Six large cremation units occupy the floor, each covered in aluminum diamond-plate like you might see on a fire truck or a high-end toolbox. It’s called a cremation unit, by the way, not an “oven.” There are certain words you’re not supposed to say in a crematorium. “With ovens, you think of Auschwitz,” says Brian Gamage, director of marketing at U.S. Cremation Equipment in Altamonte Springs, Florida.
An early Methodist tract titled Immortality and Resurrection noted that "burial is the result of a belief in the resurrection of the body, while cremation anticipates its annihilation."[98] The Methodist Review noted that "Three thoughts alone would lead us to suppose that the early Christians would have special care for their dead, namely, the essential Jewish origin of the Church; the mode of burial of their founder; and the doctrine of the resurrection of the body, so powerfully urged by the apostles, and so mighty in its influence on the primitive Christians. From these considerations, the Roman custom of cremation would be most repulsive to the Christian mind."[99]
Balinese Hindu dead are generally buried inside the container for a period of time, which may exceed one month or more, so that the cremation ceremony (Ngaben) can occur on an auspicious day in the Balinese-Javanese Calendar system ("Saka"). Additionally, if the departed was a court servant, member of the court or minor noble, the cremation can be postponed up to several years to coincide with the cremation of their Prince. Balinese funerals are very expensive and the body may be interred until the family can afford it or until there is a group funeral planned by the village or family when costs will be less. The purpose of burying the corpse is for the decay process to consume the fluids of the corpse, which allows for an easier, more rapid and more complete cremation.
After my father’s passing from an accidental fall, my sister and I were not only hurting profoundly but were very confused as to what was going to happen in the next few days. The day after his passing we reached out to Ms. Mallory Johnson with the Oviedo, FL branch of National Cremation & Burial Services. After answering a lot of our immediate questions, we scheduled an appointment for the next day. It takes a special person to put you at ease at a moment as difficult as your father’s passing. Mallory did just that. My sister, my cousin and I had the whole process explained in detail and every one of our questions was answered with patience, compassion and a clear understanding of the pain we were going through. We could not have chosen a better person to help us get through what we thought was going to be a horrible process. With Mallory’s help, we understood exactly what was going to happen, who was going to be involved and when it was going to take place. With a job like Mallory’s you have to have a vocation and a deep love for what you do, and she certainly does. I also have to say that I was deeply touched by the fact that every time I called, Miranda at the front desk would greet me by name. That was a special and personal touch that I appreciated very much. You guys did a wonderful, special job that we will always appreciate and remember. You were all there for us when we needed it the most. Thank you so, so much. Scott, Michelle, and Jackie
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After the unexpected death of a family member, we were overwhelmed with the process of laying her to rest. Like anyone on a budget, I started calling around to get prices. It felt like an insensitive thing to do but cremation/burials is a competitive business, and believe me, the costs are startling. But then I called Oviedo’s National Cremation & Burial Society and their direct cremation option were surprisingly affordable – literally thousands less than the other local providers. Our family member made it known she wanted her ashes scattered at sea so a direct cremation worked for us. They even had biodegradable urns for sea burials. I had made my decision. Elizabeth Franco was the service manager who held our hands through this distressing time. She was kind, informative, and efficient. She maintained communication with us throughout the process and ensured we knew about all the keepsakes/services that their business provides to help preserve a memory. When we opted in, she offered guidance. When we opted out, she didn’t push. She replaced our stress with a sense of calm and that in itself was priceless. Elizabeth exemplifies what it means to serve during a time of crisis and hardship. I highly recommend Elizabeth and National Cremation & Burial Society.
