These days, many families want simplicity in the wake of their loved one’s death. They want a meaningful, yet scaled-down service compared to a traditional casket funeral. This trend of families choosing direct cremation in Milwaukee, WI is growing throughout society, underpinned by a shift in perspective and attitudes about death and care of a loved one’s remains. Although direct cremation is not for everyone, many do choose it. If you’re wondering whether a direct cremation is the right choice for you or your fallen, here are several points to think about before you decide:
Deciding Whether a Direct Cremation in Milwaukee, WI Is the Right Choice
We specialize and only offer simple cremation so we avoid non-essential services that traditional funeral homes offer. That means your money will not be spent on large chapels or expensive vehicles. This helps us in keeping our prices low without making any compromises. As a matter of fact most of our clients make all the arrangements right from the comfort of their own home. The process is very simple and should you have any questions our helpful staff is only a phone call away. For your convenience, you can reach Cremation Society of Milwaukee at 414-384-2424.
Client Testimonials
Family Traditions and Customs
Most families share strong personal connections with those they count as blood relatives. They identify with them and often share common views about life and the world around them. This family history and legacy can provide insights for a family about how they should lay a loved one to rest. For this reason, it may be a good idea to talk to members of your family about cremation care in context of the family’s traditions and customs surrounding death. A conversation with a friend could provide rich perspective.
Religious or Cultural Practices
It’s common for people to turn to their faith community or cultural heritage for guidance about death care. If you’re thinking about direct cremation services in Milwaukee, WI, you might find yourself questioning whether it is an appropriate solution or not. Many religions and cultures leave families to decide for themselves whether cremation is the right choice for them. Conversely, some faith traditions strongly encourage cremation, while others strictly forbid it. If you’re unclear about what to do, consider speaking with a faith leader about your religion’s views and teachings about cremation. Cultural norms can also inform you about the appropriateness of the practice.
Environmental Considerations
Many people view cremation as a preferable choice because of the reduced impact it has on the environment. Chemicals used in a traditional embalming practice are not needed for a direct cremation service. Casket fabrication and purchase are also unnecessary, avoiding the effect that traditional death care can have on the earth. If the environment is a priority for you or your family, cremation care may be a more earth-friendly solution to consider.
Financial Concerns
Direct cremation tends to be much less expensive than traditional funeral care services. The simplicity with which service is carried out minimizes the total cost of care. If you’d like to add additional services, the price will proportionately increase to meet your requests. Cremation services also vary by provider and place. Some cities and states charge more than others, so make sure to shop the options if finances are limited.
Personal Preferences
When a death occurs, the body begins to decompose, returning back to the basic elements of nature. The burial of a body facilitates decomposition slowly and naturally. Alternatively, cremations accelerate the decomposition process via heat. If you have a preference for the approach to disposition of the body, be sure to weigh your thoughts and feelings carefully as part of your decision.
Cremation Service Choices
Cremation does not preclude you from holding other services, such as a traditional funeral and viewing, if that is preferable, you can simply incorporate this means of final disposition into the funeral and memorial service plans you wish to hold. Families often choose cremation care in several ways, including:
- Traditional funeral and viewing, followed by cremation
- Traditional funeral without viewing, followed by cremation
- Memorial service with a preferred disposition of ashes (scattering or burial)
- No traditional funeral or memorial service, direct cremation care and ash return
One of the premier benefits of choosing cremation care with a memorial is that the service can be held at a later, more convenient time to gather. For many families, this provides time to prepare, as opposed to quickly gathering for a traditional funeral and burial. Both service styles have their advantages.
Ashes to Ashes
Caring for the ashes of a loved one is a matter of preference. If no instructions were left by the deceased before their death, the choice is yours. Some families bury their loved one’s ashes in the earth, or place them in a cremation niche in a columbarium. These choices are desirable because it provides a fixed location where friends and family can gather to remember their fallen. Other families prefer to keep ashes in an urn, so that their loved one can always be with them. Still other families choose to scatter their loved one’s ashes in a meaningful place where legally allowed.
Direct Cremation Care in Milwaukee, WI
The Cremation Society of Milwaukee provides compassionate support and care to all we serve. Whether you’re planning for pre-needs or at-need direct cremation in Milwaukee, WI, our professionals are here to help. We own and operate our own on-site crematory. Call or stop by today at 2729 S. 108th Street, West Allis, WI 53227. Our office can be reached at (414) 384-2424.
Cremation FAQs
What is Cremation?
Cremation is a respectful process where a body is reduced to cremated remains through high heat in a specialized chamber. The body is first prepared by removing items like jewelry or implants, then placed in a cremation container and exposed to temperatures around 2,000°F for a few hours. What's left are bone fragments, which are processed into a finer form and usually placed in a cremation urn. Many families choose cremation over traditional burial for personal, religious, or environmental reasons.
Can You Assist in Memorial Gatherings or Visitations?
Yes, we can! Pricing starts at $2,250 and includes a simple cremation and the use of our staff for coordination and facilitation at a location of your choosing. Please get in touch with us for further information on detailed pricing.
What Happens After the Cremation is Complete?
Once the cremation process is complete, any remaining organic bone fragments, which are quite brittle, and any unconsumed metal items are carefully swept to the front of the cremation chamber and placed into a stainless steel cooling pan. From there, anything that didn't burn, such as metal pieces from clothing, surgical implants like hip joints, or dental bridgework, is separated from the ashes. This is done both by hand and with the help of a strong magnet to catch smaller metal bits. Precious materials like dental gold or silver usually cannot be recovered separately—they are naturally blended in with the ashes during the process. Finally, a specialized machine processes the remaining bone fragments into a uniform texture. The ashes are then placed in either a temporary container or a permanent urn, depending on what the family has chosen. Read more FAQ here.