The best cremation provider in Iowa is one that answers your questions clearly, treats your loved one with dignity and puts its full price in writing. That is the standard licensed funeral director Rick Ramsey of Celebrate Life Iowa sets in Episode 10 of The Iowa Conversation. Celebrate Life Iowa has offices in West Des Moines and North Liberty and arranges cremation services for families statewide, from the Des Moines metro to Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Host Mike Downer asks Rick what families should look for, and Rick’s advice comes down to a few practical steps: ask who will care for your loved one, find out where the cremation will take place, compare complete prices and pay attention to how clearly the provider answers you.
The provider may perform the cremation at its own crematory or send your loved one to another facility, so ask which applies. Rick recommends asking whether the provider has an on-site crematory or uses another facility. If another business performs the cremation, ask who will transport your loved one, handle the required paperwork and return the cremated remains.
An outside crematory does not automatically mean poor care. It does mean another team is involved. Rick says that extra transfer may affect timing and cost: “That can not only cause a delay in the cremation, but it can also add additional charges to the cremation.” Families deserve to know who is responsible at each step, particularly if they chose a funeral home because they felt comfortable with its staff.
Ask the provider to walk you through the process in plain language. A caring funeral director should welcome questions about where your loved one will be cared for and when you can expect the cremated remains to be returned. Our guide to what happens during the cremation process explains each step.
Compare complete written prices, because a low advertised price is useful only if you know what it covers. Rick suggests calling two or three providers and asking each the same questions: What is included in direct cremation? Are transportation, mileage, paperwork, an obituary or a container extra? When will the family receive a complete price?
The Federal Trade Commission advises families to ask about transportation, death certificates and obituary costs when comparing funeral services. It also says funeral homes must answer price questions by phone and provide an itemized statement of the goods and services selected.
In the episode, Rick explains that Celebrate Life Iowa quotes any additional travel mileage before transportation begins. Because prices and circumstances can change, request a current written total for your family’s arrangements rather than relying on a price mentioned in a recording.
A statewide provider travels to bring your loved one into its care and should quote any mileage before transportation begins. Rick says Celebrate Life Iowa has offices in West Des Moines and North Liberty and can arrange transportation from any of the state’s 99 counties. Families on the eastern side of Iowa can also arrange to receive cremated remains in North Liberty.
If you live outside a provider’s usual service area, ask what happens next. Who will pick up your loved one? Is mileage charged in one direction or both? Where will the cremation take place, and what options do you have for receiving the remains? Clear answers help you compare statewide providers on equal terms.
Rick believes families should feel that their loved one will be treated with dignity and that every option has been explained. Listen for patience as well as answers. If a price is vague or a director will not explain who performs the cremation, you can keep looking.
You also have room to make a thoughtful choice. As Rick puts it, calling one funeral home does not mean you must use it. Speaking with a few providers may help you find someone you trust.
The FTC’s Funeral Rule explains your right to choose the goods and services you want. It also requires a written statement showing what you selected and its cost after arrangements are made. The best cremation provider in Iowa for your family is one that explains the process, puts the costs in writing and makes you feel confident about your loved one’s care.
For more guidance, watch the full episode of The Iowa Conversation on YouTube. Mike and Rick talk through the questions families can ask before choosing a provider, including crematory ownership, transportation and pricing. Their conversation offers a calm starting point when you need to make a decision during a difficult time.
Rick Ramsey of Celebrate Life Iowa says the best provider is one that answers questions clearly, treats your loved one with dignity, explains every option and puts its full price in writing.
Call two or three providers, ask each the same questions about the crematory, mileage, timing and total price, and choose the one that answers clearly and in writing.
No. Some funeral homes arrange cremation through another facility. Ask where the cremation will happen, who will perform it and whether the arrangement affects cost or timing.
Yes. The FTC requires funeral directors to provide price information by phone when you ask. You can compare providers before visiting one.
No. According to the FTC, providers offering cremation must make an alternative container available. Ask what container is included in the quoted price.
Yes. Under the Funeral Rule, a funeral provider cannot refuse an urn you bought elsewhere or charge a fee simply for using it.
It may. Ask the provider for its service radius, mileage rate and complete transportation charge before making arrangements.
