One of the cremation services offered in Ferndale, WA is helping family members decide what to do with the cremation remains – cremains – of their loved one. While scattering some of them in a place that was special to the deceased is very common, there are many other things that you can do with cremains.

You can bury cremains. There are several ways that you can do this. This first way is to store the urn in a columbarium (a structure with niches that are large enough to hold an urn and a few small personal items) niche. The niche may be open if it’s inside a mausoleum or closed if the columbarium is a stand-alone structure. If the niche is open, a small plaque with the deceased’s name and date of birth and date of death is placed right beneath it. If the niche is closed, it will be covered with a small gravestone with pertinent information about the deceased.

Another burial option for cremains is in a cemetery plot. Often, in the case of families, people who’ve already died may have casket burials, but the family wants to stay together in death. Cremains can be buried, but a urn burial vault will be required to keep the contents of the urn protected.

A third burial option for cremains is a fairly new concept that cemeteries have created, which is an urn garden. These are specifically-designed, well-landscaped areas within the cemetery where cremains can be buried.

Cremains can also be kept in a beautiful ornamental urn in the family home, displayed in a prominent place with other items that are related to the deceased. Some families choose to pass the urn from home to home for a designated amount of time, so that each family member can have the deceased with them for a period of time.

If the deceased was interested in the environment, there are several environmental-friendly options for using their cremains.

One environmentally-friendly option is to have the cremains used to build a concrete reef that is placed at the bottom of the ocean to nurture marine life. Another environmentally-friendly option is to use the cremains in living urns, which mix the cremains with soil to create a nutrient-rich environment for a planted flower, bush, or tree.

For people who are interested in getting a memorial tattoo to honor their loved one, there are companies who will mix some of the cremains with the ink they use to do the tattoo, so that the deceased is literally almost under your skin.

A more creative use for cremains is to have some of them mixed into fireworks and to have a fireworks celebration of their lives. There are companies who create this kind of fireworks and who will create a fireworks display that is both beautiful and meaningful.

If you have enough cash, you can send your loved one’s ashes to the moon. There is a company named Celetis that will make this a reality.

Another neat idea for using cremains is to turn them into a vinyl record. A company called Vinlyly takes the cremains, the music or voice recording, and the image you want on the cover of the record and creates a vinyl record from them that gives you years of memories.

For additional information about cremation services, our compassionate and experienced team at Moles Farewell Tributes & Crematory – Greenacres Memorial Park is here to help. We also serve the areas of Bellingham, Ferndale and Mount Vernon, WA. You can visit our funeral home at 5700 Northwest Dr., Ferndale, WA 98248, or you can call us today at (360) 384-3401.