Final answer:
A licensed funeral home owner's wife can legally make at-need arrangements with a family, if she is authorized to do so under the funeral home's license and follows all relevant laws and regulations. The owner ratifying the contract provides a formal approval.
Step-by-step explanation:
The legality of a licensed funeral home owner's wife making at-need arrangements with a family they know depends on the regulations of the jurisdiction in which the funeral home operates. However, in most cases, as long as the person making the arrangements is acting under the authority of the licensed funeral home and adheres to the relevant laws and regulations, it should be legal. It's essential that the person making the arrangements has the appropriate knowledge and follows the required protocol. If the funeral home owner ratifies the contract, this typically means that he approves of and formalizes the arrangement, thus providing a legal foundation for the transaction as long as all other legal requirements are met.