It’s no secret that the number of people who choose cremation has only been growing over the last many years, and it’s easy to see why. Cremation offers family members a wide array of options, including how the deceased will be remembered by future generations. Scattering continues to be a popular and poetic option, symbolizing becoming one with the earth. A group of crematories and funeral homes in California and Washington set out to determine just how many people are opting to be scattered over being kept in an urn. The results were somewhat surprising: One in five survey respondents said they keep the ashes of their loved ones in their home. Significantly, 85% of the survey respondents said they’ve personally arranged a cremation at some point in their life, a fact which points to the continuing rise in popularity of cremations.

Of those storing ashes in their homes, 50 percent say they’re holding on to the ashes of a parent, but a smaller 15 percent say they’ve got the ashes of their spouse stored in their home. The majority of those surveyed said they only had one person’s ashes in their house, about 76 percent, with 24 percent saying they had multiple urns in their home. According to the group which conducted the survey, these numbers simply prove how popular cremation is becoming amongst Americans. And as more people choose cremation, crematoriums and funeral homes are beginning to offer even more options for memorials. After all, those who choose cremation are afforded many options in terms of storage and memorials. What the survey conductors likely weren’t expecting to find out is how few people are aware of all these choices, however.

For instance, when asked why they chose to keep their loved one’s ashes close by in the house, 54 percent said they didn’t know where else they could store the ashes. A close minority said they wanted to keep the ashes themselves as a way to keep their loved one’s nearby. While there are some who keep the urns on a mantle or some other place of honor in the home, there are also those who build backyard memorials, creating a place of reflection and tranquility for their home.

“Having the remains in a memorial in their own yard is the ideal solution. It provides a sense of permanence and respect and maintains that feeling of closeness, but it can be moved if they change residences or want to eventually place it in a cemetery,” explained David Montgomery, a private family memorial specialist, in a press release.

Choosing cremation really does allow a family to customize a memorial to fit their needs perfectly. There are some, as evidenced by this survey, who prefer to keep the ashes of their parents and spouses as a way to keep their memories forever nearby. Though a touching honor, being kept this way makes it difficult for future generations to pay homage to those who went before them. Others opt to have the ashes kept in a columbarium or granite bench in a cemetery, allowing all friends and family members to remember and reflect.
No matter the choice, it’s important to find the best memorial which best suits you and your family.

If you’re ready to start planning your ideal California cremation or someone you love has only very recently passed, call the compassionate staff at Accu-Care Cremation today. They’ll explain every option available to you and help you and your family create the most fitting memorial to your life. Call Accu-Care Cremation & Funeralss today at (844) 550-7897.

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