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Cremation services in Lincoln, CA

How Cremation Services Began – A Look Back

Cremation services in Lincoln, CA have been around for quite some time. Cremation dates back to ancient times when it was viewed as a practical manner to dispose of the corpses of the dead.

As most people are well aware, cremation services are similar to traditional funeral services but without the body. Cremation may be carried out for religious, political, or cultural reasons, but since the late 1800s, it has been readily available to the general public.

The first recorded instance of cremation was in Homer’s Iliad when Achilles cremated the body of his friend Patroclus. The practice then became common among the Greeks and Romans as a way to purify the soul and prevent disease. Cremation has also been practiced by many cultures around the world for similar reasons.

In Europe, cremation was practiced as early as the 4th century BC. During the Middle Ages, the practice of cremation became more common, as it allowed people to bury their dead without having to deal with the smell of decomposition. In the 16th century, the first crematoriums were built in England.

Beginnings of Cremation in the United States

In 1792, America saw its first public cremation. This happened because a man named Henry Laurens was afraid of being buried alive and insisted on being burned instead.

In 1876, the first crematorium was constructed by Dr. Francis Julius LeMoyne in Washington, Pennsylvania. Dr. LeMoyne was reportedly inspired by the work of Italian professor Bernardino Grimaldi who had developed a method of cremation that he believed was more sanitary than burial. He reasoned that as dead bodies broke down, their contaminants would seep into the earth and wash into the water supply. Since burying the dead can pollute the ground and water supply, cremation was seen as the safer alternative.

Cremation services in Lincoln CA2Consequently, LeMoyne constructed a crematory on his own property. It was a brick structure 30 feet by 20 feet in size, and it shared design elements with modern crematoriums. It had both a reception area and an incinerator that could cremate a body without the flames ever contacting the corpse. Prior to its closure in 1901, the crematorium had reportedly performed 42 cremations.

Rapid urbanization then led to the establishment of crematoriums in a variety of major U.S. cities, including Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Los Angeles. When cremation became the norm in the United States, cities like Lincoln, CA also witnessed an influx of crematoriums open their doors to locals. Initially, the crematory was only open to the public for ceremonial cremations. In the late 1990s, crematoriums began to offer full-service cremations to the public.

As cremation services now account for more than half of all funerals performed in the United States, they have surpassed casket burials as the preferred method of last rites.

If you or a loved one are considering cremation service in Lincoln, CA, it is important to work with a reputable service provider like Heritage Oaks Memorial Chapel. Feel free to reach out to them anytime during their office hours.

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