If a friend or loved one is seriously ill and expected to die in a matter of days or weeks, consider making funeral arrangements in advance. Preparing ahead of time puts you in control and allows you to explore all your options. It will make your meeting with a funeral director more productive and is likely to save you money. Our online planning tools and forms can help you make funeral arrangements in advance. You can also try the Wise Planning System.

A cremator is not designed to cremate more than one human body at a time. Crematoria may occasionally make exceptions for cases such as still-born twins, or a baby and mother who died during childbirth.[citation needed] The chamber where the body is placed is called a cremation chamber or retort and is lined with heat-resistant refractory bricks. Refractory bricks are designed in several layers. The outermost layer is usually simply an insulation material, e.g., mineral wool. Inside is typically a layer of insulation brick, mostly calcium silicate in nature. Heavy duty cremators are usually designed with two layers of fire bricks inside the insulation layer. The layer of fire bricks in contact with the combustion process protects the outer layer and must be replaced from time to time.[45]

A cremator is an industrial furnace that is able to generate temperatures of 871–982 °C (1,600–1,800 °F) to ensure the disintegration of the corpse.[41] Modern cremator fuels include oil,[42] natural gas, propane, and, in Hong Kong, coal gas.[43] Coal and coke were used until the early 1960s.[citation needed] Modern cremators automatically monitor their interior to tell when the cremation process is complete and have a spyhole so that an operator can see inside.[44] The time required for cremation varies from body to body, with the average being 90 minutes for an adult body.[44]

Can you be buried without a funeral?


There is now a water-based process called alkaline hydrolysis, which was invented as a way to dispose of animals infected with mad cow disease. It is being marketed as a more environmentally friendly postmortem option for humans because it produces less carbon monoxide and pollution. Alkaline hydrolysis involves placing a body in a chamber that is then filled with water and potassium hydroxide and heated up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit at high pressure. After three hours, the body becomes a green-brown-tinted liquid, and bones are soft enough to be crushed. The bones can be returned to the family, while the liquid can be sent into the sewer system.

During World War II (1939–45) Nazi Germany used specially built furnaces in at least six extermination camps throughout occupied Poland including at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Chełmno, Belzec, Majdanek, Sobibor and Treblinka, where the bodies of those murdered by gassing were disposed of using incineration. The efficiency of industrialised killing of Operation Reinhard during the most deadly phase of the Holocaust produced too many corpses, therefore the crematoria manufactured to SS specifications were put into use in all of them to handle the disposals around the clock, day and night.[33][34] The Vrba–Wetzler report offers the following description.


Elizabeth has been in the industry for about 20 years, attended mortuary school at Antilles College of Health of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and graduated in January 2000. She worked at Funeraria Viner in Bayamon, PR (1999-2003). In 2003, she relocated to Kentucky, and was unable to transfer her college credits. Elizabeth returned to college and got her Associate of Arts Degree in Funeral Service at John A. Gupton College of Nashville, TN, and graduated in December of 2006. Elizabeth moved to Florida in the summer of 2007 with her three children and completed her internship at Lakeland Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens (2007-2010). She received her Florida Funeral Director and Embalmers License in 2008. Elizabeth was promoted and was transferred to Harvey-Engelhardt Funeral and Cremation Services in Fort Myers (2010-2011). She then returned to Central Florida and worked at Funeraria y Crematorio Porta Coeli, Kissimmee (2011-2017) and Lanier Funeral and Cremation Services (2017-2018). She joined our Team in November of 2018.

The bodies arrive in caskets occasionally made of wood or metal, but more commonly cardboard, and are kept in these containers during the entire stay. Human remains must be enclosed in caskets for ethical and health reasons, such as protecting the cremation technician from infectious diseases, but also for the safest handling of the remains prior to cremation.


Suzanne Blanks is a licensed funeral director with a passion for helping people. She grew up in Central Florida and has also lived in London, England, Atlanta, GA and Key West, FL. Before her 10 year career in funeral directing she was a pre-school and elementary teacher. She enjoys art, spending time at the beach, traveling and volunteering at church.
Acceptance varies by state and ethnicity, according to a report by the National Funeral Directors Association. While the practice is not as popular in the Bible Belt and among certain cultural groups, including Catholics, Jews, and African-Americans, in places like California, Oregon, and southern Florida, 60 to 80 percent of the dead are now cremated.
Other people view cremation as a way of simplifying their funeral process. These people view a traditional ground burial as an unneeded complication of their funeral process, and thus choose cremation to make their services as simple as possible. Cremation is a more simple disposition method to plan than a burial funeral. This is because with a burial funeral one would have to plan for more transportation services for the body as well as embalming and other body preservation methods. With a burial funeral one will also have to purchase a casket, headstone, grave plot, opening and closing of the grave fee, and mortician fees. Cremation funerals only require planning the transportation of the body to a crematorium, cremation of the body, and a cremation urn.[71]

After the sudden passing of my wife, Caren, I contacted National Cremation. They met me at the hospital and set up an appointment with Mr. Stephen Barreto. He was very professional, knowledgeable, caring and while treating me with the utmost respect, he very patiently explained all my options. Within a very short period, all the arrangements were made and only five days later I received the urn in preparation for a Memorial Service at their location. Although we had a larger than expected turnout, Mr. Barreto went out of his way to accommodate everyone. His assistance and that of the staff was simply outstanding and very much appreciated. Altogether, Mr. Barreto while very compassionate made the whole experience as painless as possible.
Pre-arranging your cremation is simple and affordable and gives you peace of mind knowing that you will relieve the burden on your family. Pre arranging also enables you to lock in today’s low prices and will give you worldwide protection in the event you’re traveling or if you decide to relocate. Call us today and ask about attending one of our informational seminars while enjoying a complementary lunch or dinner.

How can I have a funeral with no money?


My father had a massive stroke while on vacation in California. With one phone call, he was taken care of, delivered back to a local funeral home in Brevard County, Florida. We were kept in the loop every step of the way. 5 years later my mother passed at home. The central Florida office came to the house and took care of everything. They removed my mothers jewelry, which I hadn't even thought of, and took my mother away. Before leaving, he asked me if there were any questions. He stayed and answered all my questions. And, again, they kept... Read More

Is a funeral home the same as a mortuary?

×