We recently loss a family member to a car accident so it was very devastating for all of us. However, we are very thankful to have worked with the National Cremation & Burial Center in Oviedo. Mr. Chris Rhodes who is the director here was very patience in listening to our family's wishes and accommodating them (even the unusual wishes due to our cultural beliefs). We also worked with Mr. Steven who was just as compassionate and helpful. Both Chris and Steven have went out of their way to make this event as painless for our family as possible. Thank... Read More
Venessa, joined National Cremation & Burial Society in June of 2017. She is the proud mother of a 15 year old boy and is engaged to be married in 2020. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications as well as a Master’s in Business Administration. When she is not working she moonlights as an event manager, in addition to donating her time with various volunteer organizations.

Can I be buried without being embalmed?


With the passing of my mother on January 31, all I really knew was she had pre-paid for her service with National Cremation Society. After making a few calls to various areas, I finally got an answer in their Tampa office who immediately told me that New Smyrna was in the Oviedo area. With one answer of the phone, NCS took over the entire situation with speed and professionalism. Stephen and his entire staff handled everything from pickup to shipment of the remains to Pennsylvania. My wife and I couldn't be more grateful and are now considering having NCS handle... Read More

           As I finish I want to share one vision that I have had in my mind these past few days that has given me much comfort…..as Luke lay in his hospital bed preparing to depart from this world, I could hear Luke say to God, “Can I come over?’ and then God reaching out to Lucas saying, “Yes, precious Lucas, please come play and bloom in my garden.”

The appearance of cremated remains after grinding is one of the reasons they are called ashes, although a non-technical term sometimes used is "cremains",[3][4] a portmanteau of "cremated" and "remains". (The Cremation Association of North America prefers that the word "cremains" not be used for referring to "human cremated remains". The reason given is that "cremains" is thought to have less connection with the deceased, whereas a loved one's "cremated remains" has a more identifiable human connection.[61])

How long can a body stay in the morgue?


    I will miss Luke losing his Spiderman at my house and needing to bring some toy home until we found it, or just bringing home a toy because he knew we would let him. We would get a kick out of watching him play play station with Jeff and Josh and knowing the controller was not hooked up but he thought he was playing anyway.I could go on and on about what we will miss about Luke our family has a lot of memories,a lot of laughs,and a lot of cries.

Our mission at Baldwin-Fairchild Oviedo Funeral Home is to help families create personalized funerals and memorials. This approach keeps us open to traditional religious rites as well as contemporary gatherings that deeply reflect a person's life. That means that whether you want a basic cremation with cremated remains scattered in a personally meaningful place, a funeral in our cozy chapel with cemetery burial nearby, or a modern celebration of life with live music, favorite foods and a send-off that expresses the passions of yourself or your loved one, we are happy to deliver.


The body is required to be inside a coffin or a combustible container.[44] This allows the body to be quickly and safely slid into the cremator. It also reduces health risks to the operators. The coffin or container is inserted (charged) into the cremator as quickly as possible to avoid heat loss. Some crematoria allow relatives to view the charging. This is sometimes done for religious reasons, such as in traditional Hindu and Jain funerals,[46] and is also customary in Japan.[15]
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.
Although the Holy See has in some cases authorized bishops to grant permission for funeral rites to be carried out in the presence of cremated remains, it is preferred that the rites be carried out before cremation, in the presence of the still intact body. Practices that show insufficient respect for the ashes of the dead such as turning them into jewelry or scattering them are forbidden for Catholics.[88]
Some of the various Protestant churches came to accept cremation, with the rationale being, "God can resurrect a bowl of ashes just as conveniently as he can resurrect a bowl of dust." In Anglican and Nordic Protestant countries, cremation gained acceptance (though did not yet become the norm) first by the higher classes and cultural circles, and then by the rest of the population.[21] In 1905, Westminster Abbey interred ashes for the first time; by 1911 the Abbey was expressing a preference for interring ashes.[29] The 1908 Catholic Encyclopedia was critical of the development, referring to them as a "sinister movement" and associating them with Freemasonry, although it said that "there is nothing directly opposed to any dogma of the Church in the practice of cremation."[30]

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.


On behalf of the family, we thank everyone for the amazing and overwhelming outpouring of support, prayers and love that has been expresses to us over the past 6 months. A special thank you to everyone at University of Children’s Comer Hospital, The nurses, doctors, Child life department to name a few. Remember Luke, talk about his life, remember our wild little boy.  Lucas will now be with his Grandfather Richard Lanoue.
Some people turn to cremation over burial or entombment because of the convenience, finding it more practical or cheaper to handle ashes instead of a body. Others might be squeamish about the idea of decay and are attracted to the "sanitizing" effect of flames, while some people find it fitting with their spiritual beliefs. Whatever the reason, more and more people are choosing cremation. 
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