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2009-11-21

2009-11-18

2009-11-05

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Friday, July 17, 2009 9:54 PM

ASK A PROFESSIONAL: How can cremation help me save on funeral costs?

By LINDA BROWN, Ask a Professional

The old adage is true: You can count on two things in life — death and taxes.

Since there appears to be little we can do about taxes, I asked Craig Dengel, owner and operator of Dengel & Son Mortuary, 235 S. Hickory St., Ottawa, to take us on a tour of the funeral home’s crematory. I thought that might give us a better understanding about our choices when planning for the inevitable death.

Since 1973, the number of cremations in North America has more than tripled. The Cremation Association of North America predicts that by the year 2010, cremations in the U.S. will be close to 40 percent.

“It’s the economy,” Dengel said. “A cremation funeral is about half the cost of a traditional funeral, and people are learning they can still have everything they would in a traditional funeral, if they choose.”

For many, a traditional funeral means there will be an open casket, or at the very least a body present during the service. Doesn’t a cremation mean there will be an urn of ashes and some photographs at a memorial service?

To answer my question, Dengel took me first to the selection rooms.

“For a traditional funeral, you’d choose a casket designed for burial,” Dengel said. “If cremation is your choice, and you want the viewing and closure of a traditional funeral service, you’d choose a cremation casket. They’re constructed of wood and have very little metal. They’re meant to be cremated with the body.”

Also in the selection room are a wide variety of urns for the cremains and memorial jewelry, also meant to hold a very small amount of cremains.

If economics are going to play a big role in your choices, direct cremation still is the way to go. However, if the viewing at a traditional funeral service is important, you have that option.

The crematory, located behind the funeral home, is one of only 22 in the state. Dengel’s was the first in Kansas to have an observation room.

“Some people want to see us place their loved one in the crematory,” Dengel said. “They don’t, of course, see the combustion because the equipment won’t operate with the door open.”

Dengel said even in a direct cremation, the body is in a container to insure dignity and respectful handling.

“Even if no family members choose to watch, it’s all done very clean, respectful and professional,” Dengel said. “There are discount cremators in the city, yes, but you may not have the peace of mind that things are being done right. Your peace of mind is very important to us.”

After the body is placed in the chamber, the 1,200 pound door is closed and the crematory is turned on.

Fueled by natural gas, the crematory is heated to 1,800 degrees.

“The cremation takes about three hours,” Dengel said. “The main component that escapes the stack on the roof is heat. Everything else, including the smoke, is consumed in the unit.”

After letting things cool off for a couple of hours, the cremains are swept into a funnel at the front of the chamber and then into a metal box.

A special vacuum that can handle hot material is used between each cremation. The material swept up in the vacuum also goes into the box holding the cremains.

From there, the ashes go to the processor.

“We magnet any metal out and then blend it all into a finer substance that are your cremains,” Dengel said.

“Three years ago when we opened the crematory, I felt cremation was going to be what people wanted in the future,” Dengel said. “I wanted to provide our community with the service they wanted with the dignity and respect they deserve.”

Linda Brown is marketing director for The Ottawa Herald. E-mail her at lbrown@ottawaherald.com.

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ASK A PROFESSIONAL: How can cremation help me save on funeral costs?

By LINDA BROWN, Ask a Professional

E-mail this story to a friend | Print this article | Enjoy the convenience of home delivery of The Ottawa Herald.

E-mail this story to a friend | Print this article |
Enjoy the convenience of home delivery of The Ottawa Herald.