Bartholomew Funeral Home Shares: What To Ask Yourself When Pre-Arranging Your Funeral

When a loved one passes, there is often so much going on around the family. There are individual emotions that each family member has to deal with and somehow - at the same time - aid each other with their grieving. If the deceased chose to be an organ donor, a representative may be calling the next of kin immediately. There can be a swirling chaos of procedure and grief that is often overwhelming.

A way to guide your family through this time is by pre-planning and pre-arranging your funeral. It’s a tough conversation, but every family member should talk to their family about what they want to happen when they pass away.

When speaking with your family about passing, it is also important to listen to their emotions and thoughts. Are they opposed to your decision to be cremated? Is the exclusion of religious symbols upsetting to them? The important question that you need to answer for yourself is, “How do I want to be remembered?”

Here are some questions to ask before you speak to a funeral director.

• How traditional do I want my funeral? Do you want a religious service? Do you want a wake to be held at the funeral home? Coffin or urn? These are also important questions to ask your family as well. Do your best to incorporate their wishes as well. A way to help your family remember you and say goodbye could be with your favorite song or a collection of images of you.
• How will my family know what to do when I die? This can be done by writing out your wishes and sharing them with your family. Let them know where you will keep the document you wrote as well. Will you keep it in a lock box or with your lawyer? The main key is to have the family remember the name of the funeral you have pre-arranged with. They will have your choices on file and prepared.
• What do you think is appropriate to spend? Prices can change from place to place and can change with inflation as well. Don’t be afraid to call around from funeral home to funeral home to see what the market looks like to gauge your prices.

These are all questions that should be meditated. Never rush into a decision like this. Know what you and your family wants. Then present your wishes to the funeral home that you think can accommodate you the best. After that, let the funeral directors put your arrangement into actions when called upon.

 For more information on Bartholomew Funeral Home's pre-planning services, click here.