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About

Cook-Walden Funeral Home has provided funeral and cremation services in Austin for more than 125 years. Over the years, we've maintained our commitment to families while responding to the changing needs of our community in the greater Austin area. Our North Lamar Boulevard location offers 2 chapels, visitation rooms and a reception venue, as well as catering for your visitation or services.

Creating heartfelt, personalized funerals

Sitting area at Cook-Walden Funeral HomeOur 1st task in assisting you at Cook-Walden Funeral Home is to listen and find details that help bring grace and closure to a difficult time.

For example, a gentleman was known to have countless pairs of shoes and eyeglasses, both of which he would absentmindedly leave behind wherever he went. After his passing, the family met with us to make his funeral arrangements, and these bittersweet stories of shoes and eyeglasses being found everywhere resonated with us. So with the family’s permission, we placed several pairs of shoes and eyeglasses in unusual places during the funeral.

On the day of memorial, as those who knew and loved this man gathered in our chapel and gradually noticed these items everywhere, you could see the smiles spread across the room. Everyone remembered this special individual and the impact he had on their lives.

These are the genuine moments we want to help you discover along your journey during this emotionally challenging stage of life. 

Respecting cultural traditions

We have on-property cremation, including witnessed cremation, and accommodate a wide range of religious traditions, including those of the Buddhist and Hindu faiths.

We are 1 of the few funeral homes in the area designated as acceptable for the Jewish traditions of Tahara (preparing the body for burial) and shomer (when a family member or multiple members sits with the deceased for 24 hours until the final ceremony).

WHV 2020 - Level 3We honor veterans

At Cook-Walden Funeral Home, we understand the unique needs of America’s veterans and their families. As a Level Three Founding Community Partner with We Honor Veterans, our staff is knowledgeable in the benefits available to veterans and their families. With respect, integrity and dignity, we will walk you through the steps of creating a veteran's memorial service that truly honors the life and sacrifice of your loved one.

Meeting your needs

Reception room at Cook-Walden Funeral HomeWhether it’s a religious ceremony with reverential solemnity, cremation with quiet memorial or an outright occasion to remember, we strive to meet the very specific needs of our community. Please call Cook-Walden Funeral Home at any hour, day or night, and an experienced member of our team will assist you.

History

Charles Walden's story began more than 90 years ago in Hunt County, Texas. Born into a farming community, he spent many summers working in the fields near Wolfe City, and, on occasion, Charlie would perch himself on his father's fence to watch the funeral processions pass by. He was filled with amazement at the pageantry and professionalism of the cortege.

Upon graduation from mortuary school in 1942, Charlie moved to Austin, Texas, where he quickly became well-known and respected as a diligent funeral director, never losing sight of achieving his dream of owning a funeral establishment. In 1971, those ambitions became a reality when he partnered with Charles B. Cook to establish Cook-Walden Funeral Home on North Lamar Boulevard.

Since then, the business has kept pace to serve this fast-growing Austin area. Today, the chain of Cook-Warden establishments includes 5 funeral homes and 3 cemeteries.

Serene cemeteries

Cook-Walden has 3 cemeteries throughout greater Austin. Each offers serene vistas for peaceful contemplation and quiet moments of reflection.

Cook-Walden Capital Parks in Pflugerville includes 2 cemeteries, located roughly 1 mile apart. These have many types of burial gardens, including gardens that have been blessed by a Catholic bishop, as well as specific gardens designed and maintained for the Jewish community, veterans and a variety of religious faiths. There is an above-ground mausoleum with 2 beautiful reflection ponds, as well as crypts for either caskets or urns. For long-term family arrangements, the cemetery offers gated estate areas that accommodate up to 12 people.

Cook-Walden Forest Oaks Memorial Park in Austin is known for its majestic, centuries-old oak trees. Light-colored limestone paths leading to each burial garden are warmed by the sun in the late afternoon, making you feel both completely present and also somehow transported to a simpler time and place. This location also has a separate mausoleum area.


 

Amenities

Location

Cremation

Service

Religious & Cultural

Other

Every Detail Remembered

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An experience like no other, carefully crafted by our caring planning team.

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Our Venues

Our welcoming and comfortable spaces can be customized to fit your needs.

Pricing Starts At 395
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Personalized Catered Receptions

From desserts and appetizers to a sit-down meal, we can arrange it all.

Pricing Starts At 495
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Our Collections

A lasting remembrance as unique and special as the individual it represents.

Pricing Starts At 195
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Create an unforgettable memorial that perfectly reflects the life lived.

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Plan a Simple Cremation

Simple can still mean exceptional. Let us show you how.

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Remember the one you love

Honor the memory of your loved one with cemetery flower placement. You choose the flowers. You choose the months. We do the rest..

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Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

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Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

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Unable to find an obituary?

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Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

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Remember the one you love

Honor the memory of your loved one with cemetery flower placement. You choose the flowers. You choose the months. We do the rest..

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Unable to find an obituary?

Not finding what you are looking for? Search for your loved one's obituary across any of our other locations.

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Ratings & Reviews

Verified Customer Reviews

Since 2005, many of our customers have taken the time to tell us how we did each year via our Voice of the Customer program. Our star ratings and comments from families come directly from these surveys.

"From the very first telephone conversation, Nathaniel did everything a person could possibly do to help minimize the sadness and grief I felt and continue to feel about losing the most wonderful person in my life. The feeling of loss is huge, nothing in the world can change that, but Nathaniel was so perfect in handling things that there were no a

dded stresses placed on me. To the contrary, Nathaniel was a wonderful friend at all times and during times when a wonderful friend is the best thing a person can have. I hope that I might later have the opportunity to verbally and in-person share these thoughts of appreciation with one of the Directors."

Verified customer reviews Verified Customer

April 2022

"They'll take care of everything and keep you up to date during a time that will seem stressful, especially if preparations were not taken care of ahead of time."

Verified customer reviews Verified Customer

March 2022

"Highly effecient caring and loving in a very authentic manner very very impressed!"

Verified customer reviews Verified Customer

March 2022

"Nathaniel is more than a funeral director; he's a comforting voice and a guiding hand when they are needed most. His approach was not that of a business transaction, but of a human connection. With care and consideration, he sought to know our family and understand our wishes for saying goodbye to our beloved. He then took full ownership of the fin

al arrangements, which allowed us to grieve the loss of our loved one. Nathaniel, I don't know if you'll see this. But if you do: you are a compassionate counselor, and you are appreciated. Thank you."

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March 2022

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