Community Chat

[FiddleDeeDee]

@JeanLouiseFinch  My father did this: he chose the location and purchased the plots (one for him and my mother). WHen each died, that was something I didn't have to worry about. However, they did NOT pay for their burial (cremation), the urns, the box for each urn, the liner for each grave and the opening of the grave. I used the funeral services of a long established family business in their community that does offer a full package; you purchase it now and there is no charge no matter what may change cost wise in the future. Considering that to bury each of them was over $10,000 per parent, I wish one of them had done this. That said, many don't because they fear the funeral home may go out of business and that money will have been wasted; I can see that as a valid viewpoint. 

[scrapperlisa]

My mother donated her body to science after my sister the medical student told her about the shortage of cadavers they had in anatomy class. Mom coordinated with a local medical school and signed all the paperwork years before she passed. After she died, the school picked her up and everything cost us $0. They cremated her after they were done with her, and we had the choice of receiving her ashes, or they would bury her ashes in a service with other donees that year. Mom was selfless, generous, practical, and thrifty, and she did not want to leave us a bill. God bless her.

[proudlyfromNJ]

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@scrapperlisa wrote:
My mother donated her body to science after my sister the medical student told her about the shortage of cadavers they had in anatomy class. Mom coordinated with a local medical school and signed all the paperwork years before she passed. After she died, the school picked her up and everything cost us $0. They cremated her after they were done with her, and we had the choice of receiving her ashes, or they would bury her ashes in a service with other donees that year. Mom was selfless, generous, practical, and thrifty, and she did not want to leave us a bill. God bless her.

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@scrapperlisa  That's exactly what my parents did and we have signed up to have ours donated also. The school my parents bodies went to had a luncheon for the families and some thank you speeches from the students.

[drizzellla]

My Mom had a cousin who had Pre-Planned her funeral and final resting place. The cousin named my Mom as Executor/Administrator. When the cousin died, Mom had nothing but trouble with the funeral home. 

The contract that my Mom had and the contract that the funeral home had, differed. Mom thought all costs were paid by her cousin. Because that is what her cousin had expressed to her. The funeral home had a different opinion. So Mom had quite a bill to pay.

So after that mess, Mom had no directives for her. When she passed, I had to figure/pay everything out myself. My brothers could have cared less.

Please make sure that all the t's are crossed and the i's doted. Or your kids might be in for a surprise.

[vermint]

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@Zwervend wrote:

I'm not really old enough (under 65) nor do I have any health concerns that would prompt me to pre-arrange my funeral, but I will do so in the next few years. 

My family is well aware of what I want, and I've documented it for them. Should I meet my demise prior to acutally making/paying for those arrangements, they have a clear roadmap of what to do. 

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@Zwervend While it's good your family knows your wishes, if you have not pre-paid, or have enough money in the bank to pay for things, it may be a burden to them.

Just because you are healthy, and under 65, means nothing. Read the obituaries, and news stories--people of all ages die every day, and not all die of disease! 

Your choice, of course, just wanted to mention something you may not have thought about.