MOOSE JAW – W. J. Jones & Son has partnered with Parting Stone — a Santa Fe, New Mexico-based start-up pioneering a comfortable alternative to cremated remains that resembles a collection of smooth stones. Saskatchewan families choosing cremation can now receive solidified remains that can be touched, held, and shared.
Solidified remains are now available as an option at W. J. Jones & Son Funeral Home, Prairie Memorial Crematorium.
Dayna Chamberlain Funeral Director and General Manager answers commonly asked questions;
Why is there a need for this alternative to ashes? Some people don’t know what to do with the ashes. They don’t have a connection to ashes in an urn or a box.
Why have families chosen this option? They have chosen this option to feel connected or to fulfill the wishes of their loved one to be scattered.
What do people do with the solidified remains? They can keep the solidified remains at home and display them in a number of ways, they can share with the stones with family and friends, they can place the stones in their backyard flower garden as few examples.
How can this enable memorial experiences for families? This provides family with tangible connections. They can hold the stone and feel a sense of peace and connection. In some instances, it has helped to heal a lost connection to their loved one.
Parting Stone’s solidification process returns 100% of the cremated remains following cremation in a solid form that resembles a collection of 40-60 stones. The appearance of each person’s solidified remains varies naturally from person to person with the process often resulting in unique textures or colors like blue, green, or even speckles.
“It is a profound opportunity to live with the remains of our loved ones, but the look and feel of conventional cremated remains make that experience uncomfortable,” says Parting Stone founder and CEO Justin Crowe. “We developed a new form of remains to help families feel a connection with their departed loved ones and pets. When you choose cremation, you no longer have to take home ashes.”
Following the death of his grandfather, Justin Crowe realized that living with conventional cremated remains can feel uncomfortable, so in many households, they often end up hidden in a closet for decades. Parting Stone worked with material scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory to develop solidified remains to help create a more positive experience for grieving families with a form of remains that can be touched and held.
