Lifemark Group

The Cremation Process | Placing & Honoring Remains | Scattering | Unique Options | Personalization

Cremation is an ancient process that uses fire and extreme heat to reduce human remains into a granular or ash-like consistency. Cremated remains are generally placed in an “urn” or some other container of the family’s choice, then sheltered in a protected structure called a “columbarium” or buried in a special “urn garden.” Cremated remains can also be scattered.

Top Cremation Service Provider…
In 1909, Lifemark’s Chapel of the Chimes facility in Oakland established the modern method for cremation by opening the world’s first electic crematorium. Today, Lifemark is the top cremation services provider of any Northern California company. We operate two crematories, and each of our four primary facilities has columbarium space for sheltering and honoring cremated remains. We maintain special gardens dedicated to the interment and scattering of remains. We also offer scattering by water or air in remote locations. Please check the link below for information on other unique options.

Cremation Ceremonies…
Cremation actually increases your options for celebrating the life of a departed loved one in a way that is meaningful to family and friends. You can choose a traditional funeral or a memorial service—with or without viewing—before or after cremation. As with burial ceremonies, you can create a personalized event that reflects the life being celebrated.

The cremation process that uses extreme heat to prepare a body for memorialization. It is an ancient art—first used culturally approximately 5000 years ago by clans in Europe and the Near East during the early Stone Age.

As it is practiced today, there are four steps in the cremation process.

Identification Viewing. In this optional first step, the family or a designated family member can view the body to confirm its identity.

Preparation. After identification, the remains are placed into a cremation casket or a container that is mostly free of metal and other non-combustible parts. Care is taken to remove any non-combustible items, such as a pacemaker or prosthesis. The family can direct us to remove any jewelry so that such items will not be destroyed during the process.

Cremation. After these preparations are complete, the casket or container is placed into the cremation chamber and exposed to intense heat (1400 to 1800 degrees F). Actual time required depends on the size and weight of the body, but this step usually takes several hours. The superheating process reduces the remains into small fragments of bone. Most people are surprised that the remains have neither the appearance nor the chemical properties of ashes.

Finishing. The cremated remains are allowed to cool. Then they are carefully gathered from the cremation chamber to be separated from non-combustible items. The remains may then undergo an additional process to reduce fragments into a uniform, granular consistency. These fragments generally are white in color. At the end of the process, the remains weigh between 3 and 8 pounds.

Placement. Most often, cremated remains are placed in an “urn” or other container at some permanent location where they can be sheltered and honored. Occasionally, they are placed into a temporary container until the final container is chosen. If they are to be scattered, they generally are placed into a temporary container that is suitable for transport.

The Cremation Urn…
Cremated remains are generally kept in a special container called an “urn”—named for the traditional cremation container used in Ancient Greece. Cremation urns are available in a wide variety of shapes, styles and costs—including a host of unique, even artistic products that can be personalized to portray a hobby or special interest.

Columbarium—Indoor Option…
A columbarium is a building, room or wall dedicated exclusively to the sheltering of cremation urns. Urns are sheltered within recessed compartments called “niches”—with fronts made either of glass or of some solid, ornamental material (marble, granite, etc.). A glass front allows visitors to view the urn, as well as photographs and other meaningful memorabilia that help memorialize a loved one’s life. Most columbaria are indoors. We operate one of the most admired columbarium facilities in the world at Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland—a masterwork of design by Julia Morgan, one of the most accomplished architects of the 20th century.

Outdoors Options…
For clients who want an outdoors location, we offer below-ground placement in single burial sites, family plots and specially designed “urn gardens.” We also provide special columbarium walls for clients who prefer an outdoor location above ground.

The Home Option…
Some of our client families are not ready to locate the remains of their loved one away from home. Cremation allows them to keep cremation urns at home in a place of honor until they are ready to located the remains in a permanent location elsewhere.

What Is Scattering?
Scattering is the distribution of cremated remains over land or water. Lifemark facilities in San Mateo, Hayward and Sacramento have special gardens used exclusively for scattering remains—including the Coastal Range Garden at Skylawn in San Mateo, a beautiful setting which overlooks the coast.

Some of our client families request scattering in special areas—which can be governed by state and local laws depending on the location. Remote scattering can include use of an airplane or a boat. In the latter case, we can arrange for the family to ride along.

Why People Scatter…
One of the primary reasons people choose scattering is to place the remains of their loved one in a location with special significance. On occasion, we receive requests for scattering at a location that is privately owned, such as a family home or a fishing lodge. If you are considering a private location, you should factor in the possible sale and development of the property at some time in the future.

The Importance of Memorializing…
It is important to remember that scattering can be permanent and irreversible—with no distinct physical place for people to visit and pay their respects, as there is when remains are sheltered in an urn at a convenient location. Most families who decide on scattering generally place some type of memorial at a physical location that people can visit to honor their loved one—such as a family cemetery plot or some other meaningful location.

There are a number of options for families wishing to distribute cremated remains in a unique way. These include:

Launching a portion of the remains into space
“Planting” them in an ocean reef
Incorporating them into fireworks that can be used as part of a “goodbye” ceremony
Using a portion of the remains to create a diamond
Creating a work of art that contain a portion of remains
Creating “keepsake” personal jewelry items that contain a portion of remains

Please contact a Lifemark counselor for information on these and other unique options for honoring cremated remains.

She was your mother. He was your husband or your brother. He or she was your partner. Whether you are choosing a burial or cremation, a funeral or a memorial service, or maybe something completely unique—it is difficult to underestimate the importance of saying a proper “goodbye”.

When someone close to you dies, saying “goodbye” becomes a deeply felt need, an important first step in the process of grieving—a promise to honor your loved one with a celebration that is important and beautiful and reflective of the life they lived.

We are committed to help. Our counselors can help you come up with ideas that reflect the special character of the life being celebrated. We can help you plan an event that incorporates these ideas. And we can help you with all the logistics of staging the celebration—including help with travel arrangements for mourners.

We encourage you to talk with us about putting together a unique, personalized celebration—not only for yourself, but also for friends and family members who were touched by your loved one’s life, and who will mourn its passing.