Tradition, creativity and technology help honor departed loved ones

A legacy is shaped not only by the one leaving it, but by those who cherish the memory of the loved one who has died.

As surely as there are family and friends who remember, there will be a collection of items to accompany the stories from a life that has ended. Every new technology offers new ways to celebrate a departed loved one, but time-honored traditions are honored for a reason. The keepsakes, gifts and mementos that memorialize the departed are as unique as the life they commemorate.

Traditional memorials

Grave markers share a duty: marking a physical space, but also marking the life of the person whose remains have been deposited there. An urn likewise becomes a physical reminder of the person whose ashes the urn contains, no matter where the urn ends up.

A printed program from a memorial service or life celebration can carry meaning for attendees long after the ceremony. Other printed material, like prayer cards and memory books, leave something to look at and hold onto, while photographs, registers and obituaries leave a historical footprint — one that can be discovered by future generations.

For veterans, the impact of service extends far beyond the folds of a flag or displays of medals, but each commemoration salutes their sacrifice, honors the country they served and celebrates their life.

Memorial blankets are another way to keep your loved one near to your heart. The blanket can display photographs, sayings, backgrounds and more, ready to comfort you with its warmth.

Creative commemoration

There are many creative ways to honor a beautiful life with beautiful mementos. A statuette, engraving, framed photo or any sentimental treasure can remind a family about a loved one who has passed away. Memory Glass suspends cremated remains in solid glass for sculptures or to be used in keepsake jewelry, and miniature urns can be carried in memory or worn as jewelry as well.

As far as memorial jewelry goes, one’s imagination is the limit. Fingerprint jewelry can help honor how the departed touched lives with a representation of their actual fingerprint. Companies like Eternava even use carbon from cremated remains to grow diamonds — precious gems for precious memories.

Using cremation ashes as part of memorialization doesn’t stop in an urn, as a deposit in nature or even as part of jewelry. Ashes can be combined with resin, clay or paint that can be used for creative expression that honors the departed. Likewise, while memorial tattoos have long committed the memory of a loved one to skin, there are services and artists who incorporate cremated remains into the ink they use for the art.

Memorials as unique as a life

There are more ways than ever to honor a loved one in their death, both those that can be held and those that can’t. Social media memorials and blogs can live online forever, while ceremonies incorporating multimedia and sensory aspects create a moment to share in loving memory.

For all the creativity in honoring the dead, there is room for science to bind future generations to those who went before. Companies can preserve the DNA of a person who has died. A lasting record of the biological building blocks that made up a life can help a memory survive, and someday help a family member looking for answers in the blueprint of their loved one’s cells.

Every life is special and unique, and in loss, every memorial is an opportunity to reflect on the beautiful moments, treasured values and eternal spirit that made a person someone to remember and love.

The Cremation Society of Minnesota and First Memorial Funeral Chapels began in 1955, when we opened our South Minneapolis chapel. Since that time, Cremation Society of Minnesota and First Memorial Funeral Chapels have grown to five locations and become Minnesota’s leading provider of cremation services.​ Call 612-200-2777​​ to learn more about services and make arrangements over the phone.

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