Burial

Burial and cremation are two forms of final disposition (the final handling of the deceased's remains). Either choice offers many options in services, memorialization, and associated costs. Neither option limits your freedom to have the services the way you want them.

Oftentimes people think of cremation as a simple process, but in reality cremation is not simple. It is the simplicity of services—mistakenly associated with cremation—that people think of as simple. The cremation process actually requires special steps not required by burial, such as a state cremation permit, a state mandated waiting period, and cremation authorization by all legally entitled next of kin. If simple services are your desire, burial or cremation are both viable choices in disposition.

After you make your selection between burial and cremation, there are several variations to choose from. Whichever choice you make, the body will eventually return to its natural elements.

Burial Choices

If the body is buried: 


• It can be interred (earth burial)
• It can be entombed in a crypt within a mausoleum (above-ground burial)
• It can be buried at sea

Why People Choose Burial

Although we hear about cremation more and more today, more Tennesseans still choose burial services than any other state in the nation.