“Did Dad ever tell anyone what he wanted?”
Nobody answers.
You ask your brother.
He doesn’t know.
Your sister vaguely remembers Dad saying something about cremation twenty years ago, but she isn’t sure whether he was serious.
You look through paperwork.
Nothing.
And now, at one of the hardest moments your family has faced, somebody has to decide:
Burial or cremation?
If this is your family, you are far from alone.
Does Ross Funerals provide both burial and cremation?
Yes.
Ross Funerals arranges both burial and cremation for families throughout Hervey Bay, Maryborough and the Fraser Coast.
Its Hervey Bay facility, Fraser Coast Crematorium & Bayside Memorial Gardens, includes a crematorium, large chapel and extensive memorial gardens. Ross Funerals also has facilities in Maryborough and can arrange funeral services at churches, cemeteries and other suitable venues.
So the first thing to understand is that you don’t need to know the answer before contacting a funeral director.
You can discuss the options first.
Start with what you do know
If Mum never explicitly said “I want to be cremated”, that doesn’t necessarily mean you know nothing about her wishes.
Think more broadly.
Did she ever talk about where her parents were buried?
Was there an existing family grave?
Did she visit a particular cemetery?
Did she ever mention wanting her ashes somewhere?
Did religious or cultural traditions matter to her?
What did she say after attending other funerals?
Sometimes families discover that the clues were there, even though nobody ever sat down for a formal funeral conversation.
What is the difference between burial and cremation?
With burial, the person is laid to rest in a grave or other approved burial location.
With cremation, the person is cremated and the ashes are subsequently returned or memorialised according to the arrangements made.
But here’s where people sometimes become confused:
The funeral service and the method of committal are not the same decision.
Choosing cremation doesn’t mean you can’t have a funeral.
Ross Funerals offers traditional and personalised funeral services alongside both burial and cremation options.
A family choosing cremation can still gather in a chapel, have music, flowers, readings, a eulogy and all the other elements that matter to them.
What happens after cremation?
This is worth thinking about before making the decision.
What would you like to happen with the ashes?
Some families choose a memorial garden.
Some keep an urn.
Some scatter ashes somewhere meaningful, subject to any applicable requirements.
Others create a permanent memorial.
Ross Funerals assists with memorials, including memorials for cemeteries and crematorium gardens, and Fraser Coast Crematorium & Bayside Memorial Gardens provides landscaped memorial gardens at its Hervey Bay location.
You don’t necessarily need to have every detail decided immediately.
But understanding the possibilities can help.
Why might a family choose burial?
For some families, burial is important because it provides a permanent physical place to visit.
There may already be a family grave.
Religious or cultural traditions may favour burial.
Or the person may simply have expressed that preference during their lifetime.
A grave can become a place where family members visit, leave flowers and remember anniversaries.
For some people, having that physical location matters enormously.
Why might a family choose cremation?
Other families prefer cremation.
It may reflect the person’s wishes.
It may offer flexibility around memorialisation.
Family members may live in different places.
Or cremation may simply feel more consistent with the kind of farewell they believe the person would have wanted.
Ross Funerals has operated Fraser Coast Crematorium & Bayside Memorial Gardens since 1996, providing cremation facilities in Hervey Bay alongside its funeral and memorial services.
Neither option is inherently more meaningful.
Meaning comes from what the choice represents to the family.
What if siblings disagree?
This can be difficult.
One person is certain Dad would have wanted burial.
Another is equally certain he wanted cremation.
Try to separate:
“This is what I would want”
from:
“This is what Dad would have wanted.”
Go back through what you know about him.
Look for documented wishes.
Consider religious and cultural beliefs.
Talk about previous conversations.
And allow the funeral director to explain the practical differences between the options.
Sometimes removing the unknowns makes the emotional decision easier.
Does choosing cremation mean there can’t be somewhere to visit?
No.
This is one reason the word memorialisation matters.
Ross Funerals’ Fraser Coast Crematorium & Bayside Memorial Gardens includes extensive memorial gardens, providing families with options for creating a lasting place of remembrance following cremation.
So if part of the family’s concern is:
“But where will we go to remember Mum?”
ask about the memorial options available.
Cremation doesn’t necessarily mean giving up a permanent place of remembrance.
There may not be a perfect answer
When somebody hasn’t left instructions, families often worry about making the “wrong” decision.
But sometimes there simply isn’t an answer waiting to be discovered.
You make the best decision you can from the person you knew.
Their beliefs.
Their personality.
Their family.
Their history.
And what you believe they would have wanted.
Ross Funerals has supported families across Maryborough, Hervey Bay and surrounding Fraser Coast communities since 1955, providing funeral, cremation, burial and memorial services.
You don’t need to walk through the door already knowing what to do.
Sometimes the first decision is simply:
“We need someone to explain our options.”
And you can begin there.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Ross Funerals provide both burial and cremation?
Yes. Ross Funerals provides both cremation and burial services for families across the Fraser Coast.
Where can I arrange cremation in Hervey Bay?
Ross Funerals operates Fraser Coast Crematorium & Bayside Memorial Gardens at 18 Nikenbah Dundowran Road, Hervey Bay QLD 4655.
Can we still have a funeral if we choose cremation?
Yes. Cremation does not prevent a family from holding a funeral or personalised service. Ross Funerals provides both funeral services and cremation arrangements.
Does Ross Funerals arrange burials in Maryborough?
Ross Funerals provides burial services and has both a funeral home and chapel in Maryborough.
Does cremation mean there is nowhere permanent to visit?
No. Families can consider permanent memorial options following cremation. Fraser Coast Crematorium & Bayside Memorial Gardens includes extensive memorial gardens.
Can Ross Funerals help if we don’t know whether to choose burial or cremation?
Yes. Ross Funerals’ services include both options, and its team guides families through the necessary funeral arrangements.
Where are Ross Funerals’ Fraser Coast locations?
Ross Funerals has Fraser Coast Crematorium & Bayside Memorial Gardens in Hervey Bay, a funeral home at 126 Adelaide Street, Maryborough, and a chapel at the corner of Russell and Stafford Streets, Maryborough.
How long has Ross Funerals served the Fraser Coast?
Ross Funerals was established in 1955 and continues to serve Hervey Bay, Maryborough and surrounding Fraser Coast communities.
