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Funeral pre-plans eliminate worry

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Making funeral plans in advance is one of the best final gifts to leave for loved ones. It helps ensure that final wishes are fulfilled and allows for funds to be set aside, minimizing both the financial and emotional burden for family. If needed, pre-planning can also be done for another person by that person’s representative as outlined by law through a Power of Attorney over finances and end-of-life decisions, and/or close blood relative.

What Is pre-planning?

“Is this what they would have wanted?” This is an all too common question when families come to plan a funeral after a loved one has passed away. Pre-planning is simply the process of outlining plans for a funeral before they are needed. For many people, funeral pre-planning has become an extension of the estate planning process. Making wishes known ahead of time can prove to be a great comfort to family and friends.

Pre-planning involves gathering a variety of information including:
• vital statistics,
• making decisions about the type of service, such as where the funeral and burial are to take place,
• who might participate/minister and
• song selections.

A pre-planning counselor can organize and document all requests, including a pre-paid funeral budget.


You Decide

Pre-planning lets you create your own unique life celebration. Walnut Lawn staff can lead you through the process, providing advice and guidance along the way. They will ensure that you have all the information you need regarding products and services, allowing you to make informed decisions.

Relieve Your Family’s Burden

Pre-planning and paying for funeral services ahead of time relieves your family of that burden and gives them more time and energy to focus on healing and remembrance. Completing authorizations as part of the pre-planning process ahead of time also helps to ease the emotional toll when a loved one passes.

Pre-payment Options

Those who choose to pay for funeral arrangements in advance generally have a choice in regard to how and when they pay. As required by the state of Missouri, all funeral homes that sell pre-needs must invest this money in either a secured trust or with burial insurance programs. Then, when the person has passed, the pre-need money is requested and transferred into the funeral home account to pay for services.

At Walnut Lawn Funeral Home, a burial life insurance policy plan is recommended as the ideal way to pay for pre-planned arrangements because of the flexibility and protection it offers.

Getting Started

There are many different ways to begin the planning process. Think about how you would like to be remembered and the type of service you would like, as well as where you would like to be laid to rest when the time comes. Including family in the planning process can help them feel connected to you both in life and in death, knowing that your arrangements reflect your wishes. Bringing up the subject when death is not imminent makes the topic easier to discuss and keeps the focus on the celebration of life rather than an impending loss. Anyone can create a plan, at any stage in their life, and changes can always be made.

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