Can I “Split” Cremated Remains Into More Than One Urn? (2024)

FAQs

Can I “Split” Cremated Remains Into More Than One Urn? ›

You certainly can! There are several regulations governing ash spreading, but none governing ash division. Following a loved one's cremation, some families prefer to split the ashes.

You may choose to divide the ashes between different family members or friends, to keep some and scatter the rest, or to scatter the ashes across more than one location.

Some urns are designed to hold the ashes of two people, while others are larger and can hold the ashes of multiple individuals. There are also companion keepsake urns that contain a fraction of the total remains.

How many urns can be buried in a plot? The number of urns buried in a plot depends on the type of plot and the cemetery's bylaws. Cemeteries often offer various types of plots, including single, companion, or family. Most of which can hold at least two urns, while others may hold four or more.

Sulfur and most carbon are lost as gases although a relatively small amount of carbon may remain as carbonate. The actual ashes are thus useless as they will not contain DNA. It is the bones and teeth that could potentially hold some DNA viable for analysis.

The Federal Clean Water Act mandates that cremains be scattered at least three nautical miles from land. For rivers or lakes, you'll need to get a permit from the state agency in charge of that particular body of water. After you scatter the ashes, you must notify the EPA within 30 days of the scattering.

The Church no longer opposes cremation, but it does offer guidelines on how the ashes should be cared for following cremation. To preserve the sanctity of the body, the Church says ashes cannot be scattered or divided among family members. Read along to learn more about Catholic guidelines for cremation.

The law considers ashes to be the same as a body, so is unwilling to rule for separating them amongst different parties.

Certain religions or belief systems might discourage keeping cremains in a home, but that doesn't mean its unlucky. Others might feel keeping cremains at home will bring in a bad energy, but still others find it makes them feel better to have their loved one close. It all depends on personal preferences and beliefs.

Can you have multiple urns for ashes? ›

Dividing ashes into multiple ceramic urns is a wonderful solution for larger families, family members separated by distance, and those who have different ideas about how to honor a loved one after they're gone.

After the cremation process is complete, you receive three to seven pounds of remains that look white and feel soft like ashes. What's returned to you is the person's skeleton. Once you burn off all the water, soft tissues, and cremation container/casket, etc., all that's left is bone.

One of the things that some families worry about is their loved one's remains getting mixed together with other people's remains during the cremation process. We don't blame you for being worried about this, but you should know that it's not something you have to worry about when cremating a loved one.

Urns of cremated remains can also be buried in a grave plot and, because they a smaller than a coffin, many cemeteries will allow more than one urn to be buried in a single plot. If you decide to bury the cremated remains in a plot, most cemeteries will require the use of an urn vault.

Ask the Funeral or Crematorium Director

It doesn't matter if you've had the remains for months and just decided to divide them into different urns. You can return to the crematorium and request for them to complete this process for you. Some directors might charge you for this process. Others might do it for free.

Ideal Depth to Bury a Cremation Urn

The general rule of thumb is to bury the urn at least three feet deep. If this is not possible, there should be at least 6 to 12 inches of soil covering the buried urn.

How are the ashes kept separate? A cremator can only accept one coffin at a time and all the remains are removed from the cremator before the next cremation. An identity card is used throughout the whole process until the final disposal, thereby ensuring correct identification.

As each cremator will only accept one coffin and the ashes must be withdrawn before the cremator is used again, all cremation ashes are kept separate throughout the process. The size of the cremation chamber of the cremator is about 7ft long by 2ft. 6ins wide, by 2ft. 3ins, high.

If the metal urn is sealed with wax or adhesive, try to open it by soaking a cotton swab in fingernail polish remover or an epoxy solvent. Repeatedly run the swab along the sealed portion of the urn. You might have to wiggle the lid several times or use a flathead screwdriver to open the urn.

Ashes. The Regulation does not allow more than one body to be cremated in the same crematory retort at the same time to ensure that the ashes they receive are not a mixture of ashes from different people. It is for this reason that cremation authorities no longer attempt to separate wood ash from human ash.