When my mother passed away unexpectedly, my siblings and I were shocked and devastated. She had previously said, "If anything happens to me, look in the hall closet." No one wants to hear or think about that, so the response was always "Nothing is going to happen to you!". Then one day it did. When we went in the closet and found a box with paperwork and an 800 number, the relief was immense. Now we knew, based on a contract signed by her, what her last wishes really were with no second-guessing. A phone call to an 800 number... Read More
In 1869, the idea was presented to the Medical International Congress of Florence by Professors Coletti and Castiglioni "in the name of public health and civilization". In 1873, Professor Paolo Gorini of Lodi and Professor Ludovico Brunetti of Padua published reports of practical work they had conducted.[17] A model of Brunetti's cremating apparatus, together with the resulting ashes, was exhibited at the Vienna Exposition in 1873 and attracted great attention[18] Meanwhile, Sir Charles William Siemens had developed his regenerative furnace in the 1850s. His furnace operated at a high temperature by using regenerative preheating of fuel and air for combustion. In regenerative preheating, the exhaust gases from the furnace are pumped into a chamber containing bricks, where heat is transferred from the gases to the bricks. The flow of the furnace is then reversed so that fuel and air pass through the chamber and are heated by the bricks. Through this method, an open-hearth furnace can reach temperatures high enough to melt steel, and this process made cremation an efficient and practical proposal. Charles's nephew, Carl Friedrich von Siemens perfected the use of this furnace for the incineration of organic material at his factory in Dresden. The radical politician, Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke, took the corpse of his dead wife there to be cremated in 1874. The efficient and cheap process brought about the quick and complete incineration of the body and was a fundamental technical breakthrough that finally made industrial cremation a practical possibility.[19]
In early 2002, 334 corpses that were supposed to have been cremated in the previous few years at the Tri-State Crematory were found intact and decaying on the crematorium's grounds in the U.S. state of Georgia, having been dumped there by the crematorium's proprietor. Many of the corpses were decayed beyond identification. Some families received "ashes" that were made of wood and concrete dust.[127]
The final disposition depends on the personal preferences of the deceased as well as their cultural and religious beliefs. Some religions will permit the cremated remains to be sprinkled or retained at home. Some religions, such as Roman Catholicism, prefer to either bury or entomb the remains. Hinduism obliges the closest male relative (son, grandson, etc.) of the deceased to immerse the cremated remains in the holy river Ganges, preferably at one of the holy cities Triveni Sangam, Allahabad, Varanasi, or Haridwar in India. The Sikhs immerse the remains in Sutlej, usually at Sri Harkiratpur. In southern India, the ashes are immersed in the river Kaveri at Paschima vahini in Srirangapattana at a stretch where the river flows from east to west, depicting the life of a human being from sunrise to sunset. In Japan and Taiwan, the remaining bone fragments are given to the family and are used in a burial ritual before final interment.
Hinduism and Jainism are notable for not only allowing but prescribing cremation. Cremation in India is first attested in the Cemetery H culture (from c. 1900 BCE), considered the formative stage of Vedic civilization. The Rigveda contains a reference to the emerging practice, in RV 10.15.14, where the forefathers "both cremated (agnidagdhá-) and uncremated (ánagnidagdha-)" are invoked.
My dad had a contract with National Cremation and when he passed away, we called them. We spoke with Mallory and she answered all our questions. She was super nice about everything, knowledgeable and put us at ease with the process. She made the whole thing a lot better than it would have been had she been not as accommodating to our questions. Nobody was prepared for a tough time such as this and she made a difference as well as the receptionist who already knew my name every time I called. It takes a special person to do the job, and it takes an extra special person to do it well and almost change the tone of the situation from something that’s horrible to something that’s tolerable. There were quite a few little details that I wanted to take care of that I came up with later and Mallory always took my calls.
I’d gone to his funeral but hadn’t made it to the cemetery—the one in which I now found myself. I’m surprised to see nothing marking the spot where he’s buried. It’s just a patch of dirt with a number “83” handwritten in concrete. There are big marble headstones on one side of him and on the other side, a pile of plastic flowers, bits of light blue ribbon, and Styrofoam crosses that say “I Love You.” Who works in a morgue?
We use a variety of flowers in our funeral arrangements, like:● Daisies● Lilies● Orchids● Roses● HydrangeasThese are popular funeral flowers because they have symbolic meaning pertaining to loss. However, any arrangement of flowers may be appropriate at a funeral. Although white flowers are most commonly associated with loss, colorful flowers may be helpful in brightening up the atmosphere. Flowers with springtime colors are optimal because spring is often associated with rebirth and hopefulness.