The Role of Ashes in Preserving Genealogical Memory
In the vast panorama of our lives, family history is a precious web of stories, memories and traditions that we pass down from generation to generation. As funeral rituals change over time, cremation is emerging as a more and more widespread option in many communities.
Cremation represents a unique way of preserving family history through time and giving the memory of our loved ones an imperishable form. Discover how preserving ashes can help preserve your family’s history, from one generation to the next.
Cremation: a dignified and intimate farewell
Cremation is an increasingly popular method of disposing of a deceased’s body in many cultures around the world, offering an alternative to traditional burial.
Cremation involves reducing the body of a deceased person to ashes in a crematorium designed specifically for this purpose. When the professionals at Crématorium Montréal cremate a body, they always do so with the utmost respect for the deceased and his or her loved ones.
Contrary to what one might believe, cremation can be just as meaningful as burial. In fact, at Crématorium Montréal, families have the option of accompanying their loved one’s body to cremation, for a final, gentle good-bye.
Ashes and memorial ceremonies
Cremation also offers families the opportunity to create unique commemorative rituals, celebrating the life and legacy of their deceased loved ones.
There are many ways of marking the passing of a loved one, such as ceremonies to scatter the ashes in meaningful places. Whatever their form, these gatherings represent an opportunity to share stories and strengthen family ties.
Commemorative pieces of jewellery, made from the ashes of a deceased person, are also an excellent way to keep the memory of a loved one alive and to keep his or her spirit close to you over time. Rather than a single urn, these pieces of jewellery allow all family members to keep a memento of their loved one.
Ashes in the grieving process
Ashes can play an important role not only in preserving family history, but also in coming to terms with the loss of a loved one.
Keeping the ashes of a deceased loved one at home can help us get through the ordeal of mourning. In this way, we can give ourselves time to catch our breath before disposing of our loved one’s ashes, whether by scattering them in a symbolic place or placing them in a columbarium niche.
Ashes are memory keepers
Cremated ashes are much more than mere remains. They embody a tangible connection with our ancestors, which accompanies us in our daily lives.
But beyond this physical presence, ashes also play a powerful symbolic role in preserving family history. They are the keepers of our history, carrying with them the memories, values and teachings of our ancestors.
When ashes are shared with future generations, they can serve as a receptacle for our family heritage, encouraging dialogue and the transmission of wisdom accumulated over the centuries.
Cremation and modern genealogical memory
In the context of modern genealogical memory, cremation offers new possibilities for documenting and preserving family history. The ashes themselves can be preserved with other documents and heirlooms or even become artifacts of great symbolic value.
Family members may also choose to include instructions in their wills on how they wish their ashes to be treated, thereby including their wishes in the family narrative for future generations.
For example, last wills can indicate where a person would like their ashes scattered or at which columbarium they would like to find their final resting place.
The limits of genetic preservation
It’s important to note that despite the symbolic and emotional preservation that ashes represent, they don’t preserve traces of the deceased’s DNA. The intense heat of the cremation process completely destroys biological tissue, including DNA. So while ashes may represent a link with our ancestors, they don’t provide a means of retrieving genetic information.
This makes it all the more important to document and preserve family stories and histories in concrete ways, in addition to preserving the ashes, in order to ensure the continuity of genealogical memory.
Crématorium Montréal at your family’s service
With cremated remains, families forge indelible ties with those who came before them, making sure that their story will continue to resonate through the ages.
At Crématorium Montréal, our team of professionals can help you plan your pre-arrangements or organize the cremation of a deceased person.
Contact our team for assistance adapted to your reality.
READ MORETestimony: A Mother is Always There
From the moment a mother brings a child into the world, she is there for him. Day and night, whatever his needs are, she is always there.
She taught you to walk, to talk, to taste the good things in life. You were growing up so fast! She often said to herself, “I’ve lost my baby”… But deep down, she was happy to see you grow up and enjoyed discovering the person you were becoming.
On your first day of school, she dropped you off with your little lunch box and watched you disappear behind closed doors. What you didn’t know is that she spent the day in her car outside the school, hoping to catch a glimpse of you at recess. She wanted to make sure you were getting along with your classmates and making many new friends.
Over the years, your Mom teaches you to dance, to laugh, to love. She teaches you to love others and, most importantly, to love yourself. She tells you about what her life was like when she was your age. She explains to you how life was different in her day. And she tells you about those things that she didn’t get to experience and that she is happy you can do so.
As a teenager, you experience love and your Mom is there to support you. As you enter adulthood, you begin to go out and about on your own. Your Mom is always there. She waits for you in the evening, even when you come home late. You confide in her about your personal life and she listens, advises you, but never judges you.
