Just when I’m about to fall victim to the “direct cremation will kill us all!!!” rant spouted by some funeral industry folks, I read or hear stories like this one from England:

Yesterday I went to the funeral of Ralph Brown at St Peter and St Paul′s Church in Wem, Shropshire. 

The service itself was a good one and was quite light, nothing to heavy.

Ralph′s coffin was covered in the paddock sheet of the horse he used to look after who was called “Call It A Day”. It was the sheet that the horse had worn when he finished 3rd in the 1999 Aintree Grand National.

The cortege moved from Wem and on to the Emstrey Crematorium at Shrewsbury where Ralph was cremated.

You can read the entire story by Richard Bevin on the Sports News website.

The Funeral of Shelley by Louis Edouard Fournier (1889)

I point this out because England has been dealing with high cremation rates for much longer than the United States.  And it’s comforting to know that even with cremation as a viable option, folks are choosing more than just disposal.

Unfortunately, the reaction of funeral professionals to requests about cremation (”You want to do WHAT?”) or the practice of flat-out ignoring a client’s interest in cremation have done more to harm the higher-paying traditional cremation services than the public’s move toward it.

For too long, the folks who championed cheap cremation at the detriment of traditional funeral providers were the only ones speaking out about cremation.  And where there is silence, people often see guilt.

Funeral consumer groups and direct cremation providers have accused funeral directors of jacking up prices and exploiting guilt for a profit, with no rebuttal offered by the accused.

Interestingly, most of the folks I talk to about cremation only know the “cheap” half of the story.  They have no idea that cremation can include viewing or embalming; they don’t realize that caskets can be rented or that their family can attend the cremation process.

It’s time you make an effort to educate your community about ALL the options regarding cremation.  It’s the only way you’re ever going to make money from what is the biggest trend in funeral service in our lifetime.