Cremation is the process of reducing the human body to bone fragments using high heat and flame. Cremation is not the final disposition of the remains, nor is it a type of funeral service.

No, a casket is not required. Laurel Lawn Cemetery Association requires that all bodies are placed in a body bag or cardboard container.

No. In fact, it is against the law for a funeral home to tell you otherwise.

Yes, immediate family members can briefly view the deceased prior to cremation.

Yes, they can. Family members and loved ones can be present when the body is placed in the cremation chamber. Some religious groups even include this as part of their funeral custom.

While laws very state by state, for the most part cremated remains can be buried in a crematory lot or cremation garden, interred in a columbarium, kept at home or scattered. At Laurel Lawn Cemetery, we allow the purchase of crematory lots.

As a registered member of the Cremation Association of North America (CANA), we have developed a rigorous set of operating policies and procedures in order to maximize the level of service and minimize the potential for human error. Our employees are certified crematory operators that put forth the effort to treat your loved ones with the respect they deserve.

It all depends on the weight of the individual. An average sized adult can take two to three hours at a normal operating temperature of between 1,500 and 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cremated remains consists of granular particulates that range in size from a powder to U.S. dime size fragments and has a color that ranges from white to charcoal.

With the exception of minute and microscopic particles, which are impossible to remove from the cremation chamber and processing machine, all of the cremated remains are given back to the family.

An urn is not required by law. All cremains are returned to the funeral home in hard plastic temporary urn containers.

Most major religions readily accept cremation. For those who believe in Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism cremation is part of their religious ceremony. The Catholic Church does allow cremation, but requires that the final disposition of the cremated remains involves interment or entombment. Protestants allow cremation without requiring interment or entombment. Islam and Orthodox Judaism do not allow cremation. Reformed and Conservative branches of Judaism accept cremation, although it is not commonly practiced by them.

No. New Jersey state law requires a funeral home be in charge of the final disposition of the remains. All cremations must be done through funeral homes.

We require all decorations to remain on the person’s burial plot and decorations must be within two feet of the monument stone.

Any and all decorations are welcome, within reason, as long as they are within two feet of the monument.

We always recommend real flowers/plants instead of plastic. Plastic decorations deteriorate will be moved periodically for groundskeeping.

As plastic decorations deteriorate and begin to negatively impact the beauty of the cemetery, we will remove them. Also, twice a year we remove a large amount of decorations: in early December we remove decorations that are meant for spring time and summer, and on February 1, we remove all decorations from the holiday season. Every Memorial Day, new American flags are put on by the local chapter of the American Legion. The old flags are removed a week beforehand.

No, we do not sell or install monument stones and it is against the law for cemeteries to sell monuments in the state of New Jersey. Stones must be ordered from a monument company and they must put in a work order with Laurel Lawn Cemetery Association to create a foundation at least 15 days before the stone would arrive.

We ask to be approached before placing a bench. It must be placed on just that person’s burial plot (not in designated walking paths or on somebody else’s owned plot). Depending on the weight of the bench, it may require a foundation be put in.

We charge $0.60 (60 cents) per square inch. The maximum foundation size for a single space is two feet.

We have staff on hand Monday through Friday, 8:00am-4:00pm. If you would like to meet with us outside this time frame, please call us at (856) 455-6217 to make an appointment.