Cremains abandoned — what to do?

Cremation is increasing in popularity in the United States.  So too, unfortunately, is the practice of family members never picking up the ashes from the funeral homes.

The following points are made in Abandoned ashes stack up at funeral homes, CNN.com, Aug. 19, 2008:

• Funeral homes have little guidance on the procedure to follow if the cremains are not claimed.
• Most states require funeral homes to store the cremains for a specified period of time ranging from 60 days to four years.
• Some states have no law or regulation on point.
• In Massachusetts, a bill is pending which would allow cremains that are unclaimed for over one year to be buried in a common grave or scattered in the cemetery.
• Some funeral homes have cremains over a century old.