In 1984, J. Gayle King, founder of St. Louis Cremation, felt area funeral homes were charging way too much to grieving families. Having started his professional career in the funeral industry, by washing cars for a local funeral home, he knew the prices did not have to be that high.

Since then, St. Louis Cremation has grown to its current status as Missouri’s oldest and largest provider of cremation services, by following the mission to go beyond what is expected, providing a meaningful experience for every person in the community, treating everyone with the same compassion we do our own family members. Operating near historic Lafayette Square in downtown St. Louis, St. Louis Cremation continues to grow year after year following that simple goal.

Gayle, a licensed funeral director and embalmer, brought his sons into the business, Oliver in 2000 and Justin in 2006. Thanks to Oliver & Justin carrying on the family tradition of respecting families wishes during a time of grief, and never having hidden fees, Gayle has been able to retire and live in Phoenix full time. It was during that transition that St. Louis Cremation, which previously extended its services primarily to other funeral homes, expanded its services to the public.

As a licensed funeral home, St. Louis Cremation can do much more than the name implies. Its services, more extensive than typical funeral homes, include on-site cremation, transportation of donated remains to medical schools, traditional burial services, and veterans services, to name a few.

Not all funeral homes can offer on-site services (especially with regard to cremation), but St. Louis Cremation can, ensuring that your loved one never leaves our care. On-site cremation services and a goal to reduce funeral costs are just two of the many reasons you’ll want to discover more about St. Louis Cremation, whose mission statement is: “To go beyond what is expected, providing a meaningful experience for every person in the community, treating everyone with the same compassion we do our own family members.”