Burial or Cremation? Questions for NKY Families

Cheryl Darpel • October 27, 2026

When someone dies, or when you are thinking ahead, one of the first questions is whether to choose burial or cremation. There is no right answer for everyone. There is only the answer that fits your loved one, your family, and your beliefs.

This article offers a few questions to talk through together. You do not need to settle them all today.

Call 859-431-0072 if you would like to talk with someone. We are here 24 hours a day.

What did they want?

Some people tell their families exactly what they want. Others never say. Look for a prepaid funeral plan, a will, or a letter left with their papers. If your loved one planned ahead with a funeral home, that plan tells you what they chose.

If they never said, think about how they lived. Did they talk about being buried near their parents, or about a place they loved? Families often find the answer in those stories.

What does your faith ask?

Most Christian churches allow cremation, including the Catholic Church. The Church prefers that the body be present for the funeral Mass, with cremation afterward. It asks that cremated remains be buried, or placed in a mausoleum or a columbarium, a wall of small niches for urns. They should not be scattered, divided, or kept at home. Some faiths, including Orthodox Judaism, Islam, and the Eastern Orthodox Church, call for burial.

If you are not sure what your tradition asks, your pastor, priest, rabbi, or imam can tell you, and we can help you ask.

Would you like to see them one last time?

Choosing cremation doesn't mean giving up a visitation. With full service cremation, your loved one is laid out in a casket for the visitation and funeral, and the cremation follows. You can rent a casket for those services instead of buying one.

If your family would rather gather later, the cremation can come first. A memorial service can follow at the Bentley House, your church, or a place that mattered to them.

Where will they rest?

Burial gives your family a place to visit. Many families here choose Highland, St. Mary, or St. John cemeteries in Fort Mitchell, Mother of God in Fort Wright, Floral Hills in Taylor Mill, or Forest Lawn in Erlanger. If your family already owns a plot, find the deed or the cemetery's name, and we will take it from there.

Cremation doesn't rule out a grave. An urn can be buried, often in the same grave as a spouse, or placed in a columbarium. Some families keep the urn at home, or scatter the ashes in a place that mattered to them, with permission where it is required.

Did they serve in the military?

Eligible veterans can be buried at Kentucky Veterans Cemetery North in Williamstown, with no cemetery charge for the veteran. After cremation, the urn can go in a grave or in the columbarium. A spouse can share the veteran's grave for a fee the state sets. If you have the veteran's discharge papers (DD-214), bring them along.

What fits your budget?

It's fine to talk about cost. Direct cremation, with no service beforehand, is usually the simplest choice. A funeral with burial includes more services, plus a casket, the outer burial container most cemeteries require, and the cemetery's own charges.

Call us and we will go over prices by phone, or ask for our price list. We explain every charge before you decide.

Does everyone agree?

Talk it through as a family before you decide. In Kentucky, a cremation needs the coroner's approval and an authorization signed by the person with the legal right to decide, usually the closest next of kin. When everyone has had a say, the days ahead go more smoothly.