Cremation or Burial?

[The Annoyed Man]

I had a Funeral Director advise me that the heat of cremation is so intense there's no ash, just bone salts left.

I believe that the funeral director told you this, but I think he is misinformed.

Does it make any difference?

How are you going to scatter someone's ashes if there isn't any ash?

They call it "ash", but it is really just the ground up remains of what had once been bone. The bone has been thoroughly desiccated by the immense heat, and the organic content is completely burned away. What you're left with is a very dry to the touch, gray in color mineral, which looks like a granular material with a consistency like dusty sandy pea gravel. The powdery part looks and feels like dry cement powder. If you throw it into the wind, the heavier "gravelly" pieces will fall to the ground, while the wind carries off the lighter part of it.

The first time I ever handled human ashes was when my dad passed away. It was a very strange thing to hold, what had once been my dad, in my hands and drift it over the side of a boat.

[Abraham]

TAM,

Another thing we have in common.

"It was a very strange thing to hold, what had once been my dad, in my hands and drift it over the side of a boat."

In my case, from my kayak.

A bittersweet feeling...

[WildBill]

I had a Funeral Director advise me that the heat of cremation is so intense there's no ash, just bone salts left.

I believe that the funeral director told you this, but I think he is misinformed.

Does it make any difference?

How are you going to scatter someone's ashes if there isn't any ash?

They call it "ash", but it is really just the ground up remains of what had once been bone. The bone has been thoroughly desiccated by the immense heat, and the organic content is completely burned away. What you're left with is a very dry to the touch, gray in color mineral, which looks like a granular material with a consistency like dusty sandy pea gravel. The powdery part looks and feels like dry cement powder. If you throw it into the wind, the heavier "gravelly" pieces will fall to the ground, while the wind carries off the lighter part of it.

The first time I ever handled human ashes was when my dad passed away. It was a very strange thing to hold, what had once been my dad, in my hands and drift it over the side of a boat.

I learn something new every day.

[jimlongley]

. . .
They call it "ash", but it is really just the ground up remains of what had once been bone. The bone has been thoroughly desiccated by the immense heat, and the organic content is completely burned away. What you're left with is a very dry to the touch, gray in color mineral, which looks like a granular material with a consistency like dusty sandy pea gravel. The powdery part looks and feels like dry cement powder. If you throw it into the wind, the heavier "gravelly" pieces will fall to the ground, while the wind carries off the lighter part of it.

The first time I ever handled human ashes was when my dad passed away. It was a very strange thing to hold, what had once been my dad, in my hands and drift it over the side of a boat.

I learn something new every day.

My late wife's cremains were delivered to me in a simple brass container. By pre-arrangement those remains were parceled out to the children and grandchildren for them either to keep, in "keepsake" containers, and they were to dispose of their "shares" as they saw fit. I took the rest to St. Thomas and rented a boat and scattered them around areas that had been our favorites for snorkeling and glass bottom boat rides. I kept one keepsake for myself.

A bunch of years ago my ship was chosen to do a burial at sea and at the appropriate time we gathered the Honor Guard on the fantail for the ceremony. Absolutely flat calm sea, ship sitting motionless, and the officer reciting all of the words and getting ready to empty the urn over the side, and across the water we can see the surface of the sea riffling up as a wind comes toward us. As Petty Officer in Charge of the Honor Guard I tried to get the attention of the officer in charge, but she shushed me and waved me off, so we all just stood there and watched helplessly as the boot, landlubber, officer dumped the ashes almost simultaneously with the arrival of the wind.

And he was dumping to windward.

My Honor Guard was dressed in whites, which were rendered grey by the cloud of "ash" that blew into our faces, what was left on the deck was washed over the side with fire hoses, and I doubt that very much of the Lt. Cdr. actually made it directly into the ocean.

[PaJ]

One day an old man died and, per his wishes, was creamated. Several years later, his grandson noticed a cardboard box with the old man's name on the box. "Look mom, there's a package for Grandpa!", the boy exclaimed. "No son. That is not FOR Grandpa. That IS Grandpa!"

[Maxwell]

My preference would be a pine box on a hillside facing the sunset. No chemicals no preservatives. Just give me back to Mother Earth. However for the many reasons mentioned above regarding those left behind it will be cremation.

[SA_Steve]

bury deep, Please !

I think Costco still sells caskets if you want to go first class.

[bmwrdr]

Cremation, even though )bama may blame global warming on me but it surely is more environmental friendly to burn the remainder of my body once the usable parts are gutted out.

Sincerely,
Organ Donor # 23,343,329