Family Owned & Operated

Pre-Arrangments

Pre-arrangements can be accomplished in two different forms:

Informational:

This is placing information on file at the funeral home you wish to care for you and your family. Some place just a few bits of information, such as a favorite song or scripture. Others place a great deal of information on their life history to be used in the obituary and select important people in their lives to be a part of services. It is important to put a copy of the information on file at the funeral home so it is where it is needed when it is needed. Many families have found a note or envelope carefully tucked away in a loved ones home months after the funeral was over. Having the information at the funeral home means it will be available no matter where family members may be during a time of loss. If a person wants to make any changes or additions, they simply send a note to the funeral home and it is added to their file.

Funding:

Addressing funding of final expenses is extremely important. As with all things in life, final expenses can be costly. They involve professional service fees for the trained professionals who care for the family and for the deceased, origionate and file death certificates needed for the settlement of estates, notify Social Security, place obituary notices, for facilities for families to gather in, ministers who are involved, musicians, caskets and/or urns, cemetery or crematorium expenses, etc. Each family is different and has different needs. Final expenses vary, but what doesn't vary is the relief that a family feels when expenses aren't an issue because there is a pre-need fund to cover them.

Pre-need funds are placed in trust, generally in an insurance policy or CD (we set it up with you). The funds are always owned by and in the full control of the person while they are living. They can cash them out, change the beneficiary, etc. The fund is set up with the beneficiary being the funeral home. At the time of services the funds in the account may be used by the family to help cover the final expenses of their choosing. Some people put in a small amount, others a great deal while most put in the amount of the average funeral at the time and generally the interest helps offset inflation. At the time of services a family may choose to spend less than what is in the fund, and the estate is refunded the difference. They can spend the exact amount, and it is a wash. Or they can spend more than what is in the account and use it towards the total expenses with the estate or family paying the part the fund didn't cover.

Pre-need accounts are especially important when someone expects to apply for medical assistance, which generally occurs due to a nursing home stay. Pre-need funds are allowed for and protected to certain dollar amounts. If you have questions related to this, please call or come in. We keep up to date on eligibility requirements and pre-need allowances and can walk through the options with you.