Lancaster, PA in 1884.

Soon, crematories were being built all across the US, and by the year 1900 there were 20 in operation. The practice took off even more when, in 1913, Dr. Hugo Erichsen started the Cremation Association of America.

Dr. Erichsen began the foundation as way to spread to word about this modern way of safely and hygienically disposing of bodies. The foundation was originally made up of doctors with concerns about the spread of diseases from whole-body burials to living humans.

This belief and the foundation continued to foster cremation popularity until the 1920s when it was proven that whole body burials, when done properly were just as safe for the public’s health. After that discovery, the Cremation Association of America switched gears and began promoting cremation not as a health choice but as a memorialization choice. The foundation changed its name to Cremation Association of North America (CANA), in 1975, and is still around today.

Cremation has been becoming more and more popular since the 1980s in America and around the world. This rise is due to a number of factors such as cost, environmental concerns, creativity, religion and more. While traditional burial is still the most commonly seen disposition method, studies show that might not always be the case. According to CANA, there were over 2,100 crematories in use in the US in 2009 performing over 9,000 cremations a year, and the number is still going up.

Patrick T. Lanigan Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc. offers Penn Township, PA cremation services that follow these traditions and are designed to help in your time of loss. Call today to learn more.

Most people don’t know that there are a few different kinds of cremation services in North Versailles, PA. But there are a few different kinds such as more traditional cremations with services and funerals, and more simple options like direct cremations. But what is direct cremation? And why would it be a good option for you?

Direct cremation is a disposition method in which the deceased’s body is cremated almost immediately following death, without a funeral or memorial beforehand. One of the main reasons why people choose a direct cremation is because its more cost effective than other methods.

The body is cremated right after the death in a direct cremation. This means that the deceased’s family or loved ones can use a crematory service rather than a traditional funeral home, potentially saving money. There is no visitation, wake or viewing with a direct cremation. This allows the family to skip embalming the body, which also saves money. Family, loved ones, or executors can also choose to have the body cremated in a simple container, rather than a traditional and more expensive casket, as there is no need for ornamentation for a viewing or service. Direct cremation also allows family to plan a memorial service at a later date, allowing for scheduling flexibility so more people can attend. Also, a longer timeline means even more time to plan a personalized and unique service.

Direct cremation is becoming so popular that The Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule made a list of laws that dictate your direct cremation rights including that you are not required to purchase or use a casket, the crematory or funeral home must furnish a wood box or alternate container for the direct cremation, and the funeral home or crematory must return the remains to you in an urn provided by yourself. If you do not provide and urn, they will return the remains to you in a basic container.

Typically, crematory staff takes care of all direct cremation arrangements and actions. This includes transporting the body to the crematory and completing a death certificate form. You can also work with a traditional funeral home for direct cremations. In this case, the funeral home will fill out the death certificate and bring the body to the crematory, which is often onsite at the funeral home. Take care to plan for what you’re doing with the cremated remains after the direct cremation. You can bury them in a crematory plot, columbarium, or pre-determined cemetery.

Direct cremation is a desirable option if you are looking to avoid costs such as preparing the body, casket, extensive transportation, or funeral services. There are many funeral homes that offer North Versailles, PA cremation services, including direct cremations. If you have any more questions about direct cremation or would like to learn more about your other options just reach out to Patrick T. Lanigan Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc. We have years of experience and would be happy to help you in any way that we can. Call or visit us today.