Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust (Cremation)

Posted on May 14th, 2018 by Foothill Funeral and Cremation under Ashes, Bio Cremation, Burial, Cremation, Funerals, Glendora, Mortuary
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Cremation GlendoraPeople used to consider cremation disrespectful. They preferred hiring undertakers to embalm their loved one’s bodies and place the chemically-preserved remains in boxes they buried in the ground. Somehow, this practice was considered more respectful than cremation. Go figure. Now, thankfully, the practice of cremation is just as enthusiastically embraced as the more traditional method of burial. And as times have changed, so have options for handling cremated remains, aka cremains.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Genesis 3:19

Cremation ExplainedCremation Chamber Glendora

(Spoiler alert—squeamish people probably won’t like the details, below.)

Crematorium officers place dead bodies in an oven that ranges in temperature from 1400 to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit reduce. This heat reduces the human body to its most basic elements, including dried bone fragments.

  • The process takes place in a cremation chamber, also known as a retort, of a crematory.
  • Once the pre-heated chamber reaches a set point, officers place the body on a heat-proof slab, moved by a mechanized door, to minimize heat loss.
  • Cremation GlendoraDuring incineration, a column of flames created by natural gas, oils and propane torch the body, which is typically housed in a combustible container.
  • Heat dries the body, burning the skin and hair.
  • Cremation Glendora AshesThe fire contracts and burns muscles, vaporizes soft tissues, and calcifies the bones until they crumble.
  • Gases released during the process escape through an exhaust system.
  • Bodies are burned one at a time.
  • Emissions destroy the smoke and vaporize the gases which would cause odors. So the process is fume-free.
  • A secondary afterburner in some crematoriums are sometimes used to completely burn bodies. (Otherwise, cremation technicians crush the partially-cremated remains with a long hoe-like rod.)
  • Technicians collect resulting skeletal remains and bone fragments in a tray or pan. Remains sometimes contain metal objects such as screws, hinges, nails, and parts of the container that did not burn.
  • The crematorium cools. Bone Fragments Cremation

Because cremation is a rather violent process, we are among the first mortuaries in Southern California to embrace an alternative, known as bio-cremation. To read our blog post about the process, click here.

About Foothill Funeral & CremationFoothill Funeral & Cremation Glendora

We love helping families, however they choose to legally handle their loved one’s remains. Call us now or at your time of need (626) 335-0615. Feel free to drop by our Glendora showroom. Our relationship with United Methodist Church is the perfect place for mourners to host funerals and memorials. You’ll love the grandiose yet intimate setting. We proudly serve the San Gabriel Valley, San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles Basin, Orange County and the Inland Empire. Working in the mortuary industry since 1996, we have worked hard to build a reputation of quality, sincerity and trust. Please allow us to help you at your time of need or in the future. Call today (626) 335-0615 or contact us via email.

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