More people are choosing cremation over burial for loved ones. In addition to a lower cost, cremation is, more and more, becoming a viable option because people are living longer and making their own arrangements, they’re moving away from their hometowns, and religious restrictions and community attitudes toward cremation are loosening.
Arizona is among the top five states in the nation for cremation, and some local experts say the percentage of cremations in Tucson is higher than more rural areas in the state.
Cremation is being chosen for one out of every four deaths today in the United States, cremation.com says. The choice is even more prevalent in Arizona: Cremation is chosen 61 percent of the time, according to the most recent figures from Arizona State Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers.
Read more in Sunday's Star about the cost, the process and the reason more Tucson families are looking at cremation as an option for their loved one.
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