Frequently Asked Questions
Why Morgan Cremation Services?
Morgan Cremation Services is a family owned and operated facility and service. We own our own crematory in Northlake, IL. With us, you have the comfort of knowing your loved one never leaves our care.
What do I do when a death occurs while out of town or away from home?
It is important that you contact the local medical authorities first (as well as the police if appropriate), and then contact us as soon as possible. We will work with you to make the necessary arrangements to get you and/or your loved one home as quickly and easily as possible. Calling us to help with the arrangements will also help avoid duplicated efforts and fees.
What is cremation?
Cremation is the mechanical, thermal, or other dissolution process that reduces human remains to bone fragments. Cremation also includes processing and pulverization of the bone fragments into pieces that are usually no more than one-eighth inch.
If I choose direct cremation, what happens next?
There are four very important steps in Direct Cremation:
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Transportation of your loved one (deceased) from place of death to our crematory.
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Secure, cold storage of your loved one (deceased) prior to cremation
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The cremation process
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Return of your loved ones cremated remains to the authorized person
What do I do with my loved ones cremated remains now?
Once the process is complete, families have many options. The cremated remains can be stored in an urn, scattered in a favorite location, interred in a cemetery, converted into jewelry, used to create tattoos or placed into fireworks.
What can be cremated?
Personal items of the deceased, such as jewelry, watches or other items will be removed from the container and returned to the family with prior arrangement. Sometimes families request that items of significance be cremated with the deceased. In some cases this can be allowed, but in many cases it cannot. This is for safety reasons, as not everything is combustible and may cause damage to the equipment or the operator if left in the container. The funeral director will advise the family on what can or cannot be put in the container.
How do I know I am getting my loved one's remains back?
Chain of custody refers to the chronological documentation of the custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of remains and personal property. This is an important definition. Cremation is an irreversible, unstoppable process. Every step of the process needs to be documented, from the receiving of the human remains to the ultimate disposition of the cremated remains, including returning the cremated remains to the authorized agent. At Morgan Cremation, we ensure that each and every step of the process is followed meticulously.