Cremation Gains In Popularity

Last update: September 28, 2007 - 1:58 PM

An increasing number of people are opting for cremation, many citing the appeal of lower costs (about $1,200 in Minnesota) and land use issues. In 2006, about 32 percent of all Americans who died -- about 800,000 people -- were cremated, up 5 percent from 2001. In Minnesota, the rate tops 40 percent, or about 15,000 of the 38,000 deaths last year, according to the Department of Health.

All states now have statutes against scattering remains on public property such as parks and bodies of water. But you can legally disperse the ashes on your own property, or with the owner's permission on another property.

In Minnesota, cremation is considered the final disposition of the body, said David Benke, section manager for mortuary science with the state Department of Health. This means that you can do anything with the remains that you wish "provided this doesn't infringe on someone else's rights," he said.

In other words, you can scatter, bury or display the remains on your property. "On public lands, though, that would be a littering issue," Benke said. "It's not a health issue, like most people think." Enforcement is difficult, of course. If you're in a boat and upend an urn into a favorite lake, there's no retrieving those ashes.

Benke strongly suggests people put remains in a dedicated area such as a cemetery or within an existing gravesite, especially if you or future generations will want to identify a final resting place.

KIM ODE

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