Funeral Pre-Arrangement Process

Take care of all the funeral pre-arrangement details and give you and your family the peace-of-mind you deserve.

Funeral Pre-Planning Benefits

• Pre-planning my funeral was my way of showing my family just how much I love them.
• In pre-paying for my funeral arrangements, I've lessened the financial burden on those people I leave behind.
• I'm very independent and have always made all my own decisions.
• Some say I like to be in control of everything and they're right!
• This way my family knows exactly what I want. No one has to get angry or fight, and no one has to feel guilty about making the wrong decision. When I'm gone, they will know what I want.
• I remember when my mother died. None of us kids knew what to do and absolutely none of us knew what she wanted. No one bothered to ask! I'm just not going to wait for my kids to ask me what I want. I'm going to tell them.
• I guess it's because I want things done my way. I want to provide my funeral pre-arrangements to our local funeral home to make sure I get what I want.

These are just a few of the comments we've heard during funeral pre-arrangements. Chances are pretty good that some of these statements are true for you as well.

The Basics of Planning

Here's a break-down of the process:

• Set goals
• Review limitations
• Look at available options
• Weigh the pros and cons of each option
• Talk to others about the best options
• Arrive at a final decision

In the case of funeral pre-arrangement, another two important steps are involved:

• Write out your plan with as many details as possible.
• Send your plan to the funeral home and provide a copy to your executor.

Funeral Pre-Planning Checklist

We've put together this funeral pre-planning checklist to help you.

Taking Care of Finances and Property

• Create a contact list of everyone who should be notified in a medical emergency or death including the name of your funeral home.
• Give your executor(s) a copy of your will and the contact list.
• Give your executor(s) a list of bank and investment accounts, creditors, mortgage or lien information, insurance policies, retirement plans, safe deposit boxes, real and personal properties of value and all related telephone numbers.
• If you are receiving benefits from Social Security or the Veterans' Administration, your executor needs that information to suspend benefit payments.
• Select someone you trust to deal with your online accounts: email, online memberships, and social media. Include all relevant information and whether or not they should delete, close, or keep any of the accounts.

Taking Care of Funeral-Related Details

We suggest the following:

• Make note of all the details you want mentioned in your obituary. You could even take this one step further and write your own obituary.
• State, in writing, your preferences for burial or cremation.
• If burial is preferred, provide the details of the cemetery arrangements. If you have not purchased a burial plot, this is the time to do so.
• If you have chosen burial, what type of casket would you like? Should it be made of wood, metal, or composite materials?
• If you choose cremation, what do you want done with the ashes?
• Would you like a traditional funeral, memorial service, or celebration-of-life?
• If you'd like a celebration-of-life, what location would you suggest for this event?
• What special activities would you prefer at a celebration-of-life?
• What music or special readings would you prefer?
• What type and colors of flowers would you prefer?
• Would you like to select a charitable organization to receive donations in your name?
• If you're a veteran, would you like to receive full military honors as part of your service? Would you like to be buried in the grounds of a veterans' cemetery?

Taking Care of Your Pets

If you share your life with animal companions, you should think about who you would like to take care of your pets. Consult with the person to see if this is something they are interested in doing for you and then write down your intentions and include all contact information. This should be signed and witnessed, and then given to your executor.

Final Tasks in Funeral Pre-Planning

In addition to your will, the contact list, and the list of all your online account login details and related documents should be provided to your executor.

Finally, you may want to consider paying ahead of time for your funeral choices. Speak to us about how your pre-payment monies will be handled.

There are two ways for you to complete your funeral pre-arrangement plan.

Using the Online Pre-Planning Tool

This website features Pre-Arrange Online, a step-by-step interactive form that can be used to record your end-of-life plan and send the completed form to our staff for safekeeping. You'll be asked to create an account with a username and password so you can login at any time to complete or change the plan.

Turn to the Professionals

Many people are more comfortable making these decisions with funeral professionals. If you would like us to help, call us at 435-586-3456 or send us an email using the Contact Us form.