🔥 Memorial Items—To Cremate or Not to Cremate ♦︎ A Friendly Guide from Martin Oaks Cemetery & Crematory

At Martin Oaks Cemetery & Crematory, we are guided by a simple but profound mission:

“Honoring the history, customs, traditions, and faiths in our community, we care for the dead and their families with dignity, reverence, and respect.”

Part of this commitment is to educate and answer questions about the process, which thankfully, most folks do not have to deal with on a regular basis. One of the most common questions we hear is: “Can we include this with our loved one during the cremation?” Sometimes, the answer is a gentle yes. Other times—due to safety concerns, environmental impact, or just plain physics—it’s a firm no. So we thought we’d share a helpful guide of things that shouldn’t make the final journey with your loved one, and why. While many personal items are welcome, some just don’t mix well with high temperatures

Here’s a lighthearted (but serious) guide to what shouldn’t be included—and respectful alternatives you can consider.

💥 Pacemakers – Powerful, but Potentially Explosive

Why not? Pacemakers contain batteries that can explode under high heat. This is dangerous and damaging to equipment and the law is specific, pacemakers cannot be cremated.

What we do: Your authorization to cremate will include a disclosure whether or not your loved one had a pacemaker. If the answer is yes, this gives the licensed embalmer permission to safely and respectfully remove pacemakers before cremation begins.

🔋 Other Items Containing Batteries – Still a Big No No

Why not? Items like hearing aids, various medically implanted devices, or even watches may contain batteries that pose the same risks as pacemakers.

What to do: Remove battery-powered devices beforehand or notify your funeral director or our staff—we’ll assist you.

💨 Items Under Pressure – Absolutley Not...Nope!

Why not? Oxygen tanks, aerosol sprays, vape pens, and similar items are pressurized. Under cremation temperatures, they can explode—posing serious risks to our staff and equipment.

Alternative: Remember to let your funeral director know if any of these items were in use prior to your loved one's passing. We always scrutinize prior to cremation, but smaller items like a vape pen can be hard to spot.

🔫 Bullets & Ammunition – Not Safe for the Cremator

Why not? Ammunition can detonate inside the chamber, which is dangerous for our team and the facility.

Alternative: Consider using symbolic mementos such as medals or fabric patches instead; remembering that nothing will be returned other than your loved one, even if it survives the cremation.

🧸 Stuffed Animals – Sweet, but Synthetic

Why not? Most contain plastic-based fillings or worse, like styrofoam/polystyrene, that release toxic fumes when burned.

Better option: Keep stuffies to remember your loved one and consider including a photograph (without a glass frame) or a memorial keepsake in their honor.

👓 Eyeglasses – Glass + Plastic = Not Ideal

Why not? Glass and plastic may melt, both of which create issues during cremation. The residue can adhere to the inside of the equipment damaging it, or even become intermixed with the cremated remains of your loved one and harden when the process is complete. Netiher situation is good.

Suggestion: Keep them as a remembrance or donate in your loved one’s name. Remove all items that are made of glass or plastic such as picture frames, bottles, toys, etc.

🧤 Rubber Items – A Sticky Situation

Why not? Rubber melts and releases harmful fumes, and can damage crematory machinery. Rubber soled shoes are the major culprit here.

What to do: Provide leather soled shoes if your loved one will be taking footwear to the afterlife. Ask us about alternatives for honoring rubber-based items meaningfully.

💍 Jewelry – Beautiful, but Problematic

Why not? Jewelry melts or warps under extreme heat and can’t be recovered afterward. If anything included with your loved one survives the creation, it will not be returned, but disposed of per our policies for post cremation metal recycling or disposal.

Alternative: Contact your funeral director if any jewelry is to be returned and they will remove it to be places with the ashes after the process is complete. We have very strict protocols in place to assue your wishes are carried out, whenever possible.

💬 Final Thoughts from Martin Oaks

We know this process is deeply personal. Including meaningful items can help with closure—but not everything is safe to cremate. Scrutinizing the container and removing anything that cannot be cremated safely is just one of the many redundant safety, chain of custody, and identification checks performed by the crematory operator prior to carrying out the cremation. When in doubt, just ask us. We’re here to guide you with compassion and care.

At Martin Oaks Cemetery & Crematory, we treat every loved one and every family with dignity and reverence—always honoring tradition, culture, and your wishes.

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