The Crematory
Cremation is, in fact, an ancient way of caring for physical remains. Archaeologists and historians are in general agreement that cremation began in the West during the early years of the Stone Age, sometime around 3,000 B.C. Cremation is even older in Australia, where the remains of a partially-cremated female, found at Mungo Lake, dates to at least 20,000 years ago.
Over the course of centuries, the practice of cremation spread throughout Northern Europe, the British Isles, Spain, Portugal, and Ireland. The ancient Greeks made cremation an integral part of their burial practices; and it was widely practiced throughout the Roman Empire (27 B.C. to 395 A.D.). However early Christians considered it pagan, and by 400 A.D., the practice was abandoned (except during times of war or plague). Earth burial became the standard for the following 1,500 years of Western history. However, things were different in parts of Asia, where religious doctrine identified cremation as the preferred method of caring for the physical remains.
From Pyre to Crematory
These early cremation practices often involved placing the deceased on a combustible pyre, which was then set alight, burning the body to ash using direct open flame. The cremation process was affected by the combustible materials and pyre construction, which could result in incomplete (or otherwise unsatisfactory) cremation. However, today's modern crematory uses advanced technology to monitor the cremation process and regulate the intense heat used to reduce the body to ash efficiently, using the least amount of natural resources.
Propelled by the technological innovations of the past one hundred and forty years, the first cremation unit (developed in Italy in the 1870s) bears little resemblance toa modern state-of-the-art cremator (often called a "retort"). The evolution of the crematory itself (the building in which the cremator is housed) was just as rapid and profound. In those final decades of the 19th century, crematories were little more that incineration facilities; here in 2014, crematories are designed to encourage, and facilitate, a family's participation in the cremation care of a loved one.
Our Modern Crematory
While many area residents have visited our crematory as part of their final care for a loved one, and others have accepted our open invitation to tour our crematory; even more have expressed an interest in just seeing pictures of the facility.
That's one very good reason to post the following images; but there's another: we intend them to assuage your curiosity to some degree, and serve as a prelude to your personal inspection of our facility at a later date.
Spotlessly clean, comfortable and well-lighted; our crematory invites inspection. In fact, we not only encourage public examination; our commitment to operational transparency (reflected in our Code of Ethics) demands it. If you'd like to inspect our crematory, we ask that you call us at 406-543-5595 to ensure your visit does not interrupt a private family gathering and/or witness cremation.
