Common Questions

Our cost for Direct Cremation prices can be viewed here for registered members and here for non-members. Direct cremation is the simplest and least costly cremation option and includes the following:

*Transportation from the place of death to our facility, (within the 7 county metropolitan area or 25 mile radius of our Duluth location).
*Sheltering of human remains for up to 6 days prior to cremation.
*Crematory Fee.
*Arrangement conference with a licensed funeral director.

*Filing and retrieval of all documents and authorizations related to cremation, including the death certificate.

There are three options to register as a member. The membership form can be completed on-line, it can be printed, completed and mailed with the membership fee to any of our five locations or you can schedule an appointment at any of our five locations and one of our experienced staff persons will walk you through the process. The fee to become a member is $15.00.

Becoming a Member of the Cremation Society of Minnesota has many benefits. From saving your survivors money to having your final wishes known, a membership takes the burden off of your family in a stressful time. Filling out the membership registration form answers all the questions that will be needed for individual to sign and approve their own future cremation and complete a death certificate.

No. Every person must individually register as a member to receive the benefits of membership.

Simply call us at 612-825-2435 and provide the individual’s name and date of birth; we can check our systems immediately to determine membership status.

When pre-paid funds are received by the Cremation Society of Minnesota, they are placed into an insurance policy, in the name of the payer. The insurance policy is for no reason other than to protect the individual’s asset; it prevents the funeral provider from utilizing the pre-paid funds ahead of the individual’s passing. To further protect the payer, this policy is transferrable to any funeral home in the United States. Should the payer or his/her survivors choose to utilize a funeral or cremation provider more accessible to them at the time of need, the full value of the policy is accessible by the chosen provider. In the case of Medical Assistance or a spend-down of assets, the insurance policy can be made irrevocable. If you would like to pre-pay for your cremation or funeral service, please complete our membership form on-line, download and mail the completed form to any of our five locations, or call to schedule an in-person meeting at any of our five locations.

When an individual pre-pays for his or her cremation or funeral service with the Cremation Society of Minnesota, they are issued a guarantee at the rate(s) paid. This guarantee allows the assurance that, at the time of death, the individual’s survivors will not be asked to provide any additional payments for any items or services that had been pre-paid. If costs at the time of death are higher than those pre-paid, the Cremation Society of Minnesota will cover the difference in the form of a discount.

Yes. Any item or service seen on our General Price List can be pre-paid for; however, only those costs under our direct control, such as the cost of cremation, an urn, the use of our facilities, etc., are guaranteed. No third party expenses, such as obituaries, flowers, etc. are guaranteed. If the costs of these items or services are higher at the time of death than the original payment, the individual’s survivors will be responsible for the difference in cost.

Yes. The pre-paid insurance policy is transferrable to any funeral home in the United States. Should the payer or his/her survivors choose to utilize a funeral or cremation provider more accessible to them at the time of need, the full value of the policy is accessible by the chosen provider.

Prior to moving forward with cremation, we are required by law to have a signature from the decedent’s legal next-of-kin and primary care physician, as well as the medical examiner from the county where the death occurs. The process of obtaining these signatures does not start until we have met with the legal next-of-kin. On average, it takes 3-4 business days following the initial meeting with the legal next-of-kin for us to obtain the necessary signatures from the primary care physician and medical examiner. Holidays can further delay the process. At the time of the initial meeting with the legal next-of-kin, our licensed funeral director will provide a timeline most appropriate, given the circumstances for each passing vary greatly.

On average, the cremation process takes 2 – 2 ½ hours.