James J. Terry Funeral Homes - Downingtown

Cremation is another form of disposition or handling a body after death. However, many people don't know what happens during cremation. Cremation takes place in a carefully maintained facility known as a crematory or crematorium. Within the crematory is a special cremation chamber. The body is placed in a cremation container or casket and positioned inside the cremation chamber. Once the container or casket is in the cremation chamber, the door is tightly sealed. The operator then turns on gas jets, which create intense heat that reduces the body to bone fragments. This process takes approximately 2-3 hours. After the cremation, the remains are collected and processed to the consistency of sand or a finer ash. The white or grayish remains, often called cremated remains at this stage, are then sealed in a transparent plastic bag along with an identification tag. The bag weighs about 5 lbs. and will often be returned to the family in a selected urn, which can then be buried, placed in a niche inside a columbarium, taken home or transported for scattering. Additionally, the cremated remains can be separated and placed into multiple urns, keepsakes or even jewelry specifically designed as a final resting place. Cremation is a respectful, dignified process chosen by many families. However, some faiths discourage or prohibit cremation. If you plan to hold a religious funeral ceremony or have the remains buried in a church cemetery, check in advance to make sure there are no issues.

Pick up the deceased and transport the body to the funeral home (anytime day or night) Notify proper authorities, family and/or relatives Arrange and prepare death certificates Provide certified copies of death certificates for insurance and benefit processing Work with the insurance agent, Social Security or Veterans Administration to ensure that necessary paperwork is filed for receipt of benefits Prepare and submit obituary to the newspapers of your choice Bathe and embalm the deceased body, if necessary Prepare the body for viewing including dressing and cosmetizing Assist the family with funeral arrangements and purchase of casket, urn, burial vault and cemetery plot Schedule the opening and closing of the grave with cemetery personnel, if a burial is to be performed Coordinate with clergy if a funeral or memorial service is to be held Arrange a police escort and transportation to the funeral and/or cemetery for the family Order funeral sprays and other flower arrangements as the family wishes Provide Aftercare, or grief assistance, to the bereaved