Choosing cremation is only one part of the final arrangement. Families must also decide where the remains will go, who will care for them, and how they can become part of a lasting tribute. In the recent episode of The Iowa Conversation, host Mike Downer speaks with Rick Ramsey, a licensed funeral director at Celebrate Life Iowa, about what can you do with cremated remains after the cremation is complete.
The key takeaway is that families have far more choices than simply keeping one urn at home. Remains may be buried, placed in a columbarium, divided among relatives, incorporated into jewelry, used in a memorial garden, or scattered where permission has been obtained. Ramsey also emphasizes the importance of making a long-term plan so future generations are not left with remains they do not know how to handle.
Families should make a long-term plan because the person who initially receives the remains may not always be able to care for them. An urn may stay with a spouse or child for years, but it can eventually pass to grandchildren or great-grandchildren who did not personally know the deceased.
Ramsey explains that an arrangement may work well for the first five or ten years, but families should also think about what will happen twenty or thirty years later. A written plan can name the person responsible for the remains and explain whether they should eventually be buried, scattered, divided, or placed in a permanent memorial location.
Making that decision in advance reduces uncertainty and gives future relatives clear guidance.
Cremated remains may be scattered in Iowa when the family follows state rules, applicable local ordinances, cemetery requirements, and property restrictions. Iowa regulations generally do not allow scattering on public property without authorization or on private property without the owner’s consent.
This means families should obtain permission before using land they do not own. Parks, nature preserves, and other public spaces may have their own approval process or restrictions. National parks commonly require a permit or written authorization, and individual parks may limit where a ceremony can take place.
Some cemeteries also maintain designated scattering gardens. These areas provide a recognized memorial location while allowing families to scatter rather than bury the remains.
An urn can often be placed in a cemetery through ground burial, a columbarium niche, or an existing family burial space. The available choices depend on the cemetery’s policies and the dimensions of the urn.
A columbarium is a structure containing individual niches designed to hold urns. For example, municipal cemeteries may set specific limits on niche dimensions and the number of cremations permitted in each space.
Some cemeteries offer smaller plots specifically for urn burial. Others may allow an urn to be buried in the same full-size plot as a spouse or another relative. A protective vault may be required to keep the ground from settling around the urn.
Families can select an urn based on the loved one’s interests, personality, style, or family traditions. A wood urn featuring wildlife may suit someone who enjoyed hunting or fishing, while a decorated porcelain urn may reflect another person’s taste.
The container does not always need to be a traditional urn. During the episode, Ramsey explains that families may bring in a personally meaningful container and ask the funeral home to transfer the remains into it.
The emotional meaning of the container is often more important than its price. A simple family keepsake can feel just as personal as an elaborate memorial piece.
Cremated remains can be divided among multiple relatives when the authorized family members agree. Portions may be placed in several keepsake urns, jewelry pieces, charms, or other approved containers.
This option can be helpful when siblings live in different states or several relatives want a personal memorial. Families do not have to choose between giving all the remains to one person and scattering everything in one location.
A funeral professional can complete the transfer carefully and help each relative choose a properly sized keepsake.
Creative memorial options include necklaces, bracelets, charms, memorial diamonds, trees, gardens, and customized containers. Jewelry typically holds a very small portion of the remains, allowing someone to keep a loved one close without storing a full-size urn.
Families may also create a living memorial on private property by planting a tree or establishing a garden. Before placing remains directly into soil, it can be helpful to consult a nursery or horticultural professional about soil conditions and the selected plant.
Memorial diamonds are another option. A specialized company uses material associated with the remains to produce a laboratory-created stone, although costs and processing times vary considerably.
Ultimately, deciding what can you do with cremated remains should involve both personal meaning and long-term practicality. Celebrate Life Iowa can help families explore these choices even when the cremation was completed by another provider.
Yes. Families may keep cremated remains at home in an urn or another suitable container. They should also document who will assume responsibility for them in the future.
Yes, unless you own the property. Iowa rules require the property owner’s consent before remains are scattered on privately owned land.
Possibly, but permission may be required. Contact the park authority before the ceremony because local, state, and federal properties can have different rules.
Many cemeteries allow an urn to be added to an existing burial plot, but the cemetery must approve the placement and may require a vault.
Yes. Small portions can be placed in specially designed necklaces, bracelets, rings, or charms.
Yes. Celebrate Life Iowa can discuss urn transfers, burial, scattering, keepsakes, and other memorial options even if another provider handled the cremation.
Yes. Written instructions can identify who will receive the remains and explain the preferred final arrangement, reducing confusion or disagreements later.
Mike Downer: Hi, everybody. I’m your host, Mike Downer, and this is the Iowa Conversation, brought to you by Celebrate Life Iowa. Today, I’m joined once again by Rick Ramsey, Licensed Funeral Director at Celebrate Life Iowa. How are we doing today, Rick?
Rick Ramsey: Doing well. Thanks, Mike.
