As a fixture of the Rochester, NY, community, McGee Monuments has been the most qualified local burial and cremation company for over a century. While the particulars of monuments, memorials, and gravestones are second nature to these professionals, the industry’s key terms are understandably foreign to many of their customers.

If you’re searching for a company that specializes in burials, cremation services, and other ceremonial options, take advantage of these definitions before making your decision:

Burial

• Easement: A printed contract between the party buying burial rights and the cemetery.

• Casket: A large, rectangular container used to hold the deceased—it can be composed of wood, metal, and other materials.

• Memorial: The umbrella term defining any marker placed at a gravesite. It’s also referred to as a gravestone or a headstone.

• Mausoleum: A small building, often made of granite or stone, that is placed in a cemetery and holds remains above ground instead of underground. It often has a grander look than a standard gravestone.

Cremation

• Urn: The container used to hold cremated remains. It may be engraved and is either kept at home or in a columbarium.  

• Columbarium: A structure with square cutouts in the walls for holding cremated remains, usually sealed with plaques where each person’s name and epitaph are written.

• Inurnment: The act of first placing cremated remains in an urn, then placing the urn in a columbarium, mausoleum, or grave.

• Scattering: The process of distributing cremated remains in a place with sentimental value for the deceased or their family. This can be completed during a ceremony or in private.

Alternatives

• Body Donation: The act of donating the body to a medical school or private organization to be utilized for furthering scientific research or education. The body is then either cremated or buried.
• Green Burial: A new and emerging alternative that incorporates eco-friendly processes such as a burial in a biodegradable shroud or an urn that allows ashes to grow into a tree.

No matter what path you wish to take, McGee Monuments is dedicated to affording you peace of mind. Call this respected funeral monument company at (585) 546-4602 to discuss your wishes, or visit the website to learn more about burial and cremation services.