Most friends know that the Callaway-Jones family has operated the only local crematory in the Brazos Valley since 1987, and we served all the other local funeral homes as well, back when almost all businesses were family owned and operated. In so doing, our family has offered peace of mind and comfort to those who have undoubtedly watched investigative exposés about what can happen when your loved one’s body might be whisked out of town for quick return. Cremation is a personal choice, and it’s usually made with the intent to either bury the ashes or transport them to a place of very special meaning.
Within just a few short weeks, you will be invited to see our new Magnolia Suite, a serene, secure onsite cremation viewing area, with optional direct window view (open or closed), so you can be present in privacy when the cremation process is happening. It’s not everyone’s first choice, we understand, but when I visit with friends about cremation as an option, people seem to appreciate all we offer. Remember, too, we continue to have our original, offsite crematory, the only one locally for decades. In keeping with your needs, we now introduce The Magnolia Suite for your onsite convenience.
Today more than ever, being able to trust who you do business with is the single-most important factor in placing your faith and finances. It’s about experience and guidance. It’s equally important to have some kind of ceremony, no matter how private, so loved ones can gather and feel a sense of transition and completion. It’s for them, more than it is for you, that you consider that.
Family and friends being present with a body until final burial or cremation is complete is a longstanding tradition (sometimes called a wake) and ritual in many faiths and cultures. When I designed our new building, I specifically chose the best options for your peace of mind.
Experience. Safety. Security. Peace of Mind. Those are four elements that you look for when you stop to think about a local funeral home if cremation is the end of life process you select. Because our family has owned Callaway-Jones for five generations now, you won’t be surprised to learn that we have conducted over 10,000 cremations for your loved ones in the Brazos Valley.
It seems that recently many people have come in to see me to discuss cremation as their first choice. Many conversations begin with “All I want is a pine box. That’s it.” Or, “I don’t really care what happens, just handle it.” When we begin our discussion, I listen carefully to what you’ve thought about long and hard before coming in to see me. And together we discuss your choices within that choice, one of which includes the importance for loved ones to gather to say goodbye.
For some it’s a formal visitation/wake the day before—which gives people who cannot attend your formal next-day funeral service—a chance to stop by, give a hug, share a memory, and share time, filling your loved ones with a peaceful comforting feeling, knowing that your life mattered to them, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. It may not be important to you, but it can be to those you love. Every individual has choices and options, and we won’t push you in any direction. We’re your family friends, and we listen to you.
One other thing that our family does is to offer pet cremation for your fur babies. They’re most definitely family, sometimes more cherished than some of our human relatives (you know you’ve thought that at least once before, right?). Pet Legacies by Callaway-Jones is your local pet cremation specialist and we perform all pet cremations separately, in a different facility from the others, rest assured. We’ve conducted over 2,000 cremations for our little four-legged friends so that you always have an integral part of their essence with you. We care for them as much as you do.
With the opportunity to visit our special onsite cremation center, The Magnolia Suite, coming soon, you can drop by and see why we are honored to continue to serve you with the utmost respect and tender loving care. You have my word on it.
Cody D. Jones ’02
Owner and Community Member
