Future Need

Plan Ahead

We encourage you to make your death and burial arrangements before they need to be implemented, so that your final wishes are clearly understood by your family and friends. Have honest conversations now. When the time comes to honor your final requests, your loved ones will be grateful to you for this guidance.

Include a tour of Heritage Acres in your preparations. To schedule a visit and make your burial plans, give us a call at (513)-231-8634.Below are some other steps you can take to get your final wishes in place. Once you have your affairs in order, be sure to let everyone who will be involved know what you want – especially as it relates to green burial, as they may be less familiar with this option. Keep copies of all your paperwork in safe location or a legacy drawer.

Complete Your Will

By completing and signing a will, you clarify your intentions around the distribution of your estate. This is a very important document that every adult needs to complete. To learn more, contact your lawyer, or consult the website of your state bar association. For Ohio, please review Ohio Bar Association’s Law Facts: Wills.

Note that wills should be reviewed periodically – and sometimes require updating – so even if you already have a will, it is a good idea to take a look at it now, to see if there is anything you want to change.

Complete Your Advanced Care Directives

Advanced care planning will ensure that your health care and body disposition preferences are honored. These include a “living will,” a health-care power of attorney, and more. OhioHealth’s Advance Directives Packet is a good resource if you are living in Ohio.

Note that advanced care directives also should be reviewed occasionally, and sometimes need updating. Even if you already have completed one or more directives, it is a good idea to take a look at them now, to see if there is anything you want to change.

Choose a Burial Site

You can pre-purchase burial rights at Heritage Acres, including selecting a specific burial location. Or, if you prefer, you may make a decision about your exact burial location later, or even allow family members to do so. Whatever you choose, simply call us at 513-231-6438 to arrange a tour of our burial meadow and woodlands, and discuss your options.

Burial Payment

We offer a variety of options for burial, including both full body green burial and cremation burial in our meadow, as well as cremation burial in our woodlands. We encourage you to make pre-arrangements and to pre-purchase burial rights. Survivors can also contact us at (513) 231-6438 with at-need burial inquiries or view our pricing page for more information.

Choose a Burial Container

Many different options of biodegradable burial containers are available to the public. Caskets can range from beautiful natural wood and the traditional “pine box” to lovely woven caskets made of bamboo, wicker, seagrass and more. Shrouds have been associated with human burial for millennia. Natural urns and other containers for ashes offer a variety of choices. Whether you are choosing a body burial or a cremation burial, all materials in the burial container must be biodegradable. Please view our burial containers page for more information about your options.

Funeral Home or Home Funeral?

Many people are unaware that a “home funeral” is an option they could have. A home funeral is a family-directed funeral in which the rituals and care of the body are carried out by family members, friends, loved ones, and/or home funeral guides. Usually, a home funeral – which is perfectly legal in Ohio – occurs at a private residence. A home funeral may last a few hours to a few days. For more information, consult the National Home Funeral Alliance

Plan Your Ceremony

Burials at Heritage Acres are as unique as each individual life. Families may wish to create a ceremony that reflects the personality of their loved one. Talk with your beloveds about what you’d like your funeral to look like (or not to look like). Some people prefer a more conventional burial ceremony, while others want something more distinctive. We offer multiple options for a burial ceremony depending on you and your family’s wishes.

Words from the Green Burial Council

What Else Can You Do?

Have conversations with friends and family members about death and dying. Attend a Death Café or Death Over Dinner event.

Read these books:

• Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, by Caitlin Doughty (Amazon)
• Grave Matters: A Journey Through the Modern Funeral Industry to a Natural Way of Burial, by Mark Harris (Amazon)
• Greening Death, by Suzanne Kelly (Amazon)
• The Green Burial Guidebook, by Elizabeth Fournier (Amazon)
• Going Out Green, by Bob Butz (Amazon)

Pricing List

Grave Digging / Preparation Fee

(payable only at time of service)

• (body burial) - $750
• (ashes burial - includes soil amendment) - $250
• (pets) - $100

Burial Rights for Pets

$500

(includes burial of a deceased pet’s body or ashes in a section of Heritage Acres designated for pets)

Natural Stone Grave Markers

$400 - $600

(optional engraved memorial stone sourced and installed by Heritage Acres staff with price variable based on engraving features)

Most burial containers, shrouds, and urns must be obtained and provided by the person or persons making burial arrangements. Heritage Acres will make available a list of recommended businesses, vendors and craftspeople who make and sell these products. The only burial container available for purchase from Heritage Acres is our cremation casket (listed above).

The body or ashes should arrive at Heritage Acres ready for burial or inurnment; transportation is the responsibility of the person or persons making burial arrangements. Heritage Acres can provide recommendations regarding transportation but is not responsible for transportation to the Sanctuary.

Obituaries and announcements are the responsibility of the person or persons making burial arrangements. Any desired graveside or other memorial services also must be arranged and paid for separately by the person or persons making burial arrangements. There may be times when Heritage Acres staff or volunteers can assist with graveside or memorial services, but no express commitment is made herein to provide such services.