After the cremation process has been completed, the crematory or funeral home will return the ashes to you in some form of urn or container. The question is: What to do next?

Some people choose to transfer the ashes to a decorative urn and display it on their fireplace mantel at home. Although practical in the short term, this cannot be viewed as a final resting place. It’s common for retirees to downsize their lifestyle, homes are bought and sold, and the urn becomes yet another item to be boxed up and placed in storage. Future generations will be faced with a difficult decision of what to do with the urn they have inherited.

In our area, it is common for people to ask that their ashes be scattered from a mountaintop, in a river, or at sea. When doing this, a family must consider issues such as whether or not all of the family and friends will be able to make the journey. Family members also should ask each other how they feel about not having an exact place to visit years later.

There are two important elements of the final resting place after a cremation: where the ashes will be placed or scattered and where the marker will be placed. Of the two, most people think that where the ashes are to be placed is the more important decision. But actually, it’s more important to consider where the marker will be placed.

Whether the body has been buried or cremated, you will never see your loved one’s physical body again. However, a marker that bears the name of your loved one, the dates of his or her life, and a loving inscription has the power to trigger fond memories of the life you’ve shared together. That’s why it’s so common to see people walking through a cemetery reading the headstones of long-lost family and friends. As they read the marker, warm memories return and the relationship is cherished.

Many people find great comfort by scattering most of the ashes in the manner that their loved one requested, but also preserving some of the ashes to be placed along with the marker. This allows them to return to that marker in years to come and know that a part of their loved one is truly present.

As you can see, even when choosing cremation, both the final resting place and marker are very important. That’s why the Moles family has created the unique Stillwaters Cremation Cemetery along with a complimentary placement program, all located at Greenacres Memorial Park and Event Center in Ferndale.

Stillwaters was designed to offer a peaceful and tranquil setting for our families. Follow along the stone pathways amid trees, rock formations, and beautiful flower gardens. Granite benches invite you to sit and reflect, with the silence broken only by the sounds of the waterfalls and meandering stream.

Every family served by us at any of our Whatcom County funeral homes also receives the free placement of their loved one’s ashes at Stillwaters. You will also have the option to establish a permanent marker for your loved one. Choices range from large granite markers to small bronze name plaques.