Funeral FAQs #1
Q1.How much direction should we provide ahead of time to loved ones regarding our wishes for funeral arrangements? How should we accomplish this and when?
A1.Chris and Stephanie Goes, Goes Funeral Care & Crematory:
Giving direction with or without a lot of detail is a gift to a surviving family. Conversely, not being willing to discuss your funeral/cremation/body disposition preferences can cause additional stress at an already stressful time. The key is to give clarity about that which you feel strongly. For example,
- Full body burial in a specific cemetery location;
- Cremation;
- Viewing of your body or not;
- Service (or not) in a church or funeral home;
- Body donation to science;
- Obituary (or not) in specific newspaper(s);
- Specific scripture passages, meaningful poetry, favorite music…
Giving survivors the ability to have something comfortable happen at an uncomfortable time is thoughtful. The overall experience, at the time of your death can make all the difference in healing.
The way to accomplish this is to visit face to face with a funeral service provider who has trained staff, registered with the State of Colorado and preferably uses Nationally Board Certified professionals. Colorado recently created a registering system through the Division of Regulatory Agencies for the funeral service industry. While not licensing, it is a step forward in the right direction. True practitioners of mortuary science are trained to assist with kindness and gentleness and by asking the right questions, listening to the answers, offering ideas and insight and documenting the conversation to capture the vital statistical, biographical and preferred information. These individuals will go over expenses so as to calculate the charges thoroughly and accurately.
We suggest having a planning conversation with a funeral director and not expecting to pre-pay for anything. Funeral service providers typically have a safe and effective way to fund your needs, but not all are the same. Check with a trusted banker, financial advisor, attorney, insurance agent or family member. They’ll give you an objective point of view you might want to consider before signing anything.
