Cremation information:

  1. What is Cremations?
    Cremation is reducing the body to its most basic elements by intense heat.

  2. What is the time frame for cremation?

    Three things must take place before cremation can be performed. 1.) The attending physician must complete the medical information portion of the death certificate; 2.) The Medical Examiner or Justice of the Peace in the jurisdiction where the death occurred must issue his or her authorization; 3.) A cremation permit must be issued by the local registrar in the area where death occurred.

  3. What happens to the Ashes after Cremation?

    Texas has no requirements regarding disposition of cremated remains. The cremated remains (ashes) will be handled according to your instruction, or may be picked up by the survivors to do with as they wish, or will be delivered or mailed for a fee.

  4. In what kind of container are the cremated remains returned?

    The cremated remains are placed in a brown plastic temporary container at no charge to you. We have urns available.

  5. What is a memorial service?

    A memorial service may be religious or non-religious in nature, and is of great comfort and support to family and friends. A memorial service may be held anywhere such as your church, synagogue, temple, home, park, or at our Memorial Chapel in Dallas.

  6. At the time of death , what is the cost for a direct cremation service?

    The cost of a direct cremation service is presently $725.00.

  7. How do we arrange for payment?

    Payment must be made before the cremation is performed. The Brooks Family accepts all major credit cards, personal checks and cash.

  8. Does the body have to be embalmed?

    No. Texas law does not require embalming. The Brooks Family policy requires embalming, if public viewing is requested.

  9. May I prepay the cremation cost of $725.00?

    Yes, prepayment plans are supervised by the Texas Banking Department and also the Texas Department of Insurance.

  10. Can I sign my own cremation authorization and it be accepted at my time of death?

    Yes.

  11. Do Social Security and Veteran's benefits apply to the cremation services?

    Yes, a survivor to an eligible decedent may receive benefits which, at the present time, are a maximum of $255 from Social Security and $300 from Veteran's benefits. The Veteran may also be entitled to an additional $150 if a national cemetery is not used. Our office will complete and file all the benefit applications for you. These benefits are a reimbursable benefit from these institutions to you. Please provide us with a copy of the discharge papers.

  12. What do various Religions say about cremation?

    Most all religions accept cremation as a form of disposition of the body. If a specific question regarding your particular religious group's views arise, your Clergy would be helpful in answering any questions.

  13. May I change my instructions in the future?

    Yes, you may change any instructions you wish by just contacting us.

  14. Is the modern trend toward cremation?

    Most definitely. In some parts of the country, cremation is being chosen for disposition for more than a third of all deaths. Of course, cremation is practically as old as humanity, having been practiced for centuries in other cultures. Our modern approach is simply a reflection of our growing concern for the simplicity and dignity of the cremation rite. What could be more simple?

Title: Va. philanthropist, billionaire John Kluge dies (AP) Link: click here Description:

FILE - In this Aug. 8, 1994  file photo, Billionaire John Kluge, is shown in New York. John Kluge, who built an investment in a radio station into the Metromedia broadcasting empire, has died. He was 95. The University of Virginia says Kluge died Tuesday, Sept. 7, 2010 at his home near Charlottesville, Va.  (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)AP - John Kluge, once listed as the wealthiest man in America, who built an investment in a radio station into a broadcasting empire that was the forerunner to Fox Television, has died. He was 95.


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FILE - Jefferson Thomas in 1957, one of  nine African American who integrated Little Rock Central High School while federal troops patrolled the campus, is seen in an 1957 file photo. Jefferson Thomas died Sunday, Sept. 5, 2010 in Columbus, Ohio, said fellow Little Rock Nine member Minnijean Trickey Brown. He was 68. (AP Photo, File)AP - Jefferson Thomas was fast and athletic and often played pickup basketball with white students while growing up in Little Rock in the 1950s.


