How the Cremation Society of South Carolina and Westville Funerals Work Together

What the Cremation Society of South Carolina offers through Westville Funerals

The Cremation Society of South Carolina is a membership organization that partners with funeral homes, including Westville Funerals, to provide cremation services at reduced rates for members. When you join the society, you pay an annual or one-time membership fee, and in return you receive a discount on cremation costs when you use a participating funeral home. Westville Funerals, located in South Carolina, is one of those participating providers.

The society does not own or operate funeral homes itself. Instead, it negotiates discounted rates with funeral homes across the state and makes those rates available to members. This means the actual cremation service, handling of remains, and any related services happen through Westville Funerals or another member funeral home, but at a price lower than the standard rate.

Membership is open to anyone, whether or not a death has occurred. Many people join while they are healthy as a way to plan ahead and lock in lower costs for themselves or their families. Others join after a death has occurred, though the discount may apply differently depending on the timing and the specific funeral home's policies.

Key Takeaways

• The Cremation Society of South Carolina is a membership organization that negotiates discounted cremation rates with funeral homes like Westville Funerals.
• You pay a membership fee to join the society, then receive a discount when you use a participating funeral home for cremation services.
• Westville Funerals handles the actual cremation and related services; the society itself does not perform cremations.
• You can join the society before a death occurs to plan ahead, or after a death has occurred, depending on the funeral home's policies.
• The discount applies only when you use a participating funeral home; using a non-member funeral home means you pay full price.

How membership works and what it costs

Membership in the Cremation Society of South Carolina involves paying a one-time or annual fee. The exact cost varies, so you will want to contact the society or Westville Funerals directly to learn the current rates. Once you are a member, you carry a membership card or certificate that you present to the funeral home when arranging services.

The membership fee is separate from the cremation service fee. When you use Westville Funerals as a member, the funeral home applies your membership discount to their cremation package price. The discount reduces what you pay out of pocket, but you are still responsible for the final bill after the discount is applied.

Some people join the society as a pre-planning step, arranging and sometimes pre-paying for their own cremation while they are alive. Others join on behalf of a family member. The society can explain whether membership purchased after a death has occurred will still may have access to for the discount at Westville Funerals.

What services are included in a cremation package

A cremation package through Westville Funerals typically includes the transportation of remains from the place of death, preparation of the body, the actual cremation process, and return of the ashes in a temporary or permanent container. The exact contents of the package depend on which option you choose and what Westville Funerals offers.

Some packages include a simple service or viewing before cremation; others do not. Some include a memorial service after cremation; others leave that to the family to arrange separately. Westville Funerals can walk you through the different package levels and explain what each one covers.

Additional costs may apply if you want services beyond the basic package—for example, a formal viewing, a memorial service at the funeral home, an obituary in the newspaper, or a more elaborate urn. These are separate line items and are not automatically included in the membership discount.

How to contact Westville Funerals and the Cremation Society

To learn about membership in the Cremation Society of South Carolina, you can contact the society directly or reach out to Westville Funerals and ask about their partnership with the society. Westville Funerals can explain the membership options, current costs, and how the discount applies to their cremation packages.

When you call, have questions ready about what you want to know: whether you are pre-planning for yourself or arranging services for someone who has died, what package options exist, and what the total cost would be with your membership discount. The funeral home staff can answer these questions and help you understand the next steps.

If you are calling after a death has occurred, let Westville Funerals know right away. They can tell you whether membership purchased at that time will still may have access to for a discount, or whether you need to have been a member before the death to receive the benefit.

Pre-planning versus arranging services after a death

Pre-planning means joining the society and arranging your cremation while you are alive and able to make decisions. This approach lets you choose the exact services you want, lock in the membership discount, and sometimes pre-pay so your family does not have to handle costs at the time of death. Many people find this less stressful than making these decisions in grief.

If you are arranging services after a death has occurred, you can still contact Westville Funerals and ask about the Cremation Society of South Carolina. Depending on the funeral home's policy, you may be able to join and receive the discount on services arranged that day. However, pre-planning members typically have more flexibility and may have locked in lower rates beforehand.

Either way, Westville Funerals can walk you through the process step by step. They will explain what happens next, what paperwork is needed, and what timeline to expect from cremation through return of the ashes.

Understanding the difference between cremation and other funeral options

Cremation is one option among several for handling remains after death. It involves exposing the body to high heat until it is reduced to ashes, which are then returned to the family in a container. Cremation is often chosen because it is typically less expensive than burial, takes up no cemetery space, and gives families flexibility in how and when to hold a memorial service.

Other options include traditional burial in a cemetery, which requires a casket and a grave plot; entombment in a mausoleum; or donation of the body to medical science. Each option has different costs, timelines, and religious or personal considerations. Westville Funerals can explain all the options available and help you understand which one fits your situation and preferences.

The Cremation Society of South Carolina specifically discounts cremation services, not other options. If you are interested in burial or another method, you would work directly with Westville Funerals on pricing and arrangements outside the society's membership program.

What happens to ashes after cremation

After cremation, the ashes are placed in a container and returned to the family. The container may be temporary (a cardboard or plastic box) or permanent (an urn made of wood, metal, ceramic, or stone). Westville Funerals can show you options and explain the cost of upgrading from a temporary to a permanent container.

Once you have the ashes, you have several choices. You can keep them at home in an urn, scatter them in a meaningful location, bury them in a cemetery plot, place them in a columbarium (a structure designed to hold urns), or divide them among family members. Some families hold a memorial service before or after receiving the ashes. Others keep the ashes privately and do not hold a service.

Westville Funerals can discuss these options with you and answer questions about any legal restrictions in South Carolina on scattering ashes or other handling of remains. They can also help you plan a memorial service if you want one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to be a member of the Cremation Society before someone dies?

No. You can join the society and use Westville Funerals after a death has occurred, though the funeral home's policy on whether the discount applies at that time may vary. Call Westville Funerals right away to ask whether membership purchased on the day of arrangement will may have access to for their member discount.

Can I pre-pay for cremation through the Cremation Society?

Many members do pre-pay, locking in costs and removing the financial burden from their family. Contact the Cremation Society of South Carolina or Westville Funerals to learn about pre-payment options and whether your payment is held in trust or used immediately.

What if I want a service or viewing before cremation?

Westville Funerals offers packages that include a viewing or service before cremation, as well as packages without one. The cost and what is included depend on which package you choose. Ask the funeral home to show you the different options and what each one costs with your membership discount.

Can I scatter the ashes anywhere in South Carolina?

South Carolina law allows scattering of ashes in most places, but some locations—like private property or certain public lands—may have restrictions. Westville Funerals can tell you what is legal in your area and help you plan a scattering if that is what you want to do.

What if I move out of South Carolina after joining?

The Cremation Society of South Carolina's membership and discounts apply through Westville Funerals and other member funeral homes in the state. If you move, you would need to check whether the society has partnerships in your new location, or you would arrange cremation through a local funeral home at their standard rates.