The magnitude 9.0–9.3 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake triggered a series of lethal tsunamis on 26 December 2004 that killed almost 300,000 people, making them the deadliest tsunamis in recorded history. The tsunamis killed people over an area ranging from the immediate vicinity of the quake in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Thailand, and the northwestern coast of Malaysia), to thousands of kilometers away in the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives), the Horn of Africa (Somalia), and the African Great Lakes (Kenya and Tanzania).

You may be able to avoid all cremation costs if you decide to donate the body to medical science or research.  Medical schools will cremate your remains for free, and either bury or scatter your ashes in a local cemetery or return them to your family, although it may take a while for them to do so.  You can call the National Family Service Desk, which operates a free referral service at 800-727-0700.


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.


Authorities had difficulties dealing with the large numbers of bodies, and as a result, thousands of bodies were cremated together out of fear that decaying bodies would cause disease. Many of these bodies were not identified or viewed by relatives prior to cremation. A particular point of objection was that the bodies of Westerners were kept separate from those of Asian descent, who were mostly locals. This meant that the bodies of tourists from other Asian nations, such as Japan and South Korea, were mass cremated, rather than being returned to their country of origin for funeral rites.[citation needed]


The problem with quoting the average price for a cremation is that the actual costs for cremation do vary significantly.  Some states are generally more expensive on cremation costs than others.  This can be due to higher energy costs, a less competitive cremation market and a lower cremation rate.  Even within a state or city the cost for a cremation can differ by $100’s or even $1000’s.


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]


Under the Federal Trade Commission’s Funeral Rule, a funeral home must provide you with a list of all the services offered and the costs associated with each. It helps you make educated decisions about your own end-of-life plans or about services for a loved one. It helps you see exactly how the overall costs of cremation or burial can be affected by each decision you make regarding services.

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.

<sup>We make planning funeral and cremation arrangements in advance convenient and easy to do. Our friendly and knowledgeable Licensed Planning Counselors are available 24-7 to assist you over the phone or in person. We will even come to your home or location of choice to answer questions and assist in making arrangements. With Baldwin Brothers you can also choose to make pre-arrangements online in the comfort of home.


At present there are four crematoria in operation at BIRKENAU, two large ones, I and II, and two smaller ones, III and IV. Those of type I and II consist of 3 parts, i.e.,: (A) the furnace room; (B) the large halls; and (C) the gas chamber. A huge chimney rises from the furnace room around which are grouped nine furnaces, each having four openings. Each opening can take three normal corpses at once and after an hour and a half the bodies are completely burned. This corresponds to a daily capacity of about 2,000 bodies… Crematoria III and IV work on nearly the same principle, but their capacity is only half as large. Thus the total capacity of the four cremating and gassing plants at BIRKENAU amounts to about 6,000 daily.[35]</sup>

I really appreciate your information that direct cremation is usually the best for people on a budget because a casket is typically the largest expense. This makes me wonder if I could rent a casket for a viewing before a cremation. In my mind, this would be the best of both worlds, so I will start looking into funeral homes and see if this could be an option before putting it in my will.

Some funeral homes can actually make matters worse by recommending unnecessary funeral expenses or services that are beyond what a family can afford. Family members can feel pressured to give their loved one the best funeral possible and wind up overspending as a result. Having a trusted friend accompany you in advance can help you stay within your budget.


Occaisionally, and only in certain states, funeral homes also own and operate crematoriums. However, most of the time the actual cremation is performed by a third party service, and not by the funeral home. The fees charged by the cremation provider is typically included in the package offered to you by the funeral home. However, in some cases this fee is not included in the quote provided by a funeral director – make sure to ask about it and see what, if any, additional fees there are to have the actual cremation performed.