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FILE - This undated file photo provided by the Huntington Library/Independent Television Service shows cartoonist Paul Conrad at his drawing board. Conrad, the political cartoonist who won three Pulitzer Prizes and used his pencil to poke at politicians for more than 50 years, died Saturday Sept. 4, 2010 of natural causes at his home in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.  (AP Photo/Huntington Library/Independent Television Service, File) NO SALESAP - For more than half a century, Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Paul Conrad poked fun at politicians, taking on presidents from Harry S. Truman to George W. Bush.


Title: Comedian Robert Schimmel dies after car accident (AP) Link: click here Description:AP - Standup comic Robert Schimmel, a frequent guest on Howard Stern's radio show, has died after suffering serious injuries in a car accident. He was 60. Title: Longtime book editor Larry Ashmead dies at 78 (AP) Link: click here Description:AP - Larry Ashmead, a former book editor who worked with Isaac Asimov, Tony Hillerman and other authors, has died at 78, his former employer, former employer, HarperCollins, said Friday. Title: 'Gone with the Wind' child actress dies at 76 (AP) Link: click here Description:

FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2006 photo, Ann-Marie Johnson, National First Vice President of the Screen Actors Guild second from right, joins Gone With the Wind cast, from left: Ann Rutherford, Cammie King Conlon, Mickey Kuhn, Patrick Curtis and Fred Crane  to celebrate actress Hattie McDaniel's stamp, seen at left, at the Margaret Herrick Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Beverly Hills, Calif. Cammie King Conlon, the former child actress who portrayed the doomed daughter of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara in 'Gone With the Wind,' has died at the age of 76.   She died of lung cancer Wednesday morning at her Fort Bragg home on California's north coast, said friend Bruce Lewis.  Her son, Matthew Ned Conlon, was by her side.  (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)AP - Cammie King Conlon, the former child actress who portrayed the doomed daughter of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone With the Wind," has died at the age of 76.


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Tributes were paid on Tuesday to former two-time Tour de France winner Laurent Fignon, seen here in 1984, who died following a battle with cancer.(AFP/Staff)AFP - Tributes were paid on Tuesday to former two-time Tour de France winner Laurent Fignon who died following a battle with cancer.


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One of France's most well-known film directors, Alain Corneau -- seen here in 2006 -- has died aged 67.(AFP/File/Olivier Laban-Mattei)AP - Alain Corneau, the French filmmaker who leapt to international notice with the 1991 hit "Tous les Matins du Monde," a period drama about 17th-century musicians, has died, his talent agency said. He was 67.


Title: Former AP reporter, features writer Loh dies at 79 (AP) Link: click here Description:

FILE - In this Nov. 30, 1989  file photo, Jules Loh is seen in New York. Loh, an Associated Press reporter who covered the civil rights revolution, the space program and other major stories before carving out a second career roaming the United States in search of the odd, the offbeat and the extraordinary, died early Sunday Aug. 29, 2010 at home in Tappan, N.Y., according to his daughter Eileen. He was 79. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)AP - For most of his four decades as a reporter, Jules Edward Loh traveled the United States, reaching every state and using his honeyed Georgia accent to charm his way into the hearts, minds and lives of Americans, famous and obscure.


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FILE - In this July 16, 2008 file photo, Benjamin McNamee, 17, from Miami, Fla., right, shakes hands with William Foster, 88, left, founder of the Florida A & M Marching 100 band, during a break at the FAMU band camp in Tallahassee, Fla. University officials say Foster died early Saturday, Aug. 28, 2010 in Tallahassee. He was 91. (AP Photo/Phil Coale, File)AP - William P. Foster, credited with innovating a much-imitated high-stepping style as founder and longtime director of the Florida A&M Marching 100 band, died Saturday. He was 91.


Title: French diet guru Michel Montignac dies (AP) Link: click here Description:AP - A French official says French diet guru Michel Montignac, whose "glycemic index" weight-loss books sold millions of copies, has died.