Cremation Services in Reading, PA
Today, many families in Reading, PA are choosing cremation as an alternative to traditional burial. Lutz Funeral Home performs cremation services, and can help you create a unique and personalized ceremony and lasting memorial for your loved one.
Lutz Funeral Home today continues the family traditions started by John F. Lutz more than 130 years ago. We are proud to offer a caring staff of professionals who are courteous and understanding and ready to provide you with the personal support that only a
family-owned funeral home can offer.
Cremation, as you may know, is the accelerated reduction of the remains to ash, traditionally through the process of heat and fire. The
decision to be cremated is very personal. Everyone should find out what is involved in cremation and discuss the choice with other family members to be sure they are comfortable with the decision.
A Short History of Cremation
Cremation has been around since ancient times, probably since about 3000BC. By the time of the Roman Empire – 27 BC to 395 AD – it was widely practiced, and cremated remains were generally stored in elaborate urns, often in columbarium-like buildings.
From about 400AD until the late 19th century, however, earth burial almost completely replaced cremation except in rare instances of plague or war, primarily because early Christians frowned on the practice.
Modern cremation began in 1873 with the invention of a practical cremation chamber by an Italian professor, and the first modern crematory in America was established in Washington, Pennsylvania in 1876. By 1913, there were 52 crematories in North America and over 10,000 cremations took place in that year.
Today, more than 40% of deaths in the U.S. are handled through cremation, a number that is expected to grow to 50% by 2018, and cremation is the preferred method of caring for a loved one in more than 30 countries worldwide.
Lutz Funeral Home prides itself on performing its own cremation services onsite. You will always have the comfort of knowing that we monitor all aspects of the cremation process and ensure that everything has been handled properly and with care.
Memorial Services or Remembrance Ceremonies
Our experience has taught us that, when losing a loved one, those left behind feel lost and alone. Some people think that cremation means there cannot be a funeral. This is simply not true.
Whether you choose to be
buried in the ground, entombed in a mausoleum or scattered at sea, the most important decision is to have a memorial service or funeral. A funeral begins the grieving and healing process for friends and family and recognizes the importance of the life that has been lived.
Today, there are new options available to you that make it easier to bring cremation and ceremony together. We can even provide you with a rental casket for your loved one, so that family members and friends can benefit from attending a visitation and a funeral prior to the cremation.
Many families decide to have a funeral reception following the memorial or remembrance service, and this is something we would be pleased to arrange for you. It can be a small, intimate gathering, or a larger, community-wide event.
Our professional Funeral Directors can also advise you about unique ways to memorialize a loved one using the cremated remains, with memorial keepsakes, keepsake jewelry and other
personalized remembrance items.
Cremation may be the perfect alternative to burial for your loved one. For cremation services in Reading, PA, get in touch with Lutz Funeral Home at 610-376-7121. We’re here to give you all the information you need to make your cremation decision.