Mike Downer: Good to hear. Today’s big question is one a lot of people have: they’ve made the decision to be cremated, and now they want to know what to do with cremated remains.
Today, we’re going to be discussing the legal and meaningful options for cremated remains, and how Iowa families can honor their loved one’s legacy after cremation.
So, where can families legally scatter cremated remains in Iowa?
Rick Ramsey: Mike, they have all kinds of options here within the state. They may go to the waterways, or they may go to private ground. Scattering the cremains isn’t the only option available to families.
I do want to interject here before we get started with all the different options. I think it’s very important to remember that once someone has been cremated, you may be thinking, “My children or my spouse will take care of my cremains.”
The challenge that families sometimes run into is that it may be fine for the first five or ten years, but you need to have a plan in place for the next twenty or thirty years. Maybe your great-grandchildren will end up with your cremains, and if someone hasn’t made a decision about the final disposition of your remains, they may reach a point where they’re not quite sure what to do with them.
Mike Downer: Right. And that’s kind of what we’re talking about today. I’ll be real honest with you: if I had my great-great-grandpa’s remains here right now, I never met the guy. I never met my great-grandpa. I’m not trying to be mean. They would mean something to me, but not enough that I would want to keep them in my house.
So that’s kind of what we’re going through today: figuring this out.
What should families know about scattering ashes on Iowa’s waterways, public land, and private property?
Rick Ramsey: On private property, you’re not going to run into any issues or concerns. Waterways are generally the same. If you’re in a park, you can certainly check with the park rules and regulations to see what their requirements are.
I don’t think you’re going to run into many concerns or issues on the legal side, but if you’re scattering in a park, there may be different guidelines. I would check with the park service to see what their requirements are.
There are also cemeteries here within the state that have scattering gardens. They may have a plot within the cemetery designated specifically for scattering remains.
Mike Downer: Okay. See, I learned something new today. Look at how smart you are.
What are the options for placing an urn in a cemetery columbarium?
Rick Ramsey: You have the option of a columbarium, meaning the urn goes into a wall niche. You also have the option of interring the urn in the ground.
Some cemeteries allow you to inter the urn in a plot specifically sized for that urn. Other cemeteries may allow you to place the urn with a loved one who has already been buried in a full-size space.
So, you have different options for the interment of the urn, either in the ground, in a wall columbarium, or in a full-size plot with someone who has already been buried.
Mike Downer: Okay. That’s quite a wide range of options.
When we’re talking about urns, what types of urns can families choose for keeping cremated remains at home? What are the best options? I’m sure there are several, so maybe you could walk us through the different types of urns.
Rick Ramsey: You’re probably going to want to select an urn that matches your loved one’s personality.
Let’s say it was for your father, and he was an outdoorsman, a hunter, or a fisherman. Then you might go with an oak urn. I’m looking at one right in front of me that has a couple of ducks flying into the horizon.
If it was for your mom, maybe you would go with a decorated white porcelain urn that is a little taller and a little more feminine.
Mike Downer: That makes sense. Ryan and I had this discussion. I don’t know if he told you about it, but I’ve got a 1.75-liter bottle of Jack Daniel’s that Ryan said he’d be more than happy to put me in. I’m also collecting little airplane bottles of Jack Daniel’s.
So at my celebration of life, or whatever we choose to do, you know how when you go to a birthday party and get a little party gift? Everybody is going to get a little Jack Daniel’s bottle of me as a party gift when they leave.
Rick Ramsey: Mike, I’ve got to tell you, my wish is that I’m going to have a traditional funeral service, and then cremation will follow. After the cremation, my cremains will be entrusted to one of my children. They’re going to go out, dig a hole, put those cremains in the hole, and plant apple seeds.
That way, when that apple tree grows up through my cremains and people are eating apples, they’re going to have a little bit of me in them.
Mike Downer: That is awesome. Especially if you put it on a family piece of land. That would be great.
Rick Ramsey: Yep.
Mike Downer: So Grandpa or Great-Grandpa is always with them. I love that. Actually, I like everything about that. Mine are going into Jack Daniel’s bottles, so mine isn’t as sweet.
Rick Ramsey: Urns aren’t the only options here. We also sell jewelry, such as necklaces and bracelets, that can hold cremains. People are able to wear them twenty-four seven and keep Mom, Dad, or another loved one close.
Mike Downer: What about charms? My wife has a Pandora bracelet. Can you do that too?
Rick Ramsey: You bet. We have all kinds of charms and options here. That doesn’t mean you have to select jewelry from here. You can certainly bring in, as you said with your Jack Daniel’s bottle, any type of container. We’re more than happy to transfer cremains into any type of container.
Mike Downer: Beautiful. I love the options. I love the open-mindedness. I love that you can turn something grief-stricken into something a little bit fun and enlightening. I don’t mean to use that word lightly, but I’ve said this to Ryan, and he said, “You’re not wrong.”
