Although some Native American peoples, notably the tribes of the South West, cremated their dead, the practice was not widespread in America. The Apache and the Navaho cremated because they feared the dead, and others like the Odawa cremated because they believed cremation to be advantageous for releasing the spirit. But cremation was not a part of the European culture that American settlers brought with them to America. Burial was the common final disposition in America throughout the colonial, revolutionary, and post-revolutionary periods. The first cremation of an American of European decent did not take place until 1876.

Dr. Francis LeMoyne, a physician living in Washington PA, was concerned about the impact the practice of burying the dead could have on the health of the living. He built a facility on a piece of property he owned. He felt the ground water (drinking water) was bound to be contaminated by decomposing bodies buried in church, home, and town cemeteries. He built a two-room facility: one room for the retort, a cremation oven, and one room as a reception room for family and friends to gather for the final farewell. Total cost of the facility was one-thousand five hundred dollars.

The first to be cremated was Baron de Palm, an immigrant from Austria living in New York who was ill and had fallen on hard times. He accepted Dr. LeMoyne’s offer to cremate him following his death, free of charge. On December 6, 1876 at 2 am the fire for the furnace was lit. Several hours were required for the retort to reach the necessary temperature of 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit. A crowd gathered to witness the historic event. The body was placed in the retort at 8:20 am. The entire process was complete by 11:15 am. The body of Baron de Palm had been reduced to ash. The entire cost of the process was $7.04.

Although the public was curious about the process and it was enthusiastically covered by the press, people did not initially embrace the concept. Cremation was questioned by the religious community, who were unsure how it fit with their religious teachings. It was so vastly different from the burial that people were familiar with that many viewed cremation as barbaric.

As late as the 1960’s, only 3.6% of Americans chose cremation as their final disposition. But by 2025, The National Funeral Directors Association projects the climbing cremation rate will increase to 63.3%. What changed? Well, as we know, pretty much everything has changed since the mid-century.

Many faith communities have embraced cremation. Flat out, cremation does cost less, making it an attractive alternative for the cost conscious. Some people believe cremation to be more environmentally friendly than burial. Additionally, more of us are planning our own funeral in advance and paying for it ourselves in advance. Some of these people question the value of burial. It is also possible that we have been “sold” on cremation by movies and TV. Bottom line, things change. People’s values change. Cremation is currently the final disposition of choice for more than half of all Americans.

Being buried or cremated is just a personal choice. A choice that a person makes based on what they believe and what they hope will bring comfort to their family. The important thing that we need to cling to is a reverence for life. A life ending leaves a hole or at least a dent in the lives of those left behind. Those who knew and loved the person who died. There are tears, laughter, and memories to share. Whether we bury or cremate, whichever is chosen, we all must find a way to acknowledge the loss of a life. That is what makes us human … we live, we love, we care, we grieve.

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