Iowa is following the national trend toward cremations

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – More and more Iowans are choosing to cremate their loved ones. And that follows a national trend.

According to the Cremation Association of North America, more than 60% of deceased Americans chose cremation last year, up from 35% in 2008. In 2023, more than 60% of deceased people in Iowa also chose cremation .

Stewart-Baxter Memorial Funeral Home Director Jacob Wittrock said this trend is expected to grow even more in the following years.

“In the next 15 years it will be 80%. By 2040 it will be more like 80%,” said Wittrock.

Wittrock said one of the reasons more people are choosing cremation is the cheaper prices.

“The cost of a casket burial compared to the cost of a very simple direct cremation can make a difference of thousands of dollars,” Wittrock said.

Some may choose cremation because they think it’s easier, but Wittrock said that’s not necessarily the case.

“That doesn’t mean you’re done answering questions if you choose cremation. That probably means you have more questions to answer because there are more options with cremation,” Wittrock said.

One of the decisions is whether to hold a church service. In many funeral homes, the urn is present at the funeral service, but the family can also choose another option.

“You can still have the body embalmed, have it publicly viewed and then just have it cremated,” Wittrock said.

Then there is the option of dealing with the ashes. Some families choose to bury their loved one’s urn and mark it with a traditional headstone. Another option is to place your loved one’s cremated remains in an urn and then place them in a columbarium – which is a structure with niches in which urns are placed. Due to the trend, many cemeteries have been building more columbaria in recent years.

A columbarium at Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Cedar Rapids, IA.(KCRG)

The remains can even be used for memorial items such as stones, jewelry and small urns.

Wittrock said the cremation trend in Iowa is expected to continue to grow in the coming years.

“In states like California, 80 to 90% is already normal for them. Iowa is not at the forefront of some of these trends, but we will get there,” Wittrock said.

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