Pre-planning for Cremation

Preplanning your funeral arrangements is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your family. They will greatly appreciate not having to make such difficult decisions, during a time when they are mourning, and can't think clearly.  Communicating your wishes now will decrease the burden on them immensely; having to wonder if they made the right choices in the end.

Unfortunately, Ithaca Cremation Service does not preplan funeral arrangements like a traditional funeral home. Regulated by state law, we are not set up like a full service funeral home. This allows us to keep our costs down for families. We do not process Life Insurance, Trust funds, Pre-Plan accounts, or personal bank accounts. You cannot preplan, or prepay, your funeral arrangements with ICS. We are a cash only business; and payment is due at the time services are rendered. See more information under our Price Information tab.

However, there are still ways you can preplan your arrangements to utilize the services of ICS. It is extremely important that you discuss your final wishes with your family members. They will be responsible for making decisions when the time comes.  Be sure your next of kin (person responsible for funeral arrangements)  knows your personal information (or can access it) because they will need to complete the forms and authorizations upon death. You can familiarize yourself with the documents we use to collect this information by clicking Make Arrangements Online.  These will be used to complete the required Death Certificate for New York State.  

If you'd like to plan financially, you can still set aside the necessary funds. Just be sure those funds are accessible by whoever will be making final arrangements; either by cash, or a joint bank account. If you do have an insurance policy, please note that family will be required to pay for services up front, and will be reimbursed at a later date from the Insurance company. 

If you have any questions regarding pre-planning options, please don't hesitate to contact us by email, or phone call.  

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Honoring your loved one through Cremation

So you've chosen direct cremation. Are you concerned with the simplicity of it all? Maybe this was the wish of your loved one, and not necessarily yours. There are still many ways to celebrate their life, and find closure in the process. 

The Process of Cremation

Cremation is an alternative to the burial process and it is chosen by many people because of religious beliefs, the desire to preserve the environment or it was requested by the person who died. The remains are placed in a container that is combustible and placed in a special furnace called a cremation chamber or a crematory where through intense heat is reduced to bone fragments that are then crushed and pulverized to resemble course sand.

Frequently Asked Questions

A funeral is a ceremony for a deceased person prior to burial or cremation.  A funeral gives the opportunity for family and friends of the deceased to gather and mourn the passing of their loved one, to share cherished memories and celebrate their life.