Hughes Funeral Alternatives at Hillcrest Abbey Cemetery

04/17/2026

We love being involved in our community, thanks Last Call + With Love ❤️

🎉 Shoutout to our Round Sponsor: Funeral Alternatives at Hillcrest Abbey Cemetery . We couldn’t do this without amazing community partners like them.

Their support helps fuel a night full of connection, conversation, and a little friendly competition—all in support of keeping Last Call free for all 💛

Hughes Funeral Alternatives offers a modern, compassionate approach to end-of-life care, focusing on simplicity, transparency, and personalization. They provide affordable Aquamation and funeral options that honor each individual without unnecessary complexity or cost. With a commitment to dignity and choice, Hughes Funeral Alternatives helps families create meaningful experiences that reflect what matters most.

04/13/2026

Win a Free dinner out on us!
PHOTO CONTEST!
Come out and enjoy the springtime beauty at historic Hillcrest Abbey! Take your pick of our columbarium, Missouri's first crematory, the rad 70's chapel and mausoleum or our graveyard. Email us your best shot for a chance to win a $50 gift card to the restaurant of your choice! Contest open from April 10th to 24th!


*all photos submitted may be used by HFA in future projects. Submission deadline is 4/24/2026. Good luck!

01/27/2026

One of our families found an amazing way to memorialize their loved one.

Parting Stones are a method of solidifying cremated remains. Our family painted their loved one's stones with these beautiful designs and colors.

We're so grateful to be a tiny part of this incredible, creative, and colorful healing journey. ❤️

01/02/2026

The old columbarium at Hillcrest is an incredible example of mortuary architecture.

The first floor has high ceilings (third picture), with a spiral staircase that descends into a basement level with some of the most prominent names of STL history.

12/09/2025

No filter necessary, the new chapel just looks this stunning in the morning light. 🌞

11/14/2025

What's a burial vault, and when might you need one?

Burial vaults fall under the category of "outer burial containers" - any structure encasing the casket when it goes into the earth. Outer burial containers can be as simple as grave liners - unfinished concrete slabs that sit around the casket - or they can be as opulent as air sealed burial vaults that lock around the casket.

The purpose of an outer burial container is primarily to support the earthload that surrounds and sets on top of the casket. This prevents the grave from sinking in over time, and also simplifies lawn care for the groundskeepers. Sealed burial vaults may delay the natural progression of decomposition, but it is impossible for any casket or burial container to indefinitely postpone the onset of decomposition.

According to the FTC, outer burial containers are not required by state law anywhere in the U.S.. That said, individual cemeteries may have their own policies, and they may require the use of outer burial containers.

Requirements can vary based on where exactly in the cemetery the grave is located, so if you have your heart set on a specific area of a cemetery, be sure to let them know.

📸Courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

11/11/2025

Today, we thank and honor the servicemen and women who served our country, as well their families who sacrificed so much.

With love from us at Hughes FA. 🤍

11/06/2025

Did you know that Hillcrest Abbey is still an active cemetery?

In addition to our Garden of Renewal (for cremated remains), our historic columbarium and our crypt spaces, we also have a lawn cemetery for more traditional burials.

Reach out for more info about our many resting options: 314-250-8433.

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween from all of us at Hughes Funeral Alternatives! 🎃

10/29/2025

☎️What can you expect during the first call with a funeral home after someone passes away?

📝During that first call, the funeral home will need some basic info:
• The name of the deceased,
• Their current location,
• Confirmation that you want the funeral home to take charge of the deceased's care.

🏡The funeral home may also ask about physical logistics:
• Does the home have stairs?
• Is there a narrow entryway?
• About how much does the deceased weigh?

This information helps the funeral home best prepare for each situation.

🗂️Usually, you won't need the detailed information (like vital statistics, funeral arrangement decisions) until you actually meet with the funeral director. For the first call, the funeral director's priority is ensuring that they have your permission to take custody of the deceased, and then bringing them into the funeral home's care.

🙋‍♀️As always though, if you have any questions along the way, ask your funeral director.

10/22/2025

Ever wondered how funeral homes keep track of who's who?

As soon as someone comes into our care, they get assigned a tracking number. This number follows them through every step of the way.

For folks who are aquamated at our facility, they are also given one of these discs (pictured), so we can verify identity even after the aquamation process happens. The aquamated remains get returned to the family, along with this disc.

We keep our files with tracking numbers in perpetuity, in the event that we ever need to pull up a years-old case for the family or for state inspections.

Having multiple layers of identity verification helps us be confident in the day-to-day work we do!

10/09/2025

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