Burns-Kish Funeral Homes

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Burns-Kish Funeral Homes

Burns-Kish Funeral Home has been family owned for four generations, and is the premier funeral home
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04/22/2026

“It’s not just an urn.
It’s how a life is remembered.”

Every family chooses differently—
and that’s exactly how it should be.

We’re here to guide you, every step of the way

04/22/2026

“It’s not just an urn.
It’s how a life is remembered.”

Every family chooses differently—
and that’s exactly how it should be.

We’re here to guide you every step of the way

04/19/2026

Burns-Kish Funeral Homes would love to wish all of you a day filled with peace and love…

04/18/2026

Friday delivery! Congratulations to Burns-Kish Funeral Homes on upgrading their fleet with this beautiful Cadillac Platinum Phoenix! Big thank you to Brian Burns for choosing to work with American Coach 🇺🇸

04/17/2026

04/16/2026

What if grief isn’t something to get over?

It softens, it deepens…
and sometimes it surprises you when you least expect it.

But what remains is love.

Not something to “move on” from—
but something we carry forward,
in quiet moments, memories, and the lives we continue to live.

At Burns-Kish, we honor every story, every memory, every love that never really leaves.

04/15/2026

Not all urns are the same… and they don’t have to be 🤍

From something traditional to something deeply personal,
every choice is a reflection of a life, a story, a love.

We’re here to guide you—gently, with care.

✨ If you had to choose, what would feel most meaningful to you?

04/14/2026

04/12/2026

Music has a way of saying what the heart struggles to put into words.
A single melody can bring back a lifetime, offer comfort, and gently hold the space where love and memories live on.

Every life has a soundtrack — and every note becomes part of the story we gather to honor. 🎶✨

04/11/2026

At the only Burns-Kish Funeral Homes, we understand that every life tells a unique story. Our commitment is to honor those stories with compassion, dignity, and care, supporting families through every step of remembrance.

Whether you’re planning ahead or navigating a difficult time, we’re here to provide guidance, comfort, and personalized services that truly celebrate your loved one’s legacy.

Serving our community with respect, empathy, and professionalism. Two convenient locations in Hammond and Munster (Calumet and Ridge).

04/07/2026

Mary G. Kowalski
December 17, 1927 - April 6, 2026

https://www.burnskish.com/obituaries/Mary-G-Kowalski?obId=48060096

Address

8415 Calumet Avenue
Munster, IN
46321

Telephone

+12198365000

Website

http://www.burnskish.com/

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Munster’s Most Established Family-Owned Funeral Home

An Interview with Owner/Manager Brian Burns

Brian Burns, Owner and Manager of Burns-Kish Funeral Homes in Munster and Hammond, Indiana, has been in the family business for over 30 years. He started working for his Dad, Tom Burns, at age 13, washing cars and cleaning. Brian took over Burns-Kish at the beginning of January, 2017. He’s a fourth generation Funeral Director. Here he sits down with Emily Halgrimson for a chat.

EH: Did you enjoy working for your Dad, Tom Burns? What was he like as a boss?

BB: Sure, he was easy going and generous, yet firm. He taught me how to do things the right way, no shortcuts. He’s always been a real people-oriented and friendly guy. He’s been active with churches and community groups for decades, everyone in town knows Tom Burns.

What kind of training did you have to become a Funeral Director? I went to Worsham College of Mortuary Science north of Chicago when I was 20, it was the top-rated school in the Midwest at the time. They have a two-year program that gives you a Bachelor’s Degree in Mortuary Science. You take classes on embalming, restorative art, legal issues related the funeral industry, business classes and more. To become a licensed Funeral Director, you have to pass national and state exams and complete a one-year internship. Even now I have to take continuing education classes each year to keep my license in good standing.

What is a typical day for you as a full-time Director? We wear many hats. My staff and I take turns being on call all night, we can get death calls at any time. During the day there are funerals to prepare for, and we have to make sure everything’s in place. Every service is different and details are important. If there’s no service we are often meeting with families who had a death to arrange their services. There’s always paperwork – insurance claims, bills, death certificates, and lots of scheduling with churches, cremations, florists, cemeteries etc. There are a lot of moving parts behind the scenes for each service.

How you do handle the grief of people day in and day out? I have to detach myself to some extent. When it’s someone older it’s not that hard, it’s just the natural cycle of life. When it’s a younger person it’s much more difficult, but you need to maintain composure so you can be a point of strength for the families who are in distress. It’s important for us to step up as leaders when people are making arrangements, so the families can grieve. We take care of them in that way.

What’s the most unique funeral you’ve ever held? We had service for an American Indian a long time ago. Their ritual was really different, everyone gathered in a large circle and they had a talking stick that they passed around. The person who had the stick would share stories about the individual’s life. The ashes were in the middle of the circle along with objects important to the person, like a shrine to their memory. It was beautiful.

You’ve observed hundreds of religious services over the decades. What have you learned from that? All the religions seem to have a common theme when it comes to death, that there is an afterlife and the deceased person is there and at peace. That gives the family and friends hope that they will meet again, and gives them comfort.

Do you hope you son takes over the business? Yes, it’d be nice to continue the Burns Family legacy into the fifth generation. There’s a sense of pride there, and family history.

When you die, will you be buried or cremated? Why? I’ll be buried. It’s a personal choice, most of my family members have been buried. The Burns family is all buried together, I want to be a part of that.

What do you want your funeral service to include? Lots of beer (laughter). I want it to be a celebration of my life. A memorial DVD of family photos and some nice jazz, reggae or blues would be nice. Just a simple celebration of life with the people I love.

What do you wish people knew about Burns-Kish when they come to you to plan a service? That we’re a family business, and that we take great pride and care in planning their service and caring for their loved one. Funerals can be whatever they want them to be, we can really can make whatever they want happen. All in all, we are here to help them find closure and peace as they say goodbye. It’s a privilege to help people in that way, and we take it very seriously.

Burns-Kish Funeral Homes

04/22/2026

04/22/2026

04/19/2026

04/18/2026

04/17/2026

04/16/2026

04/15/2026

04/14/2026

04/12/2026

04/11/2026

04/07/2026

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Munster’s Most Established Family-Owned Funeral Home