How Does Cremation Work? A Step-by-Step Explanation for Families

So how does the cremation process work once your loved one is in our care? Six steps, from the first phone call to the day you take them home. This is how it runs at our own facility, and the sequence is close to universal, though the paperwork differs by state.

We transport your loved one from their place of passing to our crematory in Jeffersonville, IN. We pick up from homes, hospitals, hospice facilities, nursing homes, and coroner's offices throughout Kentucky and Indiana.

Before the cremation process begins, we prepare your loved one. Some of this is required for safety. The rest is how we choose to do things.

Your loved one is placed in a fully combustible container, usually made of fiberboard or thick cardboard. It's sturdy enough to hold weight safely and burns completely during the cremation process.

No casket is required. The FTC Funeral Rule prohibits requiring families to purchase a casket for direct cremation. A rigid, combustible alternative container is standard and accepted. The container is placed directly into the retort on a mechanical tray system. The ID tag remains with your loved one and is visible throughout.

The retort is lined with fire-resistant bricks rated to withstand temperatures above 2,000°F. Modern retorts like ours are powered by natural gas burners and equipped with computerized temperature controls that regulate heat throughout the cycle.

Once the retort has cooled, we complete the final steps of the cremation process.

Once processing is complete, we contact you to arrange pickup or shipping.

Yes. Some families find comfort in being present when their loved one enters the chamber. It can feel like a final act of care. Others would rather not be there, and that's just as common.

At Magnolia, witnessing is available as an add-on to our direct cremation service for $300. You'll observe through a viewing window at our Jeffersonville crematory. Because of the space, witnessing is limited to two to three immediate family members.

A few things to know before scheduling:

Roughly a 4-hour cycle inside the retort, and up to 5 to 6 hours for larger individuals. After the cycle completes, the chamber needs 1 to 2 hours to cool before ashes can be safely handled. Processing, meaning metal removal and grinding bone fragments into ash, adds another 30 minutes to an hour. Full in-facility time runs approximately 5.5 to 7 hours.

How long until you get the ashes back? At Magnolia, most families receive their loved one's ashes within 7 to 10 business days. Providers who outsource to a third-party crematory wait on that facility's schedule. Ours is in our own building.

Timing can also be affected by paperwork, and this is where how the cremation process works differs between the two states we serve. In Kentucky, no one may cremate a body, or transport it for cremation, without a permit from the coroner of the county where the death occurred (KRS 213.081). That applies to every death in the Commonwealth, not just coroner cases.

Indiana works differently. A crematory there needs a burial transit permit from the local health officer plus either the completed death certificate or, when the death fell under the coroner's authority, a release for cremation from the coroner (IC 23-14-31-27). In most cases, hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice facilities release immediately. But coroner holds, autopsy requirements, or holiday delays can push the timeline. We'll tell you as soon as we know.

A few different terms come up when families research cremation, and not all of them describe options available in Indiana and Kentucky.

This is the most common and accessible method, and it's what the six steps above describe. Flame-based cremation is legal everywhere in the United States and remains typically the most affordable option. Magnolia specializes in it, and we perform every cremation in our own facility.

Also called aquamation, this process uses heated water and an alkali solution instead of flame, and it returns bone fragments to the family just as flame cremation does. As of 2026, alkaline hydrolysis is not legal in Indiana or Kentucky. For more information about aquamation, we have an article that covers the process, cost, and legal status in detail.

These aren't different cremation methods. They're different service packages.

Direct cremation means cremation happens shortly after death without a formal viewing or funeral service beforehand. This is what Magnolia specializes in. Families often hold a memorial or celebration of life later, on their own terms and timeline.

Cremation with a service includes embalming, a public viewing or visitation, and a funeral service before the cremation process takes place. That adds cost quickly, because it requires embalming, facility rental, staff time, and typically a ceremonial casket. The National Funeral Directors Association puts the national median for a funeral with viewing and cremation at $6,280 in its 2023 General Price List Study, the most recent one published.

Once you receive your loved one's ashes, you have several meaningful options.

Both states we serve allow it directly. Indiana law states that cremated remains may be retained by the person having legal control over them (IC 23-14-31-44). Kentucky law says that once the ashes are delivered, the person receiving them may keep or transport them anywhere in the Commonwealth without a permit (KRS 367.97524). Many families display an urn in a special place, either permanently or until they decide on something else.

A note for Catholic families: The Vatican's 2016 instruction Ad resurgendum cum Christo asks that ashes rest in a sacred place such as a cemetery, rather than being kept permanently at home, scattered, or divided. A 2023 follow-up note allowed a family to keep a small portion somewhere personally significant. If faith is a factor, ask your parish.

Ashes can be scattered on private property (with the owner's permission), in national parks and forests (check individual park rules), in bodies of water at least 3 nautical miles from shore per EPA guidelines, or in designated scattering gardens at cemeteries.

Always follow local, state, and federal rules and get necessary permissions before scattering.

Ashes can go into a traditional cemetery plot, a smaller cremation plot, or a columbarium (a structure with niches built for urns). Cemetery burial gives family a permanent place to visit.

Every family's situation is different, and questions about the cremation process don't follow a schedule. If something comes up at 2 a.m. or on a Sunday, we're here. Call us at 812-913-0044 or start planning online whenever you're ready.