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Do You Know About These 8 Cemetery Expenses?

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When you buy a car or plan a vacation or throw a 50th anniversary party, you take time to consider your options and review your budget. If you’re planning to…
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11 Questions to Ask When Choosing a Cemetery Plot

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More than likely, purchasing a cemetery plot is only something you will do once or twice in your lifetime. While choosing a cemetery plot is a personal decision, it can…
Pallbearers carrying a wooden casket with purple flowers resting on top

How to Personalize the Visitation at a Funeral

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The funeral is a time to truly honor and remember a loved one’s life, but how can you use personalization to reflect that special person’s personality, preferences, interests, and uniqueness?…
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How to Personalize Readings at a Funeral

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The funeral is a time to truly honor and remember a loved one’s life, but how can you personalize the service to reflect that special person’s personality, preferences, interests, and…

How to Personalize Music at a Funeral

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The funeral is a time to honor and remember a loved one’s life, but how can you personalize the service to reflect that person’s personality, preferences, interests, and uniqueness? According…
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5 Ways to Avoid Emotional Overspending on a Funeral

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Have you ever bought something because of your emotions, like sadness, anxiety, or stress? Most of us have used purchasing to make us feel better. In fact, as many as 69%…
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A Quick Guide to Oversized Caskets

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While you may have known that caskets come in different colors and are made from many kinds of materials, did you know that there are also oversized caskets available? In…
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FAQ: Donating Your Body to Science

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If you’re reading this, you’re at least a little bit interested in donating your body to science. To help you make the decision that’s best for you and your family,…
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Should I Have a Funeral?

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The days after a loved one dies can be filled with many questions. “Should I choose burial or cremation?” “How do I write an obituary?” And for many families, “Should…
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Download Your Own Funeral Planning Checklist

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If you want to plan ahead for your funeral wishes or plan a funeral for a loved one, the checklist below will help you in making important decisions:
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FAQ: Your Guide to Scattering Ashes

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When you choose cremation, there are more questions to answer than you might think. A key question is, “What should happen to the ashes after cremation is complete?” There are…
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Rental Caskets: What You Need to Know

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Cremation may be on the rise, but that doesn’t mean you can’t plan a full service to celebrate a loved one’s life with viewing and visitation. Many families assume that…
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What Makes a Funeral Meaningful?

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If you are wondering how to plan a final celebration that is meaningful and that expresses the individuality of the person who died, then here are a few ideas to…
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Burial FAQs: What Are Your Burial Options?

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Burial traditions across many cultures have one thing in common—a permanent resting place is essential for honoring and remembering loved ones. But you have many options when choosing a permanent…
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What Should I Know When Considering Cremation?

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When considering final disposition, you have two main choices: burial or cremation. But what should you know when considering cremation? With this quick overview, you can get your questions answered…
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Your Guide to Scattering Ashes at U.S. National Parks

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There are countless ways to honor a loved one’s life and memory. It’s just a matter of finding the options that are 1) meaningful to the family and 2) beautifully…
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Answering Your Green Burial Questions

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Perhaps you’ve heard the term “green burial,” but it doesn’t really mean anything to you. Today, we’re going to dive into what it is, how it differs from standard burial,…
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Funerals, Cosmetology, and the Restorative Arts

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The loss of a loved one raises many questions, including what happens to a loved one’s body after it is transferred to the funeral home. You may be wondering how…
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10 Ideas for Making a Funeral More Personal

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Each person deserves a final ceremony that is as unique as their individual life. These ceremonies should reflect the person’s unique personality and honor the memories they made during their…
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Know Your Rights: The FTC Funeral Rule

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In every industry you can think of – funeral care, telemarketing, advertising, healthcare – the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has set certain protections in place. In other words, every industry…
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Identifying a Dishonest Funeral Home: 7 Warning Signs

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Most funeral homes are staffed by hardworking, caring, and compassionate people. But every once in a while, you might come across a funeral home that does not have your best…
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10 Literary Readings for Any Type of Funeral

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As you plan a healing and meaningful funeral for a loved one, it’s essential that you find ways to make it personal. According to Dr. Alan Wolfelt, nationally recognized grief…

6 Ways to Say Thank You to a Funeral Home

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During a time of loss, it’s common to feel lost, overwhelmed, and a little anxious. When the funeral home steps into your grief and provides top-quality care and compassionate service,…
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6 Ways to Personalize a Casket

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When planning a funeral service, the best way to create a truly unique, one-of-a-kind experience is to add personalized touches throughout the events. That might mean selecting special music, choosing…
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130+ Questions Your Family Will Have to Answer After a Death

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Most people don’t realize just how many questions surviving family members will need to answer following the death of a loved one. That’s why advance preparation is so important. From…
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11 Qualities to Look for in a Funeral Director

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Losing a loved one can bring pain, grief, uncertainty, and confusion. A loss can also leave you with the responsibility of planning a funeral, requiring you to answer questions that…

Understanding Half-Couch versus Full-Couch Caskets

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After losing a loved one, a viewing or visitation can be a sweet moment of remembrance and an opportunity to say a final goodbye in person. As you put together…
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6 Ways You Can Save Money with Funeral Preplanning & Prefunding

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A recent survey revealed that while more than 50% of participants said they were likely to preplan their own funeral, only 7% of had actually done it. Many people understand…
Mature couple sitting down with funeral professional to discuss insurance payment options

3 Funeral Insurance Options You Should Know About

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If you’re reading this, then you understand how important it is to prepare for the future. You know that taking out an insurance policy to cover the cost of a…
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9 Outdoor Memorial Ideas to Honor a Loved One

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When you’re grieving the death of a loved one, it helps to find just the right way to honor their life. Sometimes that may mean painting a portrait, creating a…
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Gravestone Recipes: Adding a Sweet Touch to a Memorial Marker

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When planning a loved one’s funeral or memorial services, personalization is key to creating an event that is both healing and meaningful. The same is true when you’re considering what…

Can You Name the 4 Different Types of Cemeteries?

