10-Step Return of Ashes
10 Step Return of Ashes & ID Guarantee Process
We know it is critically important that your loved one’s identity never be in doubt while they are in our care. That is why we take more precautions, and go to greater lengths, than most funeral homes and cremation businesses do. Not only does a loved one never leave our care until their ashes are picked up — because we own our private crematory. We also meticulously follow these 10 steps every single time we serve a family.
- Our Identification tag with the name of the deceased is immediately placed on your loved one the moment they come into our care.
- We place your loved one in the cremation container the family has selected, which has the loved one’s name written on it. (The Commonwealth of Virginia requires the use of a cremation container.)
- The family is invited to spend time with the deceased in a private room, which offers another degree of ID certainty.
- The Authorization for Cremation is signed by the family, which indicates the deceased has been identified, and gives us written permission to proceed with the cremation.
- The death certificate is signed by the doctor and filed at the county health department. The Medical Examiner signs the Cremation Authorization which is required for all deaths occurring in Virginia and Washington DC.
- All forms are checked by the licensed funeral director.
- The deceased’s information is logged into the Cremation Log, which records their name, age, date of death, place of death, date and time of cremation, and the cremation container used.
- Our CANA (Cremation Association of North America) certified crematory operator checks all forms as well as identification of the deceased before the cremation takes place.
- Immediately after the cremation is complete, the cremated remains (ashes) are placed into the urn or container selected, or provided, by the family and given to the family.
- The family must sign a statement when taking custody of the ashes and the death certificate(s).