Your loved one has died, and they chose a cremation service in Chicago, IL, and you need answers. What happens to the body after the death? How long before the cremation takes place? What happens after the cremation? Here are all the details of how a body is prepared for a cremation. 

1. Funeral Home or Crematory Picks Up the Body – After the death, the funeral home or crematory of your choice will usually pick up the body and bring it to the funeral home or crematory. Once there, it will be placed in a prep room or in refrigeration. 
   
2. Service Planning – The bereaved will then meet with a funeral director or cremation provider to plan a service, if desired, and determine the cremation details. During this time, the body is kept in a refrigeration unit between 36 and 39 degrees to slow decomposition. If the deceased or bereaved chose direct cremation, the body will stay refrigerated till the cremation. If they chose a public viewing, the body will be placed in a prep room for embalming. 
   
3. Preparing the Body for Cremation – The cremation provider will prep the body by removing all jewelry, pacemakers, or medical devices in order to prevent melting or explosions during the cremation process. Jewelry is returned to the family and medical devices are often recycled or returned to the family. If the family or deceased chose direct cremation, there is no other preparation required. If the family chose a public viewing, the body will be embalmed, bathed, dried, dressed, and put in a casket. 
   
4. Identity Verification – A family member or next-of-kin will complete and ID Verification form after preparation to signify that the body has been properly identified and is ready to be cremated or viewed at a service. Each facility and state have different procedures, but your funeral director or cremation provider will walk you through each step. 
   
5. Cremation – After the body is identified and after any chosen service, the body is then placed in a cremation container. Cremation containers can be solid wood caskets designed for cremation or corrugated cardboard boxes also designed for cremations. The cremation container with the body inside is then put into the cremation chamber and heated between 1400 and 2000 degrees for about two hours. Some crematories allow family members to view the cremation itself. If you wish to view the cremation, speak with your provider. 
   
6. After the Cremation - After the cremation, the remains are cooled for about an hour and then processed through a machine that grinds remaining bones into powder. These powdered remains are returned to the family in an urn of their choice or in another kind of container. 

We are here to help if you want to learn more about the cremation process or Chicago, IL cremation services in general. Stop by and pay us a visit or give us a call today for more information on what we can do for you in your time of loss or of preplanning.