_{This direct cremation is just about the cheapest cremation option you have, as it requires the most limited services of a funeral director.  In 2 states (Florida and California) ‘direct disposers’ are licensed who do not even have to be licensed funeral directors, and who can operate without the large overhead of a funeral home, thus enabling them to offer discounted direct cremation prices.}


In the United Kingdom, the body is not removed from the coffin and is not placed into a container as described above. The body is cremated with the coffin[48] which is why all British coffins that are to be used for cremation must be combustible. The Code of Cremation Practice[49] forbids the opening of the coffin once it has arrived at the crematorium, and rules stipulate that it must be cremated within 72 hours of the funeral service.[50] Therefore, in the United Kingdom, bodies are cremated in the same coffin that they are placed in at the undertaker’s, although the regulations allow the use of an approved “cover” during the funeral service.[50] It is recommended that jewellery be removed before the coffin is sealed, for this reason. When cremation is finished, the remains are passed through a magnetic field to remove any metal, which will be interred elsewhere in the crematorium grounds or, increasingly, recycled.[51] The ashes are entered into a cremulator[52] to further grind the remains down into a finer texture before being given to relatives or loved ones or scattered in the crematorium grounds where facilities exist.[53]


^{The cost of pet cremation depends on location, where the cremation is done, and time of cremation. The American Humane Society’s cost for cremation of 22.5 kg (50 lb). or less pet is $110 while 23 kg (51 lb). or more is $145. The cremated remains are available for the owner to pick up in seven to ten business days. Urns for the companion animal range from $50 to $150.[126]}


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.


Another way to save on funeral costs is the embalming process. The Federal Trade Commission says there are no states that require routine embalming for every death, but there are regulations related to preserving remains prior to burial or cremation, which is more about the length of time between death and disposal to prevent the breakdown of the body.


There are few necessary legal guidelines that must be adhered to which ensure that a burial or cremation is carried out correctly with decorum and respectability as well as ensuring that the whole process is completed to the requirements of the state. Your local professionals will understand and adhere to these rules and all of this will be arranged by your Oviedo(FL) cremation services.

I really appreciate your information that direct cremation is usually the best for people on a budget because a casket is typically the largest expense. This makes me wonder if I could rent a casket for a viewing before a cremation. In my mind, this would be the best of both worlds, so I will start looking into funeral homes and see if this could be an option before putting it in my will.

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.


Another way to save on funeral costs is the embalming process. The Federal Trade Commission says there are no states that require routine embalming for every death, but there are regulations related to preserving remains prior to burial or cremation, which is more about the length of time between death and disposal to prevent the breakdown of the body.


I was fortunate enough to have Stephen Barreto assist me in making cremation arrangements for my husband, Robert H. Shaffer. Mr. Barreto was efficient and professional. He even arranged for the service at Cape Canaveral National Memorial Cemetery, in Mims, Florida. During this difficult time, his constant vigilance put my mind at ease. I would highly recommend National Cremation Services and Mr. Barreto to my friends and family. THANK YOU, MR. BARRETO!


Shipping: Depending on the situation and what a loved one’s wishes are for a final resting place or memorial, shipping might be required. The United States Postal Service allows shipping of cremated remains via Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express services. The cost of shipping depends on how large or heavy the package is, how far it must travel, and how fast it needs to arrive.


Despite being an obvious source of carbon emissions, cremation also has environmental advantages over burial, depending on local practice. Studies by Elisabeth Keijzer for the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Research found that cremation has less of an environmental impact than a traditional burial (natural burial was not addressed), while the newer method of alkaline hydrolysis (sometimes called green cremation or resomation) had less impact than both. The study was based on Dutch practice; American crematoria are more likely to emit mercury, but are less likely to burn hardwood coffins.[73] Keijzer’s studies also found that a cremation or burial accounts for only about a quarter of a funeral’s environmental impact; the carbon emissions of people travelling to the funeral are far greater.[73]


We make planning funeral and cremation arrangements in advance convenient and easy to do. Our friendly and knowledgeable Licensed Planning Counselors are available 24-7 to assist you over the phone or in person. We will even come to your home or location of choice to answer questions and assist in making arrangements. With Baldwin Brothers you can also choose to make pre-arrangements online in the comfort of home.


Cremation services can be much less expensive than in-ground burial. But be sure that you take into account all of the costs associated with the type of funeral or memorial ceremony you would like when comparing prices. Many factors go into the exact cost and prices can vary widely from state-to-state and city-to-city.  Even within your own local area prices will vary depending on the provider. It definitely pays to shop around. The exact portfolio of services you choose will play a big part in determining the overall price for the cremation you have in mind.