The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan area, also called Greater Houston, is massive in terms of land size and population. Houston alone is the 4th most populous city in the country with 2.3 million residents.
Needless to say, with that large of a population, dying is a daily occurrence. The estimation is fairly broad, but up to 28,000 deaths occur in Harris County alone every year. The leading causes of death across Texas and in the Houston metro are heart disease and cancer. At Cremation.Green we handle disposition for all manners of death, even if the medical examiner has to get involved.
You can use the information below to get a better understanding of your funeral service options in the Houston metro and arranging disposition in the Greater Houston area.
Culture and Suburbs in Greater Houston
One of the things that stands out most about the Houston metropolitan area beyond its size is its diversity. According to the U.S. Census, over 24% of the Houston metro’s population is foreign-born. Nearly half of the households in the metro speak a language other than English at home. There are communities of people from all around the world from Europe to Mexico to Africa.
But the diversity doesn’t stop there. The economy has a strong mix of industries, entertainment comes in all forms and there are places of worship for every religion. The Houston metro is a place where anyone can feel at home no matter where they are from originally.
The Greater Houston area is, well, great. The metro consists of nine counties:
- Austin
- Brazoria
- Chambers
- Fort Bend
- Galveston
- Harris
- Liberty
- Montgomery
- Waller
Cities and large suburbs within the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro include:
- Alvin
- Baytown
- Conroe
- Cypress
- Deer Park
- Fulshear
- Friendswood
- Galveston
- Houston
- Katy
- La Porte
- Lake Jackson
- League City
- Magnolia
- New Caney
- Pasadena
- Pearland
- South Houston
- Sugar Land
- Texas City
- The Woodlands
Available Funeral Services in the Houston Metro Area
The diversity in Greater Houston means there needs to be variety in funeral services because disposition is closely tied to cultural norms. There is demand for every type of service imaginable from eco-friendly direct cremation to at-home funerals with burial in a family cemetery.
Traditional Funeral Services
Traditional funeral services are easy to find in the Houston area. There’s everything from large-scale funerals at Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart to cremation with memorial services at the funeral home beforehand and burial at a cemetery afterward.
Eco-Friendly Funeral Services
The Houston area might be known more for petroleum refinement than carbon reduction, but there’s still a lot of demand for eco-friendly funeral services. Even many of the locals who don’t live a “green” lifestyle would still choose eco-friendly disposition if it’s available and comparable to traditional funeral services in Greater Houston.
Cremation.Green is among the limited Houston area funeral homes that specializes in green funeral services. Any option can be arranged, including natural organic reduction.
Direct Cremation Services
For some people, simplicity is the priority. It doesn’t get more simple and straightforward than direct cremation. This is cremation with the funeral and memorial services. The family can still have a memorial with the cremains afterward. Some people also choose this method if the final resting place for the cremains is in another country.
Greater Houston Cemeteries
Houston is actually an important city for historic cemeteries like Olivewood Cemetery and De Zavala Cemetery. There’s also an excellent selection of cemeteries that currently offer burial of every kind.
Green Cemeteries
If you’re looking for green cemeteries in the Houston metro that take an environmental approach with natural burial, there are now a few options in the immediate area:
- Nature’s Burial in Katy is actually a conservation cemetery that’s part of a land trust of the Katy Prairie Conservancy.
- Tranquility Oaks Cemetery in Spring, TX also offers green burials.
Cemeteries With Cremation Burial
Some people opt for both cremation and burial. There are actually several options for burying cremated remains in Houston. You can potentially bury the cremains on top of an existing grave of a loved one, in a regular burial plot at a traditional cemetery, in a cremation garden within a cemetery or a memorial park. However, it should be noted that not all options may be available at a cemetery so it’s important to discuss what you are looking for when contacting cemeteries.
- Beth Yeshurun Cemetery
- Bethany Cemetery
- Brookside Cemetery
- Brookside Memorial Park
- Cypress Creek Cemetery
- Emanuel Memorial
- Earthman Resthaven Cemetery
- Forest Lawn Cemetery
- Forest Park East Cemetery
- Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery
- Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery
- Glenwood Cemetery
- Grand View Memorial Park
- Hollywood Park
- Houston National Cemetery
- Memorial Oaks Cemetery
- Paradise Cemetery
- Santa Teresa & Morales Cemetery
- Washington Cemetery
- Westcott Cemetery
- Woodlawn Cemetery
- Woodlawn Garden of Memories
Columbariums in Houston and Its Suburbs
Many Houston area cemeteries, memorial parks and church holy grounds have columbarium niches that can also act as a final resting place for cremated remains.
- First Methodist Houston
- Pines Presbyterian Church
- St. Paul’s United Methodist Church
- Emmanuel Episcopal Church
- St Thomas the Apostle Episcopal Church
- Terrace Mausoleum at Memorial Oaks Cemetery
- St. Joseph’s Catholic Cemetery
- St. Martin’s Episcopal Church
This is just a short list of popular columbariums in and around Houston. Some of the Greater Houston cemeteries listed in the section above also have columbarium niches available.
Houston Metro Medical Examiner Services
The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro is served by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. They provide medical examiner services whenever a death is sudden, unexpected or the result of a chemical or physical injury. Services include:
- Forensic Anthropology
- Forensic Entomology
- Histology
- Forensic Investigations
- Morgue Services
- Forensic Imaging
All reports that are generated by the Institute are shared with the family.
Address:
1861 Old Spanish Trail
Houston, TX 77054
Phone Numbers:
Main Office – (832) 927-5000
Administrative Services – (832) 927-5004
Family Liaison Team – (832) 927-5006
Victim’s Assistance – (832) 927-5007
Email:
[email protected]
