Choosing a Cremation Provider
Cremation Arrangements
It is recommended that when you are arranging for a cremation, it be done prior to immediate need. This gives you the benefit of making arrangements without the pressure of time. The first thing you need to do is put your wishes in writing. In many states, you cannot authorize your own cremation and therefore the next of kin(s) must be in agreement if a cremation is to take place; however Texas does allow a person to preplan their own cremation according to Texas Health and Safety Code 711.002.
If your wishes are not done prior to death, Texas Health and Safety Code 711.002 states the following as right to control the disposition of a decedent's remains in this order: (1) the person designated in a legal written instrument signed bythe decedent; (2) the decedent's surviving spouse; (3) any one of the decedent's surviving adult children; (4) either one of the decedent's surviving parents: (5) any one of the decedent's surviving adult siblings; or (6) any adult person in the next degree of kinship in the order named by law to inherit the estate ofthe decedent. However, it is the policy of our company that all proper signatures be retained from the appropriate next of kin.
When selecting cremation as a form of disposition, make sure you select a reputable firm:
- Ask your friends and others in your community what they know about the firm.
- Seek advice from your clergy regarding your choice.
- DO NOT choose a firm based solely on price.
- Determine the type of services you would like. The type of service you request will be the determining factor in what the cost will be, such as:
- Cremation with visitation and embalming
- Memorial service with or without the cremated remains present
- Traditional church service
- Direct cremation with no service, viewing or visitation
Code of Cremation Ethics
We believe in the dignity and respect in the care of the deceased, in compassion for the living who survive them, and in the memorialization of life; that a cremation authority should be responsible for creating and maintaining an atmosphere of respect at all times; that the greatest care should be taken in the appointment of crematory staff members, any of whom must not,by conduct or demeanor, bring the crematory or cremation into disrepute; that cremation should be considered as preparation for memorialization; and that the deceased of our society should be memorialized through a commemorative means suitable to the survivors.
Visit www.prepaidfunerals.texas.gov for information relating to the purchase of pre-need funeral contracts including descriptions of the trust and insurance funding options available under state law.