Rick Ramsey: No, I agree. One of the things that’s really nice is that you can bring in something that, as far as monetary value goes, has absolutely no value, but it can be a complete keepsake to you.
Or you could choose an option all the way up to ten or fifteen thousand dollars and have your loved one’s cremains made into a diamond.
Mike Downer: Yeah, I love the options. Like I said, I like turning something grief-stricken into something enlightening and positive.
Rick Ramsey: I think it’s also important to remember that cremains can be divided up three or four ways, or as many ways as needed, depending on how many family members would like a portion of the cremains. They don’t all have to go into one urn. They can be divided into four or five separate holding pieces.
Mike Downer: Absolutely.
How can families create a memorial garden or living tribute using cremated remains, other than planting an apple tree?
Rick Ramsey: On their own private land, they are not governed by any Iowa laws, regulations, or restrictions whatsoever.
Again, as far as the apple tree goes, you can place the cremains, scatter them, or bury them. Some cemeteries do have regulations. For example, if you’re going to bury remains, the urn may need to go inside a vault.
That vault isn’t necessarily to protect the urn. It’s more to make sure the ground around the urn doesn’t fall in.
But if you’re on your own private land and starting your own memorial garden, you’re only bound by your own creativity.
Mike Downer: Perfect.
We’ve touched on this just a little bit, but are you able to help with turning remains into a memorial diamond or wearable keepsake? Are you able to help with that path, and do you do that there?
Rick Ramsey: We certainly do. As far as turning cremains into a diamond, we would need to send those off. There is a company that would give us a price quote on how long it would take and what the price would be. Then we would send those off.
As far as charms, jewelry, necklaces, and bracelets, we have options here. They all have a charm that allows us to place a small amount of remains inside.
Mike Downer: Perfect. That’s a big deal because if you’re going to turn your loved one into a diamond, which I think is just the coolest idea, the fact that you’re able to help orchestrate that, or basically orchestrate it for them, is a big relief. They don’t have to try to figure it out themselves.
Rick Ramsey: The diamond package is somewhere between $2,500 and $10,000. On the flip side, if you’re looking at jewelry, bracelets, charms, and necklaces, all of our necklaces and bracelets start at $59, so they’re very affordable.
Mike Downer: One hundred percent. That’s incredible. Again, I like the fact that you’re able to orchestrate everything from a $59 option all the way up to a $10,000 option.
With me, turning me into a diamond might cost more than ten grand. I’m kind of a fat guy. I’m a big dude, but my wife would have a big diamond.
I like to make fun of myself a little bit. Again, you have to take the lighter side of things every now and then.
So, we can wind this up here a little bit. You’ve been very informative on what to do and what not to do with cremated remains.
Can cremated remains be divided among multiple family members in Iowa?
Rick Ramsey: You bet. As long as everyone is in agreement, we can divide those cremains into as many portions as needed. We’re more than happy to do that.
Whether you had the cremation here or not, however Celebrate Life can help, we’re willing to help.
Mike Downer: You brought up another question, and I know it isn’t one on our list of things to discuss today, but I’m going to bring it up anyway because it’s probably something a lot of people would like to know.
Say someone has the box with the bag inside, and they’ve just never known what to do with it. They’re sitting here watching this and thinking, “They can help with what I already have?”
So you’re saying you can help someone with cremains they have been holding and haven’t known what to do with?
Rick Ramsey: Oh, you bet. If someone out there has inherited a set of cremains and they’re just not quite sure what to do or what their options are, the fact that we didn’t do the actual cremation here at Celebrate Life makes no difference.
There’s no charge. If you want to come in, sit down, and see what your options are and what the best fit is for you, whether it’s transferring cremains into an urn, helping set up interment of the cremains, or even scattering them, come on in.
My name is Rick. I’d be more than happy to sit down with you and discuss options.
Mike Downer: Rick, you guys are amazing. I love everything that you do. I like the fact that your name says it all: Celebrate Life Iowa.
It is a very difficult time in people’s lives, and from talking to Ryan quite a bit, and now talking with you quite a bit, I like the fact that you try to make it an easier transition process for the family.
I just love that. You guys are amazing, and I encourage everyone to give you a call and get a pre-plan done. It’s one thing off your bucket list, and it gives you nice peace of mind. It’s one less thing to weigh on your mind at night when you’re going to sleep.
Rick Ramsey: I agree, Mike. I agree completely.
Mike Downer: All right. Well, Rick, it’s been great, and I’m sure we’ll talk again soon. I know Ryan is going to be chomping at the bit to get his pretty little face up there again too.
Maybe sometime we’ll have to do one with both of you together and let you both talk at the same time. I think that would be kind of fun.
Rick Ramsey: I agree. Mike, thank you for all your help. I look forward to speaking with you again.
Mike Downer: All right. Thanks a lot, and we’ll talk soon. Take care. Bye-bye.
Rick Ramsey: Take care.
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