Buie Funeral Home Inc., an Arkansas-based funeral operator, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization earlier this year, citing reduced business as more families opt for cremation rather than full-service burials. The Sheridan funeral home listed $4.2 million in debts and $1.6 million in assets in its April filing.
Owner James “Wesley” Cole attributed the slowdown to changing consumer preferences. “Business slowed due to more customers electing cremation and private gatherings rather than a full-service burial and funeral services,” Cole stated in bankruptcy documents. Cole also pointed to financial strain stemming from his divorce from co-owner Donna Cole in 2025.
Meanwhile, the U.S. trustee overseeing the bankruptcy is challenging Buie’s reorganization plan, citing concerns over good faith. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for October.
The decline in traditional burials reflects national and state trends. According to a 2025 report from the National Funeral Directors Association, an estimated 54% of human remains in Arkansas were cremated in 2025, up from 45% in 2020. Projections indicate that by 2045, cremation may account for 79.3% of dispositions in the state.
“It’s no secret that the public’s choices of services and their needs are always evolving, and cremation is certainly an increasing trend here in Arkansas, and I think around the country,” said Bill Booker, president of Roller Funeral Homes in Little Rock. Roller Funeral Homes is a family-owned company operating 24 facilities throughout the state. However, Booker expressed surprise that the trend could lead to financial distress for a funeral provider.
Booker, who formerly worked with the Coles at Roller, commended their professionalism and wished them well. “I’m sure that’s traumatic,” he said. He added that while the funeral industry has weathered numerous challenges over the years, it is not immune to broader economic pressures and changing societal trends.
The rise of cremation, combined with economic factors and shifting consumer preferences, underscores a transformation within Arkansas’ funeral industry. The coming years are expected to bring further changes as cremation grows in prevalence statewide.