Burns-Kish Funeral Homes

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Burns-Kish Funeral Homes

Burns-Kish Funeral Home has been family owned for four generations, and is the premier funeral home
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03/07/2026

📍The only Burns-Kish Funeral Homes at the corner of Ridge rd. And Calumet Ave.

03/06/2026

Did You Know?

In the early 1920s, Burns-Kish Funeral Homes (then Burns Funeral Home) helped introduce some of the first motorized ambulances to the Region. At the time, funeral homes often worked closely with local municipalities to provide ambulance services to their communities.

Demand for these services slowed during the 1930s, but by the 1950s rapid growth in the area created new challenges. The City of Hammond once again turned to the Burns family for help, asking them to re-enter the ambulance business because the city could no longer keep up with the increasing demand for emergency transportation.

The vehicle pictured reflects the ingenuity of that era. A hearse like this could be converted into an ambulance in just five minutes. The seats were removed from the floor, ambulance signs were placed in the windows, a yellow light was mounted on the roof, and the vehicle was equipped with a siren.
These vehicles, built by Hess & Eisenhardt and S&S Coach Company, were used by the Burns family to transport hospital and nursing home patients throughout Northwest Indiana and even into Chicago.

Another remarkable detail has stood the test of time. The phone number displayed on the side of the ambulance—260—has been maintained by the Burns family since the early 1920s. Over the years it evolved into the modern 932-0260, which is still used today at their Hammond location...

03/04/2026

At Burns-Kish Funeral Homes, our goal is simple- to lessen the burden on your family so that you can focus on celebrating your loved one's life and beginning your grief journey…

03/03/2026

03/03/2026

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03/01/2026

Happy Sunday! Burns-Kish Funeral Homes would like to wish you a day of peace, reflection and strength…

02/28/2026

📍The Only Burns Kish Funeral Homes
Serving families in Munster- Corner of Ridge Road and Calumet Avenue and serving families in our Hammond Location

02/27/2026

"Many thanks to Emily and Apollo for assisting my family during this sad time. Apollo gave us a full tour of the facility, which was very helpful. Emily answered all of our questions and wrote a beautiful obituary that family members said was very beautiful! We received extremely professional care during our time of need. God bless you!"

— Lisa Sawyers

02/26/2026

Cuando la familia entró,
no querían música suave.

Trajeron su lista de canciones favorita.

Colocaron fotos en cada mesa,
viajes de pesca, cumpleaños, cortes de cabello cuestionables,
los momentos sencillos que lo hicieron quien era.

Alguien se rió durante el servicio.

Y por un instante,
todos se sintieron más ligeros.

Una Celebración de Vida no significa fingir que el dolor no existe.

Significa honrar la historia.
La personalidad.
Las ocurrencias.
La alegría.

Porque una vida bien vivida
merece ser recordada plenamente.

Si esto resuena contigo,
guárdalo.
O compártelo con alguien que cree que las despedidas también pueden estar llenas de gratitud.

The only Burns kish at the corner of Ridge Rd and Calumet ave servicios en nuestra Hammond location.

02/25/2026

There are moments when everything feels sudden.
Overwhelming.
Unreal.

If you or someone you love is facing the loss of a loved one, you don’t have to navigate it alone.

Day or night, someone compassionate will answer.
Not a machine. Not a service.
A real person who understands.

For over a century, families in Munster and Hammond have trusted us in their most difficult hours.

If this isn’t for you today, save this post.
One day, someone you care about may need it.

📞 219-836-5000

The only Burns-Kish Funeral Home Located at the corner of Ridge Road and Calumet Avenue Also serving families at our Hammond location

02/23/2026

Why Plan Ahead?

