FAQs

A: One pound of weight equals one cubic inch of cremains. If your loved one weighted 190 lbs, you need an urn that is 190 cubic inches. You will find the cubic inches of each urn on the description page of every urn you see.

My family member weighs over 300lbs. What can I do, most urns are for people 220lbs?
When a person is cremated, what matters is the height not the weight, so much. If the person was overweight, that goes away with cremation. If the person was 6' 4" then consider the largest urn you can get, an adult urn at about 240lbs will do, even if they weighed 200lbs. The bones are what remains, the weight goes away.

Pet Urns: When purchasing an urn for a pet it is important to consider the cremation process is completed differently and they oftentimes need a slightly larger urn than a human may at the same healthy weight. It is suggested to add an additional 10-15 cubic inches to the urn to accommodate the extra space used. So, if your pet had a healthy weight of 50 lbs. it recommended to purchase an urn that is 60-65 cubic inches in size.

A: Keepsake urns, or mini urns, are popular to hold a small amount of ashes in remembrance. They are typically used in a situation where multiple family members or friends will take a keepsake to remember their loved ones. Keepsake urns are typically offered in sizes between 1 – 50 cubic inches.

A: If there are any remaining cremains, a keepsake urn is recommended.

A: Yes. Generally funeral homes are used to providing this function as part of their services. The Federal Trade Commission’s “Funeral Rule” insures that every American has a right to provide their own casket or urn for use by a funeral home. Specifically, the rule states that “The funeral provider cannot refuse to handle a casket or urn you bought online, at a local casket store, or somewhere else — or charge you a fee to do it. The funeral home cannot require you to be there when the casket or urn is delivered to them.”

For more information about the FTC’s “Funeral Rule” simply consult their website: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0300-ftc-funeral-rule

A: How the urn opens and closes depends on the style and material of cremation urn. Some open and close with a threaded lid; this is more common in metal urns, like brass and copper. Wooden urns usually have a panel on the bottom that is fastened with screws. Some urns have a bung hole with a plastic plug. Some of our marble urns have a threaded bung hole. Ceramic urns for ashes may have a friction fitting lid that can be sealed with a bit of silicone sealant or a plug in the bottom.

Q: How do I open and close an urn?
A: There are many different ways of sealing an urn. Below we list a variety of ways that cremation urns are sealed.

• Threaded lid
• Bottom opening plate sealed with screws
• Bottom opening plate sealed with adhesive such as epoxy or silicone
• Threaded plug on the bottom of the urn

A majority of our product descriptions include the opening type. If a description does not identify the opening type please feel free to contact us.

A: Most families are very capable of filling the urn themselves since it is mechanically easy and can often be therapeutic. However, we understand that for some the task can be emotionally overwhelming and that some outside help or support may be necessary.

The funeral home or crematory will usually give you the ashes in a temporary cardboard or plastic container, within which is almost always a plastic bag containing the ashes.

This bag of ashes can usually be transferred right into the new urn without ever having to touch the ashes. If you prefer, you may give your funeral professional the urn and they should gladly fill it for you.

Cremains are non-toxic and will not harm you. Typically our customers are given a bag or temporary container by the cremation provider, which contains the cremated remains of the deceased. Even when the ashes are not in a bag, it is not difficult to pour from the temporary container into the urn.

If you wish to seal it, you can use an adhesive.

The process of transferring ashes can be an emotional experience, however, and it is worth adding that this can be a good time to call on a close friend to assist you with the task.

While many families choose to transfer the cremains themselves, we recommend that families bring cremains to a local funeral home or crematory.

A: Yes, personal items such as letters, cards, photos, jewelry and more can be added to the contents of the urn. There is no wrong or right way to participate when it comes to cremation.

Many families choose cremation because of all of the freedoms that go along with the process. Do what feels right for you and your family.

A: It usually takes us about 1-2 business days to process your order. Standard Ground shipping can take between 1-5 business days in the contiguous 48 states. Orders placed before 12:00 PM central time, will be processed the same day.

Expedited options are available, and will be quoted to you during the check-out process.

If you’d like to request overnight delivery, simply choose the shipping option at check out. Please place orders before 12:00 PM Central Time to ensure you get your package the next day.

Packages will be sent with insurance and you will be provided a tracking number when it is shipped.

Do you offer any sort of guarantee?

Yes, we will replace any items that arrive broken. We gladly accept returns or replacement for items that do not meet your satisfaction. This guarantee applies to any product that is returned unused, damaged upon arrival, and has not been personalized.

A: With the exception of sales tax in our home state of Texas where we are obligated to collect 8.25%, sales tax is not charged.

A: Yes, we stock all products in our warehouse.

A: Returns Policy

You may return most new, unopened items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. We'll also pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.).

You should expect to receive your refund within 1-2 weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).

If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.

A: Our toll free phone number is 1-877-281-0752. We're available Monday through Friday from 8AM Central Time to 5PM Central Time. You're also more than welcome to send us a message at contact@memoryurns.com, and we'll get back with you as soon as possible.

A: All major credit cards are accepted such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover.

A: We have attached a statement from Transportation Security Administration:

“To maintain the highest level of security, TSA determined that documentation from a funeral home about the contents of a crematory container was no longer sufficient to allow the container through a security checkpoint and onto a plane. Since February of this year, all crematory containers must pass through an X-ray machine. If a container is made of a material that prevents screeners from clearly seeing what is inside, the container will not be allowed through the checkpoint. Out of respect for the deceased, screeners will not open a container, even if requested by the passenger.

TSA recommends that passengers transport remains in temporary or permanent "security friendly" containers constructed of light-weight materials such as plastic or wood. Temporary containers are typically available from funeral homes and offer a security friendly means to travel by air with a crematory container. Once the passengers complete their travel, they can visit their local TSA's Funeral Home Partner who will transfer the remains from the temporary container to the permanent container free of charge. The complimentary "Remains Transfer Service" has been embraced by the funeral industry and already many funeral homes have requested to become partners in this important customer service effort.”

If you have any additional questions please visit https://www.tsa.gov.

It is also recommended that you contact the airline you are traveling with for any additional information.