The Barkdull Funeral Home can now add cremation to its list of services with the recent installation of a crematory at its 33 N. Gamble St. location in Shelby. The funeral home now houses the only crematory in Shelby and is one of only two crematories in Richland County.
Eric Barkdull, owner, funeral director and embalmer at Barkdull Funeral Home, said the unit arrived in late April after the process of acquiring a crematory began approximately one year ago. Since then, the funeral home has performed two cremations in the new unit.
“We were getting more demand for cremation,” said Barkdull. “The crematory we were using, they were great with us and we still have a great relationship with them, but we wanted to be able to do everything here. If a family called us I wanted to say I could take care of things here, and everything will be done within this area.”
Barkdull stated in Ohio, cremation is asked for approximately 30 to 40 percent of the time, though the trend is much higher in other locations throughout the nation.
“Out on the west and east coasts it’s like 60 plus percent,” he said. “We don’t know what direction it’s going to go, and we want to be ready either way.”
One challenge the funeral home experiences is the misconceptions surrounding cremation. Bill Neal, certified crematory operator and owner of Shelby Monuments, said one of the biggest misconceptions is that cremation is an “all or nothing” experience.
“Most everyone has the idea that a cremation means there’s no service, there’s no calling, and that couldn’t be any further from the truth,” said Neal. “Cremation can be used as just the final disposition of the body, to take place of the burial. You can still have the body present for calling hours and the service, and then rather than going to the cemetery everyone would just dismiss and the cremation would take place.”
The crematory is located in the Barkdull Funeral Home garage on the premises in Shelby. When in use, the inside of the crematory can reach temperatures between 1,600 and 1,700 degrees, though Barkdull noted the outside of the unit only reaches approximately 80 degrees thanks to thick insulation. Neal explained a flame jet accomplishes the complete combustion of a body, incinerating anything short of metals. After cremation, the remains are placed in a processor that removes metals such as buttons or zippers left behind from clothing, and then pulverizes what’s left.
“It’s completely up to the family what is done with the remains,” said Neal. “Some people choose to scatter the remains, burial is certainly an option, and there are people that buy very ornate urns and keep them at their home.”
Lesli Barkdull Neal, owner and funeral director at Barkdull Funeral Home, said the funeral home’s first Shelby individual was cremated at the beginning of September. She said the man was a veteran, his family had chosen a memorial folder with an eagle on it to honors his veteran services, and during his cremation something remarkable happened.
“We were out looking at the stack, where emissions are released, and when I was out there I was so pleased; there was nothing, you could just see air movement,” said Lesli Barkdull Neal. “And when I looked up, I thought you’ve got to be kidding me: it was an eagle. To see that eagle was just amazing.”
Shelby Mayor Marilyn John attended the funeral home’s open house on Wednesday afternoon, welcoming the public to view the crematory from the inside out. She presented the Barkdull Funeral Home staff with a proclamation recognizing the funeral home as an integral part of the community.
“The family-owned Barkdull Funeral Home and Crematory opened in 1895 and employs its sixth generation of the Barkdull family, who assures families with caring service and honors the decease with dignity,” said John. “The city of Shelby encourages business growth within the city, and Barkdull Funeral Home and Crematory continues to be a strong business and community partner through involvement and investment, and we celebrate this establishment and the commitment made to our town.”
Eric Barkdull said it was a hard decision to add the crematory to the funeral home, but noted it was a necessity for the future of the business.
“I’ve been here 38 years, and I love what I do, I love to talk to people and to make a difference,” he said. “But I won’t be here forever, so it’s time to help the other generation carry on.”
