WHAT I NEED TO KNOW FIRST …
People choose funeral options for various reasons, sometimes for very emotional reasons. This is one reason why it is best to plan the options in advance. Don’t hesitate to talk to the person who is dying about his or her funeral plans. Let him tell you whether that’s something he wants to have a say in or not.
The funeral is important for the mourning of the loved ones left behind. Mourning is publicly expressed grief. Even children need to experience healthy grieving and mourning.
People have fears of being buried and we need to be sensitive to them:
- Of being buried in water soaked ground and having water engulf them
- Of being buried in cold ground beneath snow
- Of being closed up in small vaults.
We need to help people focus on the resurrection and the promises of God:
Genesis 1:26 - And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Genesis 1:27 - So God created man in his own image.
Romans 8:18 - For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
1 Corinthians 15:44 - It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
1 Corinthians 15:49 - And as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
1 Corinthians 15:52 - And the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
1 Corinthians 15:54 - Death is swallowed up in victory.
WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS FOR ACTION?
Be educated about the plans and the process and the options.
Definitions:
Charter Cemetery – A perpetual cemetery licensed by the State.
Memorial Cemetery – One that has mausoleums and flat laying stones.
Cemetery – One that has mausoleums, monuments and upright stones.
Some Tips on Making Pre-arrangements
for a Burial
Pre-arrangement reduces decisions made under stress that lead to overspending and family pressures and battles between responsibilities.
In pre-arrangement you get a certificate for a burial space, a vault, a memorial, and opening and closing costs. The opening and closing costs inflate the fastest because they are labor costs.
Pre-arranged burials offer discounts to the market price.
The best time to shop for good deals is around the holidays when business is slow.
Some places have payment plans with cash up front, but as you are also paying interest then you can end up paying more than it is worth.
In burial there are three aspects: burial space, burial vault, memorial or stone.
The casket is purchased through the funeral director and this is where much of the overspending occurs. Caskets can cost from $2,000 to $20,000. The casket can be made of anything but the vault has requirements and cemeteries have policies for the burial.
The vault is another place where overspending occurs (there can be hundreds of difference in prices and over 50 different models to choose from). You may not even need a vault although cemeteries have policies.
About 10% of the burial cost goes for perpetual care and maintenance.
The American Cemetery Association will provide transfers to other cemeteries in other states.
Visit the cemetery and see how it is kept up, what types of trees and shrubs are planted, what types of stones are used, the quality of the mausoleums…
