Anna walked slowly down the hallway to the room that Ben had always called his "office." She looked around the room, at the shelves filled with his favorite books and the mementos of their shared life. She took a deep breath, sat at the desk and lifted the phone to start placing the calls to their children.
Who would have guessed that in a matter of months, the strong, vibrant man she had been married to for over fifty years would be lying in a bed with a Hospice volunteer standing near his side? A tear slipped from her eye and trailed down her cheek. How could she face life without him? How could she place him in a casket and say good-bye to him?
She thought it was ironic that only a year earlier Ben had been the one to insist that they pre-arrange and pre-pay for their funerals. He had always worried because statistics show that men die sooner than their wives and he didn’t want her to have the burden of trying to make decisions while she was overcome with grief. He wanted Anna to make her own decisions about her funeral and he would make his own.
He had also worried about the costs of the funeral, especially if either one of them had an extended illness. It would be one less thing they would have to worry about, he had insisted. The funeral director had met with them in a large, comfortable office and spoke with them about all of the different options that were available. Anna had been amazed at how funerals had changed since they had buried her parents over twenty years ago. The funeral director answered all of their questions and asked one that Anna had never considered, “How do you want to be remembered?” The funeral director spoke about the importance of a funeral for the survivors. Anna now realized that truer words had never been spoken. Ben was known by so many and his funeral would be a time to honor him and remember how much he was loved. Anna was so grateful that she knew what he wanted for his funeral service in order to celebrate his life.
One year ago, with a feeling of peace and comfort, Anna and Ben were able to make decisions about their funerals, saving the surviving spouse the anguish of making those decisions alone at the time of their death. And now, Anna knew she would be forever grateful for her husband’s wise decision
Pre-Planning or Pre-Arranging for your funeral means that you pre-plan for the inevitable part of life - your own death or the death of a loved one. Although no one really wants to think about dying, we all realize that it is an eventuality that we ought to be prepared for. When you Pre-Plan or Pre-Arrange your funeral you provide peace of mind for yourself and your loved ones at a time that you are not under any duress or time constraints and you can make educated decisions.
In the Pre-Planning or Pre-Arranging process, we will assist you in filling out basic information about you and your final wishes. Biographical information gathered during this process is needed to complete necessary forms. Such information includes; name, address, place of birth, date of birth, social security number, father's name, mother’s maiden name, education, race, Hispanic origin, marital status, spouse’s maiden name, occupation, place of work and location, veteran’s status (DD-214 or equivalent), type of disposition and place of disposition. You may use the attached form to assist you in compiling this information for your arrangement conference.
Download Form
One may also want to discuss the costs of one’s final wishes. During this time a current general price list for the funeral home will be given to you and reviewed with you if needed. Continuing with the Pre-Planning or Pre-Arranging process we would complete an itemization statement of merchandise and service costs. Items included could be for a direct cremation, direct burial, local transfer of remains to funeral establishment, preparation of remains, arrangements, supervision, use of facilities, livery (vehicles), merchandise (casket, alternative container, and outer interment receptacle), additional services and merchandise and cash advances (death certificates, cemetery/crematory charges, church and clergy. Once the forms are completed, we will keep a copy for you and suggest that you keep a copy of the plan in a safe place. We also suggest that you inform a family member, or close friend where the plan can be found. There is no financial obligation for this service. We would be happy to meet with you for you at the funeral home or in the comfort of your own home.
Please call us at Chopyak-Scheider Funeral Home to let us know how we can assist you with your pre-planning needs 607-797-4612.
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