One day, you introduce the love of your life to your Mom. When you tell her that you are going to get married, deep in her heart, your Mom knows that this is not the right person for you. But she respects you and lets you make your own way.
At the wedding, sitting in the front row, she cries, but she is there for you. All that matters is that she shares this important moment with you and supports you.
Later, you have your own children. Your Mom then becomes a grandmother. She is the best babysitter; she takes such good care of her grandchildren! Every Christmas, she is there to share the little family’s happiness. It is during these moments of celebration that you share your reality as a parent. She tells you about her life, her past Christmases. She talks about her own parents and grandparents. Through her stories and memories, you get to know your Mom. You will discover your Mom’s life all throughout your own.
One day, you tell your Mom that you have met someone new and that you will continue your life with her. From the first meeting, she knows that this time it’s the right one and that makes her happy. At your second wedding, still sitting in the front row, she laughs out loud. She beams at seeing her child so well accompanied.
Life goes on. The grandchildren grow up and in turn have their own children. This is when your mother discovers she is ill. You all have to come to terms with the fact that the holiday season will never be the same again. Then, slowly, life fades away and that’s how your Mom leaves you.
Even though she is no longer with you, you still remember her advice, her stories and her recipes. By cooking your Mom’s dishes, you keep her alive, close to you at all times.
Life goes on. Time passes slowly. Then, sickness hits you, too. In need of special care, you live in a hospital. It is there that other memories, deeper, more ingrained, come back to you. You remember her perfume. Her lipstick. Her nail polish. The sound of her heels on the floor. You remember your life with her.
As you near the end of your own life, and in your last moments, you will still be able to ask her: “Mom, come get me”. She will still be there for you.
READ MOREGuy Lafleur: 1 Year Since the Great Departure of Le Démon Blond
On April 22, we lost Guy Lafleur to lung cancer at the age of 70. Here’s a look back at this great name in hockey history—a player with extraordinary energy and a man of incomparable generosity.
A legend on the ice
Guy Lafleur made a remarkable debut in the National Hockey League, where he played for 17 seasons. He skated for the New York Rangers and the Quebec Nordiques, but he forged his career mainly with the Montreal Canadiens, the team with which he won 5 Stanley Cups.
Known for his impressive speed and his outstandingly accurate shots, he became the first NHL player to score 50 goals and 100 points during 6 consecutive seasons. In fact, he was named one of the 100 best players in the League in 2017.
In 1988, the number 10 was retired by the Habs when Guy Lafleur was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
A man who was larger than life
Guy Lafleur’s popularity extended far beyond the ice. The man nicknamed “Démon Blond” (Blond Demon) was known for his generosity and simplicity. Always close to people despite his success, he never refused to sign an autograph or take a picture with a fan.
He was involved with the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation and the CHUM Foundation. Helping children was important to him. That’s why he often visited young patients in children’s hospitals.
A national funeral for the hockey player
On April 24, 2022, as the Canadiens took on the Bruins at the Bell Centre, a pre-game ceremony paying tribute to the man who had left us two days earlier, ended with a 10-minute standing ovation among the fans in attendance.
The official commemorations took place May 1-2, 2022 at the Bell Centre. Tens of thousands of people gathered in front of his casket, transforming the place into a burning chapel.
Guy Lafleur’s national funeral was held on May 3 at the Mary Queen of the World Cathedral in Montreal. His casket was carried by his ex-team mates Pierre Bouchard, Guy Lapointe, Mario Tremblay, Yvon Lambert and his sons Mark and Martin.
The master of ceremonies was none other than Michel Lacroix, the Montreal Canadiens’ in-house announcer. A number of big names in hockey paid tribute to Guy Lafleur that day. Ginette Reno even performed her song “L’Essentiel”. Then, the religious part of the ceremony was presided over by Christian Lépine, Archbishop of Montreal.
And lastly, the casket—covered in the colours of the Montreal Canadiens—was escorted out of the cathedral to a round of applause.
A tribute that transcends time
Last May, the city of Montreal was talking about naming a street, a park or another public space after Guy Lafleur. As for the Quebec government, it said it was open to the idea of renaming Highway 50 “Autoroute Guy Lafleur”, as it runs through Thurso, the hockey player’s hometown.
However, according to the Commission de toponymie du Québec (CTQ), a place cannot be named after a person who died less than a year ago. Today, almost 12 months after the great departure of Le Démon Blond, we can hope to see his name revived in our Quebec spaces.
READ MORE