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IDENTIFICATION OF THE DECEDENT


When a death has occurred and cremation has been chosen, a positive identification must be made before the cremation process can begin by the closest next of kin, referred to as the Authorizing Agent. A spouse, followed by children and then parents are approved to act as an authorizing agent. If all surviving heirs are deceased then a next degree of kinship must be proved.

 

WITNESSING

 

Witnessing a cremation can be an emotional experience, but also provide a sense of closure for a family. Authorized persons are permitted to be present for witnessing the cremation from our comfortable family lounge. 

 

SCATTERING

 

Although occasionally done, the practice of scattering human remains can present difficulties for families and survivors of the deceased. Some people may find it hard to simply pour the mortal remains of a loved one out onto the ground or into the sea. Another difficulty with scattering can occur when the remains are disposed of in an anonymous, unmarked, or public place. Access to the area may be restricted for some reason in the future, undeveloped land may be developed or any of a host of other conditions may arise that could make it difficult for your survivors to visit the site to remember you. Once scattered, cremated remains cannot be collected back up. It should also be noted that scattering laws vary by state and should be checked before any action is taken as there are property and environmental factors to be taken into account.

 

If you do choose to scatter your loved one’s cremated remains, please be advised that cremated remains can be stark white and, therefore, rather conspicuous. You may wish to consider a shallow burial, unless you’re scattering in water. Permission from a landowner to scatter cremated remains on private land is strongly suggested. Most controlled lands, such as a public city parks, have rules and regulations, and require permits. For non-specific public lands (e.g. rural woodlands), scatter at your own risk. It is highly advisable to use roads or areas less traveled for the scattering ceremony. Cremated remains should  not be scattered within 100 yards of public roads, walks, or public trails. The container which carries the remains must be disposed of separately. Please familiarize yourself with the local and state laws of the area you are interested in scattering in. Federal law may take precedence over state law in some scenarios.

 

At Jefferson Memorial, we do not allow scattering within our cemetery due to environmental effects as cremated remains are not simply ashes, but fine bone fragments that do not biodegrade easily. However, we are working towards developing a cremation garden where scattering and other methods of disposition can be applied.

 
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