There’s a lot that goes into planning a funeral, but making those arrangements beforehand gives you time to consider all of your options and make sure that you’re covering all of the necessary details. Still feeling unsure? Visit us at https://www.burnskish.com and learn some of the most important reasons why planning ahead may be the best option…

Address

8415 Calumet Avenue
Munster, IN
46321

Telephone

+12198365000

Website

http://www.burnskish.com/

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Munster’s Most Established Family-Owned Funeral Home

An Interview with Owner/Manager Brian Burns

Brian Burns, Owner and Manager of Burns-Kish Funeral Homes in Munster and Hammond, Indiana, has been in the family business for over 30 years. He started working for his Dad, Tom Burns, at age 13, washing cars and cleaning. Brian took over Burns-Kish at the beginning of January, 2017. He’s a fourth generation Funeral Director. Here he sits down with Emily Halgrimson for a chat.

EH: Did you enjoy working for your Dad, Tom Burns? What was he like as a boss?

BB: Sure, he was easy going and generous, yet firm. He taught me how to do things the right way, no shortcuts. He’s always been a real people-oriented and friendly guy. He’s been active with churches and community groups for decades, everyone in town knows Tom Burns.

What kind of training did you have to become a Funeral Director? I went to Worsham College of Mortuary Science north of Chicago when I was 20, it was the top-rated school in the Midwest at the time. They have a two-year program that gives you a Bachelor’s Degree in Mortuary Science. You take classes on embalming, restorative art, legal issues related the funeral industry, business classes and more. To become a licensed Funeral Director, you have to pass national and state exams and complete a one-year internship. Even now I have to take continuing education classes each year to keep my license in good standing.

What is a typical day for you as a full-time Director? We wear many hats. My staff and I take turns being on call all night, we can get death calls at any time. During the day there are funerals to prepare for, and we have to make sure everything’s in place. Every service is different and details are important. If there’s no service we are often meeting with families who had a death to arrange their services. There’s always paperwork – insurance claims, bills, death certificates, and lots of scheduling with churches, cremations, florists, cemeteries etc. There are a lot of moving parts behind the scenes for each service.

How you do handle the grief of people day in and day out? I have to detach myself to some extent. When it’s someone older it’s not that hard, it’s just the natural cycle of life. When it’s a younger person it’s much more difficult, but you need to maintain composure so you can be a point of strength for the families who are in distress. It’s important for us to step up as leaders when people are making arrangements, so the families can grieve. We take care of them in that way.

What’s the most unique funeral you’ve ever held? We had service for an American Indian a long time ago. Their ritual was really different, everyone gathered in a large circle and they had a talking stick that they passed around. The person who had the stick would share stories about the individual’s life. The ashes were in the middle of the circle along with objects important to the person, like a shrine to their memory. It was beautiful.

You’ve observed hundreds of religious services over the decades. What have you learned from that? All the religions seem to have a common theme when it comes to death, that there is an afterlife and the deceased person is there and at peace. That gives the family and friends hope that they will meet again, and gives them comfort.

Do you hope you son takes over the business? Yes, it’d be nice to continue the Burns Family legacy into the fifth generation. There’s a sense of pride there, and family history.

When you die, will you be buried or cremated? Why? I’ll be buried. It’s a personal choice, most of my family members have been buried. The Burns family is all buried together, I want to be a part of that.

What do you want your funeral service to include? Lots of beer (laughter). I want it to be a celebration of my life. A memorial DVD of family photos and some nice jazz, reggae or blues would be nice. Just a simple celebration of life with the people I love.

What do you wish people knew about Burns-Kish when they come to you to plan a service? That we’re a family business, and that we take great pride and care in planning their service and caring for their loved one. Funerals can be whatever they want them to be, we can really can make whatever they want happen. All in all, we are here to help them find closure and peace as they say goodbye. It’s a privilege to help people in that way, and we take it very seriously.

Burns-Kish Funeral Homes

03/07/2026

03/06/2026

03/04/2026

03/03/2026

03/03/2026

03/01/2026

02/28/2026

02/27/2026

02/26/2026

02/25/2026

02/23/2026

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Munster’s Most Established Family-Owned Funeral Home