Ask for the services and charges to be explained individually. Before agreeing to arrangements, review the written itemized statement and request corrections to anything you did not select.
Mike Downer: Hello, everybody, and welcome to The Iowa Conversation, brought to you by Celebrate Life Iowa. I am joined by Rick Ramsey, the ever-popular licensed funeral director who has been in this business for close to four decades now.
The reason I say that is because it has been 37 years, but before we got this podcast started, Rick and I were talking about the olden days. Sometimes we like to sit and reminisce about old stuff and what used to be.
How are we doing today, Rick?
Rick Ramsey: Doing fine. Thanks, Mike.
Mike Downer: Today, we’re going to be talking about what the best cremation provider in Iowa is, and what makes someone the best.
Cremation providers can range from national franchises to small local operators, so we’re going to cover what standards Iowa families should use to judge the quality of cremation and trustworthiness statewide within our state.
Direct answer first: this is opinion-based. We know that. But in your opinion, Rick, what makes a cremation provider the best across a whole state and not just in one city?
Rick Ramsey: I think families need to feel comfortable that the questions they are asking are being answered in a clear manner. They also need to feel comfortable that their loved one is going to be treated with respect and dignity.
They also want to feel that they have been made aware of all the options they have in their time of need.
Mike Downer: In your opinion, what separates the best provider from other ones? We won’t say anything bad.
Rick Ramsey: One of the first questions you’re going to want to ask is whether the funeral home you’ve selected has a crematory on-site. Is it their own crematory?
A lot of times, funeral homes don’t have a crematory, so they outsource that to another funeral home. That can not only cause a delay in the cremation, but it can also add additional charges to the cremation.
Mike Downer: I was going to ask you, what is the difference between a provider who owns their own crematory versus one who outsources it? I’m sure it’s more than just the cost.
What are the differences between a provider who actually owns their own crematory and a funeral home that outsources it? Is it about understanding how things need to be done? Can you walk me through the differences? I know there’s more than one.
Rick Ramsey: There is more than one. It puts another step into the funeral process. A funeral home that has a crematory on-site does everything in-house. That includes the paperwork, the cremation authorization, and the filing of the medical examiner’s permit.
If the funeral home you’ve selected doesn’t have a crematory on-site, that is all going to be left up to the funeral home that is actually doing the cremation. Again, it may cause a delay in when the cremation takes place, and it may also cause additional pricing.
Mike Downer: That makes complete sense. In addition to that, and maybe you can expand on this a little bit, if you have a crematory on-site, you’ve already talked to that staff. Compared to outsourcing it, that means the body goes somewhere else. Maybe you can expand on that a little bit as well.
Rick Ramsey: Some of that cost is going to be driven up because they would need to take your loved one from their funeral home to the crematory at another funeral home. Then, once the cremation has taken place, staff will need to go back to that funeral home to receive the remains and bring them back so they can return them to you.
That all takes time. It also creates more overhead expense, which is going to drive that cremation price up. It also takes the timing of when the cremation is going to take place out of the hands of the funeral home that is outsourcing the cremation and puts it into the hands of the funeral home where the cremation is actually taking place.
Mike Downer: In addition to that, we’ve discussed how you choose your funeral home or crematorium. You’ve chosen that provider because you feel comfortable with the staff.
If they outsource it, your loved one could be sent to someone you talked to before and didn’t feel comfortable with.
Rick Ramsey: That’s absolutely correct, Mike. Your loved one is being taken to another funeral home and another funeral director you’ve never had any contact with. Or, if you have had contact with them, you may have decided to go with somebody else.
Mike Downer: Right. That definitely is a positive because, like I said, when it comes to your loved one and how they’re being cared for in their last moments, it is genuinely so important. I don’t even have the words for how important that is.
Rick Ramsey: The family needs to feel comfortable that their loved one is being treated with compassion, respect, and dignity. That is something that may haunt them for the rest of their lives if they don’t feel comfortable with the funeral home they are using.
They should never feel like they can’t decide they would like another funeral home to take care of the cremation. Every funeral home in town works with other funeral homes. Those changes can occur, and it is not a problem at all.
Mike Downer: How does Celebrate Life Iowa’s statewide model actually work if a family lives outside the Des Moines metro?
