We had been working with Hamilton's for the last three years, as we had to have a service locally…read moreand one in another state, so things were much more complicated than normal. When we finally needed them, they told us that they would not have a funeral director able to meet with us for five days because there were so many people who had died! Can you imagine the panic, anxiety, and frustration that caused? Thankfully, we called McLarens and they immediately took over and did a fantastic job. They worked hard to put everything together for an additional service and burial in another state. Thank you, Andy, for your patience and compassion in an extremely difficult time. We are forever indebted to you.

Hamilton's West Des Moines. Find another funeral home in the Des Moines area! There was never one…read moreperson who saw me through the entire process. I had to be the one to call and check on every detail; basically nice people, but the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing with Hamilton's. One person is in WDM. Then another person you need is at Lyon Street office and will get back to you. And, if your loved one passes away towards the end of the week, be prepared for many different people to deal with. My father's obituary was posted on their web page (with the incorrect photo) before I even gave them the approval to do so. Too many other little things to post here. The funeral was at our church, and that was done with their representatives to assist us; they did a great job! Too bad the rest of the experience was so stressful. When sent a survey to rate our experience, I sent a long heart-felt letter back, describing my experience. I have never heard a word from them. I even sent it to their head owner person. Then...the icing on the cake? Three weeks AFTER my dad's funeral---I get a phone call from Hamilton's, telling me that my dad's program is ready for his funeral and I can check it over any time. Needless to say, I was speechless.

Rest Haven is the nicest cemetery in West Des Moines and Des Moines Iowa. I go through RestHaven…read morecemetery to look at the swans and I always see Clark Shockley. He is the nicest person always asking me if there's anything he can do or help me with. I really enjoy his company and the beautiful cemetery thank you so much Bernice Thomas.

I am in Arizona and was long distance arranging a burial (inurnment) and graveside service for my…read morefather. I would like to thank Mates, Scott and MaryAnn for their help in making this a seamless and peaceful process. They were all wonderful via phone and in person. Very caring and professional. I very highly recommend McLaren's. Much of my family rests there in their wonderful care.

It's not what you think! I was privileged to get a tour of…read morethis wonderful establishment. I did come to this funeral home at one time in the past. A family friend passed. His visitation here was amazing. He had a love for Maid-rite sandwiches and I remember they had Maid-rite cater in. The large building was packed full of people there to pay their respects. However, today, was a guided tour. Robin who is a funeral director met with us in the lobby. She gave us the history on this building many of you pass everyday going downtown. It used to be two homes and when it was converted into one they left the fountain and very nice décor right in the center to have as a great atmosphere as you come in. Also set up in that area was some memories of a service that was to take place later. There was a lot of time and effort put into putting this They had a serving bar with coffee and some delicious cookies. We started the tour by looking in the big visiting/viewing room. Room for lots of people/chairs. We made our way into another type of viewing room. This one was more of a parlor style. Couches and chairs for intimate meeting or group. The room was very pretty and comfy. After going over more about the funeral home and the history of Dunns we made our way upstairs. We stopped midway to be shown copies of paintings done by Grant Wood for the Dunn family. I thought this was really cool and will look for these the next time I am at the DSM Art Museum. We made our way upstairs to where they keep coffin, urns and vault selections. This was really cool that they had all these options in house and are apparently the only one in their branch that does. I was in awe of the options you can get with cremation. There can even be jewelry for the family after the person is taken care of. She spoke of lots of options for all people and religions. She talked about how lots more people now are taking care of their arrangments before that day comes so the family does not have to worry about things. Speaking of taken care of, from there we moved to the room where embalming and caring for your loved one happens. It was really interesting and everything was really clean. The last stop of the tour was downstairs of the building. They have a crematory on site. She explained that it is set up that family can be present or even start the process if their beliefs need it. With all the information she provided I think what stuck the most was how much they will accommodate and help the family through this process. I left the tour feeling that this location would really bend over backwards to help a family through this tough times. I would really recommend them. I hope I would not need to use them but if I did, I would choose them. Thank you for the great tour. I learned a lot.

Dunn's recently handled my mother's funeral. I was so impressed with every aspect. Randy handled…read moreeverything beautifully taking so much of the burden off me. Every part of the funeral was perfect. I can't say how much it means during a difficult time.

During the time our family is grieving, Funeral Director, Traci Johnston, provided exceptional…read moresupport and guidance as we navigated the process. As a stellar professional, Traci asked questions and listened as we described our loved one. The attention to details for the visitation, service, and luncheon were a true reflection of our loved one. Traci, her team, and Iles Funeral Homes are highly recommended.

Death is by far not easy to ever deal with. I live in Las Vegas & my Mother lived in Des Moines,…read moreIa. On September 19th, 2021 unfortunately my Mother passed away in the comforts of her home. This company from the moment their people arrived at my Mothers house. They were so loving, gentle, respectful & caring to say the least. I sat on FaceTime and watched them care for my Mother in such the most loving way. Bethany Fast was appointed to my family for ALL her last wishes. I have to say this woman NEEDS A BIG RAISE. She is truly an Angel. Bethany took care of everything despite the many challenges she came up against with dealing with my family. Bethany went above and beyond for us on numerous occasions. She remained calm and loving through it all. Mind you she was pregnant and due at any moment. Yet she remained such a gentle soul. With the upmost customer service. This company is by far the place to have your loved ones final arrangements taken care of. I truly truly appreciate everyone there that played apart of everything going well. We will NEVER forget you Bethany Fast. Nor this company for giving us the very best care and service at such a time. Thank you!!

My brother passed away and the nursing home he had been residing at suggested Merle Hay Funeral…read moreHome to perform his cremation. Blair Overton called me the following morning after my brother passed away to discuss the arrangements. I was grieving and extremely emotional. Our family had dealt with a lot over the last couple of years and we had been struggling financially. I expressed to Blair that I was concerned about the cost and I was unsure how to pay for the cremation. His response was, "I have a business to run and we are not a charity Kristin. After all he was YOUR brother. " This was approximately 10 hours after my brother had passed. Such compassion. I couldn't believe it. At that point, in the state I was in, I handed the phone over to my husband and he continued to speak to Mr. Overton. After learning that my brother had a little bit of money set aside and that we could pay for the cremation my husband called and spoke to Blair about this and Blair's response was "How much money did he have?" This was none of his business. They are there to make money. They don't care about the fact that you've lost a loved one. They will only be nice if you spend a lot of money. Pathetic. I never received a personal apology for his extremely rude and insensitive behavior. Instead, he just told my husband to tell me he was sorry.

Blair and Alex were professional, knowledgeable, and went above and beyond when my brother passed…read moreaway unexpectedly. They handled my brother with care and respect. They were a great resource for my family to lean on doing this terrible time. Blair, Alex, and their team helped make the process as seamless as possible.

We lost my sister unexpectedly. We have never planned a funeral before. They was beyond helpful,…read moregenerous and kind during this process. My sister looked peaceful for her viewing. The staff was incredibly kind and considerate. They make you feel like you are home. I needed that in my time of need. Thank you so much. I would recommend them in your time of need. Also the pricing is way cheaper than others and you get that family feeling.

Donna is one of the most genuine people I have ever met. You can tell from the moment you come in…read morecontact with her, you and your family will be taken care of. I would recommend her to anyone in need of her services!

I didn't know what to do or how to do it and Ryan took me from unknowing to confident in the…read moredecisions I had to make. Really recommend.

A very caring company with staff that have hearts full of compassion. The online experience truly…read morehelped me make a lot of the arrangements from very far away. Thank you to Ryan who assisted me every step of the way.