Issue 39.17
I recently read a troubling on-line article by Brian Maass originally published on CBS Denver. The article began by stating that “A cremation company that some consumers labeled as nothing more than ‘body brokers’ has been ordered to immediately stop doing business in Colorado…” Of course, the term “body brokers” alarmingly caught my eye. The article goes on to say that the Colorado Office of Funeral Home and Crematory Registration “summarily suspended the registration” of the cremation company, saying the company “is guilty of multiple deliberate and willful violations of the Mortuary Science Code.”
The cremation company was the subject of an investigation which discovered that it was “little more than a marketing company or middle man, subcontracting out cremation services via its website which made it appear the company was locally owned and operated.” The article gave a troubling personal account of a mother who contracted with the cremation company after her son was killed in a skiing accident. “It’s the ultimate scam,” she is quoted as saying. The mother alleges that the cremation company could not locate her son’s remains for “several days.” And there are many more troubling accounts, as The Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado stated that there were 10 complaints processed against the company in a 12-month period.
These so-called “cremation companies” advertise heavily and falsely claim that they are locally owned and operated. Then, when they are contacted to provide cremation services, they in turn contact a legitimate funeral home to handle the cremation. They do not have a local office, equipment, or a local funeral director.
The cremation company mentioned in the CBS Denver article advertises here in St. George. In fact, if you Google “cremation in St. George,” two of these types of companies appear in the search results.
My advice as a funeral director is simply to know with whom you are dealing. Choose a local funeral home or cremation center with a good reputation and a brick-and-mortar facility. Speak to a licensed funeral director face-to-face. Never trust your loved one to a middle man attempting to turn a profit in a profession they know nothing about.
The Cremation Center of Southern Utah and Serenity Funeral Home are located at 1316 S. 400 E., Ste. A5, St. George, UT, (435) 986-9100. www.CremationCenterSU.com
Submitted by W. Russell Atkin, Funeral Director/Owner of the Cremation Center of Southern Utah.