The History Of Cremation:
Thousands of years ago ancient historical writings from the Grecian and Roman time period referenced both cremation and burial of the dead. Common practice in this culture was to entomb or bury the created remains.

Cremation was prohibited for Christians in the late Roman period because destruction of the body conflicted with the Christian belief in the resurrection of the dead. However, most denominations today allow cremations as a form of disposition. Until 1963 the Roman Catholic Church did not allow cremation of the body. A rule change regarding this practice now permits a funeral mass to be said before cremation, if the body is present in the church.

Here in the United States cremation had it's beginnings in the late 1700's. However, cremation did not become common practice until 1980.

Why Should I Consider Cremation And How Is It Done?
When the death of a loved one occurs, several options of disposition are available: entombment burial, cremation and burial. In the United States today, about 2.3 million people die each year and of that 26% are cremated. People's rationale for choosing cremation includes environmental reasons, financial and convenience.

The process of cremation uses intense heat to reduce the human remains into small bone fragments. This takes place at a crematory. A chamber known as a cremation retort is used for this procedure. A second process further reduces these bone fragments to a fine powder. These are referred to as cremains, cremated remains or ashes.