HAMILTON — As it reaches into a fourth generation of family ownership, Weigel Funeral Home has been a steady support for Butler County families for 86 years.

Owner and director Bob Weigel has seen many changes in his 49 years of working in the family business, and now his son Rob is getting involved.

“I had a vague understanding of what my dad did,” Rob said of his life growing up. “I think he kept it that way on purpose. He wanted me to make my own decision on what I wanted to do and I’m grateful for that.

“But after I saw how things really worked, I decided to go to mortuary school and get my license,” he added.

It wasn’t quite the same upbringing for Bob Weigel. His grandfather, Robert Klaus, started the funeral home and lived in a home that was connected to it.

“If they weren’t home, they were at the funeral home and that’s just the way it was,” Bob Weigel said. “When I got to be 16 years old, I started going on calls with my father. He pushed me hard to get into the business, but the final decision was mine.”

The majority of the changes are related to technology such as the Internet and being able to record services on DVDs for families.

But Bob Weigel said the biggest change he sees is people are switching from traditional burials to cremation.

“Cremation used to be 1-2 percent of the business, but now its about 25 percent,” Bob Weigel said. “I think it’s just more widely accepted now, and less expensive.”

Now that his son is involved, Bob Weigel thinks retirement may be in his future, but not yet and maybe not entirely.

“For many years, I worked by myself doing every facet of the business,” he said. “I enjoy meeting people and it has been a very rewarding business in the way of being able to make things easier on families in these difficult times. Even though it has been a lot of work, I’m glad I did it.”