On-Site Crematory
Why is having an onsite crematory important?
Your deceased family member NEVER leaves our care, unlike some Vagabond funeral operators who merely just drop your loved one's remains off at a facility in another town unsupervised by them. We are among the very few funeral homes to operate our own crematory inside our clean and secure facility. Our staff is vetted and all of our directors are licensed and have proper credentials and have NEVER been reprimanded with any State of Illinois violations. Have you checked your local funeral director for State of IL Violations and/or Fines for wrongdoings? Click here and type in the name of your funeral director and see the State of IL violations against him or her. You might be surprised at what you will find.
We cremate only one person at a time.
It takes more effort to ensure that the cremation is handled with care, dignity, and high standards. To assure your loved one is being cared for appropriately, we adhere to a rigid Pre-Cremation Checklist and involve two staff members in every cremation process. We electronically fingerprint your loved one so there is a permanent record.
Your personal inspection is encouraged.
Ask one of our helpful staff members for an inspection of our crematory.
Our staff members are certified.
We are the region's first crematory to encourage your personal inspection.
Understanding the cremation process.
Cremation is the process of reducing the body of the deceased to fragments of bone by way of heat and flame. We prefer to say "cremated remains" rather than "ashes" because we believe that the term "ashes" can be misleading. Our funeral directors or crematory staff can explain the consistency of cremated remains in as much detail as you prefer. If you are considering scattering we would recommend you ask us to prepare you for what you will see. If the deceased is Jewish, Christian Orthodox, Muslim, or Roman Catholic, you may wish to consult clergy or our staff for guidance. For example, the Catholic Church strongly advocates the presence of the body – not the cremated remains – for the Funeral Mass with cremation to take place later. The Catholic Church does not accept scattering. Our Cremation Authorization form goes into some detail in explaining the cremation process, our policies and procedures.