Kenneth McKenzie
Columnist
There are so many rumors are out there about death and dying and circumstances surrounding the one thing we each will experience. Some of these rumors are so old that many people take them as facts. So I thought I would discuss a few.
True or false? The weight of cremated remains (ashes) after the cremation process will vary with the weight of a person’s body.
False. Cremated remains are the skeletal remains after cremation, Since our body is made up mostly of water, it does not matter if you weigh 600 or 160 pounds. The weight varies with the person’s height. Typically, with a woman, there are 6 to 8 pounds of ash, and with men 8 to 10 pounds.
True or false? Embalming is required by law.
False. The embalming process, though very old, has never been required. Embalming is utilized when there is a public viewing or shipping of a body out of the state or country. Embalming is also utilized when a person has donated his or her body for medical purposes; the embalming process prolongs the lifetime of donated tissue for educational purposes. Some religions do not want the body altered in any manner after death, so when viewing or shipping, dry ice is commonly used.
True or false? You can be buried in the ground without a casket.
True. Now, with our world becoming “greener,” there are cemeteries known as “green cemeteries” where the body can be placed directly into the ground. The cemetery has more of a park look and feel to it, as there are no traditional headstones. Memorial rocks and trees take the place of lined-up square pieces of granite.
True or false? A mortician may use the carpool lane so long as the deceased is within a casket and not an urn.
False. I’ve tried it.