Rick Ramsey: We’ll get the call that someone has passed, and we have an office in North Liberty. We also have an office in West Des Moines, and we can drive to all 99 counties to bring your loved one back here to the metro.
Once the cremation has taken place, if you live on the east side of the state, we are more than welcome to meet you in North Liberty to give those cremains back to you.
Mike Downer: Very cool. So if someone is as far away from Des Moines as they can get, like Decorah, Iowa, that is not a problem?
Rick Ramsey: No concern whatsoever. There will be a little bit of an additional charge for transportation mileage, but everything else will be quoted to you upfront before we ever make transportation. We want you to feel comfortable knowing this is our total price and there won’t be any add-ons.
Mike Downer: That’s good. Like we discussed in previous episodes, there are a lot of funeral homes where you’ll see an advertised price. We’ll just say it’s five dollars for easy math. Then they throw on an extra two bucks for transportation after it’s done. When you get the final bill, you’re asking, “What’s this for?” They didn’t tell you upfront.
Rick Ramsey: There are a lot of funeral homes where you’re getting one advertised price, and then once you sit down and go over all the itemized costs, it’s quite a bit more than what you expected.
Mike Downer: That should never be the case because the last thing you need in a time of grieving is unexpected expenses. That does not help.
Rick Ramsey: You’re absolutely right.
Mike Downer: I think that separates a good funeral home from one that isn’t quite so good.
Rick Ramsey: One that’s vague on pricing, not answering all your questions, not being upfront, and not willing to put their price in writing.
Mike Downer: Not being willing to put every cost in writing is, again, going back a few episodes, a red flag.
Rick Ramsey: It is. You shouldn’t have any surprises. You should know right upfront, itemized by service, what everything is going to cost.
Mike Downer: How should someone weigh cost, speed, and communication when comparing different providers?
Rick Ramsey: If you’re price shopping, you want to ask questions about whether there are going to be any add-ons.
At Celebrate Life, our total package price is $1,295 as long as the death has occurred within our 30-mile radius. There will be a little bit of an add-on if we need to go farther. I mentioned Decorah earlier. However, you’re going to know what that mileage cost is upfront.
We always ask families, if they would like to price compare, to call two or three other funeral homes. Just make sure you’re asking the same questions about mileage and timing.
You need to feel like your questions have been answered clearly, and that there won’t be any add-ons based on whether you’re coming into the funeral home or whether you’d like an obituary written. Those questions should be asked upfront, and you need to feel like they’ve been answered clearly.
Mike Downer: Very good. I think that’s great advice.
What are the most common mistakes families make when choosing quickly and under pressure? I know a lot of families feel the need to rush. What are the most common mistakes that happen when you feel like you’re under pressure and decide too quickly?
Rick Ramsey: One of the biggest mistakes is that they may Google who has the lowest-cost cremation, and then they get to the funeral home and find that the advertised price isn’t the price they’re actually being quoted.
A second mistake they may make is not asking whether the funeral home has its own crematory on-site, whether that funeral home is going to be doing all the paperwork, or whether they’re going to outsource it.
Third is how comfortable of a fit they feel with that funeral home and crematory.
Mike Downer: Basically, just because you called somebody doesn’t mean that’s who you have to go with. Just because it was your first call and you want to rush through it and get it done, you should still take a little bit of time.
Rick Ramsey: You have some time. Feel free to call two or three. By the time you’ve called two, three, or maybe four funeral homes in town, you’re going to have talked with someone you feel comfortable with and that feels like a good fit.
Mike Downer: Very good. That’s all really good advice. The whole thing is to make sure your loved one is being cared for in a manner that you feel comfortable with.
Rick Ramsey: I agree. You’ll know when you’re speaking with a funeral director you feel good about.
Mike Downer: Very good. As always, if you have any questions, even if you’re pre-planning or anything like that, always call Celebrate Life Iowa. Rick will be more than happy to walk you through the process honestly and compassionately.
That’s why I really enjoy my talks with Celebrate Life Iowa. They definitely care for your family and your family’s needs.
As always, Rick, I enjoy our conversations. Thanks for answering the hard questions for everybody, and I look forward to the next time we get to chat.
Rick Ramsey: Thanks, Mike.
Mike Downer: Take care, Rick.
Rick Ramsey: You too.
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