Christians preferred to bury the dead rather than to cremate the remains, as was common in Roman culture. The Roman catacombs and veneration of relics of saints witness to this preference. For them, the body was not a mere receptacle for a spirit that was the real person, but an integral part of the human person.[81] They looked on the body as sanctified by the sacraments[82] and itself the temple of the Holy Spirit,[83] and thus requiring to be disposed of in a way that honours and reveres it, and they saw many early practices involved with disposal of dead bodies as pagan in origin or an insult to the body.[84]
You will likely need a funeral director to help you make arrangements for handling the body, but in many states, this is not required. If you are in an area that permits home funerals and burials, you may be able to handle most of the preparation yourself. See our page on home funerals and burials. As far as arranging the ceremony, you may find that you would like to work with a funeral celebrant. A funeral celebrant is a trained professional whose job is to help you plan the type of ceremony you would like.
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])

Good afternoon.  My name is ________________ and I am a civil celebrant. On behalf of Megan and Colter, I  welcome every one of you to this celebration of the life of their mother Holly who died January 2, 2005.   It means a great deal to them that you have come to join them in the bittersweet experience of recalling her nearly 55 years of life and in sharing your own recollections of Molly.  Your presence here is important, for it is the memory of the friends who stood by them during this time that will be a source of strength and consolation to them later on, during those inevitable moments of grief and emptiness.
           When it was time for college, Molly came to the University of Arizona and majored in English. She transferred to UC Davis for just a semester, then came back to the U of A. Molly had a beautiful soprano voice and in these years she frequently played the guitar, accompanying herself. She had a gift for music – by just hearing a piece of music she was able to reproduce it on the guitar. Because of her lovely voice, she was enlisted to sing at many of the family weddings.  In later years, when Molly went to a  class reunion, taking Megan along as her date, many of her former classmates came up and recounted their memories of her singing and playing. 

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.


Because loved ones are committing the deceased back to the earth, this intimate service is also called a committal service. A graveside service often follows a traditional funeral, but sometimes may be the only service a family chooses. Often a pastor will speak a few words of comfort (think “ashes to ashes and dust to dust”) or the funeral director may share a few remarks at the wishes of the family, but otherwise this service is usually fairly short and simple.
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
Ralph played football in Goodrich High School; and after graduating in 1968, he worked at GM for a little while, a job he hated. He then joined the Marines -- against his Dad’s wishes. He served one tour of duty, and when he returned, the job market was poor. It was August 1974. He went to the Marines recruitment office in Detroit to re-enlist, and it just so happens Linda was there, enlisting herself. Afterwards both walked to the bus station, and he started talking to Linda. She was wary of him, being that they were in Detroit. Then she found out they were taking the same bus to Flint, and they chatted the whole way home. Their courtship continued and in February of 1975, Ralph proposed while on leave. They were married that September. Their first married year together, they lived in Camp Pendleton in California, and then he was stationed for a while in Alaska. Ralph fell in love with Alaska, where he enjoyed salmon fishing with his buddies. It became his dream to live there permanently one day and work in the Juno police force.
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.
Debra and the team at the Oviedo, Florida location were the best group of people I have ever had the opportunity to meet. My father preplanned his cremation with The National Cremation Society Oviedo office and when it came time to use the services they were great. I could not have had better service provided with compassion and kindness. All my questions were answered and each time I had to reach out to them I was provided with the utmost professionalism and immediate response. I could not be more pleased with the service and care provided during my family’s great loss of our loved one. Debra and all the Oviedo, Florida staff are simply the very best. Thank you all, Mike B.

My mother death was a sudden  shock  to us .She passed away on June 14, 2017 .It was a very difficult moment for all of us in the family! Chris was with us every step of the way even after regular business hours, he did such a fantastic job  from the initial of my 1st call he help  us  to pick up the right  casket till the end of the process On behalf of my family .I would like to thank the entire staff of Oviedo National Cremation & particularly Chris for his professionalism, kindness support .I  would  highly recommend... Read More


I knew that making funeral arrangements for my husband would be a very painful task, but Stephan Barreto, at National Cremation in Oviedo, Fl., made the experience pain free. His compassion and understanding are to be commended. From start to finish, he was thorough and never made me feel the pain I felt in my heart. Thank you so much...I am so very grateful.
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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