Advance Arrangements

Pre-arrangement is defined as having your wishes documented and paid for in advance of need.  This minimizes confusion, anxiety, and eliminates emotional over-spending.  There is no better way to show your love for those you are leaving behind.

Planning your own funeral assures you now, and your family later, that your wishes will be known and respected.  If done for a loved one, planning allows the family to think through decisions carefully, not in the midst of shock, grief, and time pressure.

Pre-arrangements may be either detailed or general (leaving some particulars to be decided later).  Once made, give a copy of your pre-arrangements to your next of kin.  If you change your mind about anything, you can always alter your plans. 

The first decision to make in funeral arrangements is the mode of disposition:  cremation, earth burial, or entombment in a mausoleum.

The second decision is whether to have a viewing.  If so, embalming is not necessarily required.  Seeing the decedent can be difficult but also therapeutic.  This experience can take many forms. 

One or two people may make a brief identification of the deceased before cremation.  For a personal identification, minimal preparation of the decedent is typically needed.  Or the family and invited friends may have a private viewing.  Finally you may have a more formal public visitation.  If you do not want a viewing, you still may have a visitation with a closed casket.  Many families also celebrate the life of the deceased by displaying photographs or meaningful possessions.

Next, plan the ceremony.  Some people want no service at all.  But consider carefully before making such a choice:  Most bereavement experts believe that a ceremony of some kind helps survivors to recognize and accept that death has occurred, and important first step in the processing of grief.  It also allows their relatives and friends to acknowledge the loss, share reminiscences, and support those in greatest distress.

Your options for memorial ceremonies are virtually unlimited, from the traditional funeral with an open casket to a memorial service after cremation.  It may be formal or informal, religious or secular.  It may be held at the church, graveside, at some place of special significance, or a combination of the above.  We will work closely with you to design services that meet your individual needs and desires.  We can help plan an event that celebrates the life of the person and the special things he or she did and loved.

Our Guarantee
With Pre-arrangement, the costs of your “Goods and Services” are guaranteed not to increase for you or your family.  In other words, your family will not pay any more in the future for services and merchandise you pay for today. We will receive the current day cost of funeral expenses from the Great Western Insurance.  Any growth that exceeds the current day expense is refunded to your family or your estate.  Please call and speak to an arrangement counselor for further details.

Worldwide Travel Protection

Americans are more mobile now than ever, traveling at record paces throughout the world. Chances are good that you are one of those travelers. Are you prepared for an emergency away from home - such as an unexpected death? Most people aren't and the emotional and financial aspects of such an incident can be devastating.

Guaranteed Travel Assurance Plan offered through our affiliation with American Pre-Arrangement Services, Inc., was created to alleviate these concerns. APASI has an extensive network of providers to assist you anywhere, anytime and can eliminate language barriers when traveling abroad.

Out-of-town death care expenses can easily exceed several thousand dollars. With APASI, there is no fear of being absolutely out of control of a situation when your family is most vulnerable - a death while away from home. If a death occurs while traveling more than 100 miles from your legal residence, set procedures for the time of need ensure that there will be no added stress due to uncertainty about what to do.

A single payment of $385 for a lifetime membership in the Travel Assurance Plan provides you:

• Return of Mortal Remains when you're 100 miles or more away from your legal residence
  • Identification of a local, licensed funeral home, mortuary or direct dispostion facility
  • Preparation of the deceased for transport
  • Close involvement with your originally selected receiving funeral home or mortuary to make sure your pre-arrangement wishes are fulfilled
  • Transportation, including airfare, to return the deceased to the originally selected funeral home or mortuary
  • All documents including customs documents or diplomatic issues involved anywhere in the world
  • Rigorous management of all cases to ensure the highest quality of services
• Access via the Internet to overview trends, recommendations or warnings regarding senior travel
• Emergency message transmission
• Access to bereavement counseling when traveling 100 miles or more away from legal residence

Please call and speak to an arrangement counselor for further details.

For more information on funeral or cemetery matters, you may contact:

DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS
CEMETERYAND FUNERAL BUREAU