The Northern Lights have seen queer sights,

But the queerest they ever did see

Was that night on the marge of Lake Lebarge

I cremated Sam McGee.

• “The Cremation of Sam McGee” by Robert W. Service (1907)

While cremation was talked about over 100 years ago, as evidenced by this poem written in 1907, it has only recently come into more common practice. With that said, here are some quick questions I get about cremation and the truth behind them:

“Do you do cremations?” – Yes, as a funeral home, Lowe-Neddo provides all types of options when someone dies, cremation being just one of them.

“Is cremation less expensive?” – Yes…and no. The largest factor in what a funeral costs is you and the choices you make. The full answer is a topic for another column…

“Instead of throwing me in the backyard, just cremate me there instead.” – We can do that. Of course, it will require equipment that can reach 1600 degrees Fahrenheit and meets all licensing requirements. If you are considering this option, contact me for further details.

“Without cremation, won’t we run out of space?” – If everyone alive in the United States died today, the cemetery would fit in Rhode Island. Though future generations would have “less” space, we’d still be far from “running out of it”. Of course, that is wondering “what future generations?” since we would all be dead but you know what I mean.

“I don’t want to come back when the zombie apocalypse happens.” – Okay, you got me there. All I can say is you are correct, you will definitely not come back as a zombie.

While some of these questions/statements sound a little facetious, the truth is they have all been expressed. And yes, even the zombie apocalypse was answered with the respect due for the courage it took to even express it. The bottom line truth about cremation is that it is a personal choice with many options and when making that choice, you deserve to know the facts.

Want to know more? We at Lowe-Neddo Funeral Home have the answers you need to make an informed choice. That way you can get back to the task at hand of living, laughing and loving… even if it means asking about zombies.