Disposition

At Hamilton's, we believe in the importance of celebrating life the way you want. Whether you choose burial, cremation or donation, our staff will walk you through all of your options so you can choose what's best for you and your loved ones. We'll help with every detail, even transporting to or from another town, state or country. Contact Hamilton's Funeral Home at (515)243-5221 for more information.

Burial

Cemeteries hold a special connection to our loved ones and family histories. Whether you choose in-ground burial or above-ground entombment, cemetery property provides a final resting place for family and friends to visit and honor your legacy.

We’re here to ease the stress of making these decisions. The cost of each cemetery varies, but we will work with you and your family to find the perfect place. We help coordinate with the cemetery so the tent, lowering device, burial receptacle and any other equipment that may be needed will be available for the ceremony. We can arrange a private escort service to help manage traffic with the procession.

Cremation

Choosing cremation gives you more options for where you or your loved one want to be laid to rest, whether that's buried at a cemetery, scattered at your favorite lake or kept at home with your family. Cremating does require written permission and a cremation permit must be signed by the County Medical Examiner.

Our crematory is conveniently located with comfortable amenities, so survivors feel welcome to be present during all or part of the cremation. Many people decide to place the cremated remains in an urn, which you can purchase at our funeral home. There are many options for personalizing cremation urns, such as engraving the name of the deceased, a photograph, special artwork which you select or the addition of an applique.

The Cremation Process: Cremation is performed to prepare the deceased for memorialization and/or disposition. It is carried out by placing the deceased into a casket or alternative container and then placing the body into a cremation chamber, where the body is subjected to intense heat and flame. Each deceased is cremated individually. After about two and a half hours, all substances are consumed or driven off except bone fragments, residue from the container the deceased was cremated in, and any metal or other non-combustible material. Following a cooling period, the cremated remains are then swept from the cremation chamber. Unless otherwise specified, the cremated remains are then mechanically processed into a powder-like form prior to placement into the designated urn.

Body Donation

In order to educate present and future students, universities rely on donated bodies to fulfill the needs for medical education. If you decide to donate your body to medical education, there are a few things we can help you with. Most importantly, we will prepare the necessary documents. Before the death, a deed of disposition must be completed by the donor and two witnesses before a body is accepted for medical dissection. After the death, permission to proceed is needed from the person responsible for the disposition of the deceased. Depending on the request from the university, we can embalm the deceased and transport the body to the university.

After the institution is finished with the body, it is then available for final disposition. The person can be cremated and buried in a common grave chosen by the institution, or the remains can be returned to you for a final disposition of your choosing.