Pre-Arrangement

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Our desire is to help alleviate decisions at the time of death

Today there are many choices available concerning pre-arrangements. Many adults desire to make their own funeral arrangements. Their desire is to help alleviate remaining family members many of the decisions required at the time of death. Any type of pre-arrangement made may be with or without any financial commitment prior to the funeral home providing any professional services.

Although making a pre-arrangement is important, yet even more important is the need to share with immediate family the choices you have made and discussing their needs as well. Many times a spouse or children have been surprised by the decisions someone has made concerning their funeral arrangements. Talking about the event allows the exchange of desires as you consider what is right for your family.

Vital Statistics

This would include any or all of the following:

Name and name at birth
Cemetery Location: Name, City
Date and place of birth
Social Security Number
Education
Marital Status, maiden name if female
Occupation

Parents names and mother’s maiden name
Current address
Ancestry (Polish, French, German, Irish)
Veteran
Informant and address
Number of certified copies of death certificate

Obituary Information

Information for the obituary would include parent’s names, occupation (whether currently employed or retired), military history if a veteran, survivors, family members that have preceded in death, involvement in Fraternal or Service Organizations, special interests of the deceased, church membership, and contributions to a charitable organization for those who choose to do so instead of sending flowers, and visitation and service information.

Selecting Services

During the pre-arrangement most families indicate the type of service they wish to have. Selections could include place of service: church, funeral home, graveside, or other location; visitation, and whether there would be a religious service during the visitation or a Fraternal or Organization service.

Today personalization has become an important aspect of any funeral service. Personalization may include someone “special” to read a poem, to sing, to deliver a eulogy, or a time where family and friends share their memories of the deceased. Other options for personalization include displaying a person’s craft work such as quilting, needlepoint, woodworking, hobbies, photo boards, memory boards, or unique collections.

Selecting Merchandise

Families making pre-arrangements may express to the funeral director the type of casket, outer burial container (vault), memorial folders, and thank-you cards they wish to have used for their service.

Cash Advance Items

When paying for a funeral in advance, many funeral homes do not include Cash Advance Items in the cost of the services. However, we include these items in the total cost of services for you. We believe it is only fair to those making the pre-arrangements and for the family at time of need to know there are costs from other sources besides the funeral home. These include, but are not limited to:

Items we pay on your behalf
– Certified copies of the death certificate (cost varies from county to county and from state to state)
– Grave opening and closing
– Tent and vault equipment at cemetery
– Honorariums*
– Obituaries**
– Date cutting for marker***

* Honorariums – Although Clergy do not set or request a fee for conducting a service, it is typical that the family gives the person conducting the service an honorarium, i.e. a gift of money for doing so.

**Obituaries – Today most daily and weekly newspapers have some type of cost associated with placing an obituary in the newspaper. Costs range from a small set fee to hundreds of dollars, with the cost based solely on the length of the obituary.

***Date cutting for marker – When a family has purchased a marker for the cemetery prior to their death, the cost of the date of death typically is not included in the marker purchase. We can recommend and make arrangements for this to be handled.

When making pre-arrangements, families may give us as much or as little information as they desire. ​All information is confidential.