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A cemetery is a cemetery, right? Well, to a degree, that’s true. However, there are actually several different types of cemeteries you should know about. Today, we’ll discuss the 4…

What to Expect at a Preplanning Appointment

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Did you know you can put your funeral wishes in writing in advance? That’s where a preplanning specialist can help! They specialize in sitting down with you (and your family,…
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What’s the Difference Between a Funeral and Memorial Service?

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Have you ever planned a funeral or memorial service? If you haven’t, then you’re in good company. Most people haven’t. That's why it’s not surprising that you may not know…
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What is Advance Funeral Planning?

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After the death of a loved one, surviving family members must often answer between 100 – 200 questions before any kind of funeral or memorial service can take place. What’s…
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5 Tips When Shipping Cremated Remains

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It’s impossible to know what circumstances you’re going to face after a loved one’s death. In some cases, it may become necessary to transport a loved one’s remains across a…
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6 Ways to Personalize a Memorial Marker

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When visiting a cemetery, it can seem like your options are limited when choosing a memorial marker, but that’s not true. There are many options for creating a personalized monument…
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What You Need to Know About Flying with Cremated Remains

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Did you know that it’s possible to fly – both domestically and internationally – with cremated remains? While flying with cremated remains may not be something you've ever thought about…
Older man and woman using calculator to add up costs

Understanding Prepaid Funeral Insurance Policies

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We all know the value of being prepared. We buy car insurance, fire insurance, health insurance, life insurance – all just in case. When you stop to think about it,…
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What Services Do Funeral Homes Offer?

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You may think that funeral homes only plan and facilitate funeral and memorial services, but that’s not all they do. In fact, funeral homes have a wider range of services…
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What Do Funeral Directors Do?

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Have you ever wondered exactly what funeral directors do? To most people, funeral service is a bit of a mystery. That's because a vast majority of people have never had…
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How to Select Pallbearers

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When choosing burial, there are many decisions to make, including whom to select as pallbearers. Whether you’re prearranging your funeral wishes or planning a funeral for a recently lost loved one, it’s important to select pallbearers who can fulfill their…
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Protecting Your Family If Death Occurs Away from Home

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If you’re like many of us, you spend quite a bit of time traveling out of town. You may not be getting on a plane every time you travel, but…
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Applying for a FEMA COVID-19 Funeral Reimbursement

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So many families across the United States have been hit hard by COVID-19 - emotionally, mentally, physically, and financially. Under the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021…
Pallbearers lowering casket into grave

8 Pallbearer Etiquette Tips

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Participating in a funeral as a pallbearer is a time-honored tradition and a sign of trust. It’s both an honor and a responsibility. After all, you have been asked to…

5 Alternative Methods of Final Disposition

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Choosing which method of final disposition is right for you is a very personal decision. For some, burial is most desirable, while for others, cremation is best. There is no…

Eulogies & Sharing a Loved One’s Legacy

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When a close loved one dies, you may be asked to give a eulogy. So, you may be wondering, where do I start? First of all, what is a eulogy?…

What Do You Do When Someone Dies?

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If you’ve recently lost someone you love, you have our sincerest sympathies. For many of us, dealing with death and all the logistical and emotional details associated with it is…
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Why Should Veterans Plan Ahead?

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As veterans, you gave a part of your life in committed service to our nation, and we offer you a sincere and heartfelt thank you. But did you know that…

Top 15 Bible Verses for a Celebration of Life Service

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A Christian funeral service is not complete without a few readings from scripture. Readings can help mourners process the loss and find meaning in the midst of pain. Additionally, the…

All You Need to Know About Funeral Programs, Prayer Cards, and More

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Whether you are planning ahead for funeral wishes or planning a final tribute for a loved one, you may have noticed that many funeral or memorial packages include memorial stationery.…

How to Plan a Healing Funeral if You Are Not Religious

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Funeral rites have a rich history rooted in spiritual and religious traditions. So, what do you do for a funeral if you are not religious? Some families may consider skipping…

10 Ways to Use Photos to Personalize a Service

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Funeral and memorial services are about remembering and cherishing a loved one’s memory and honoring their life. Dr. Alan Wolfelt, a nationally recognized grief expert, author, and counselor, often says,…

Estate Planning for the Blended Family

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In today’s world, it’s more and more common to be part of a blended family. For many families, being blended creates a sense of belonging and harmony. For others, it…

What You Need to Know About Burial at Sea

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After a loss, we feel both a deep sense of loss and an innate desire to honor the memory of the person we love. We want to remember them for…

Permanent Placement Options for Cremated Remains

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These days, it’s not uncommon for the family to keep the cremated remains of a loved in an urn at home. While keeping a loved one nearby can be helpful…

The 5 Basic Steps of Funeral Planning

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Thinking about planning a funeral may make you feel anxious, especially if you are arranging a funeral for a loved one who has recently died. The whole thing just sets…

3 Reasons to Have a Visitation

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Have you ever wondered about the purpose of a visitation when a loved one dies? Why don't we just skip to the funeral? This article will share three key reasons…

Why Does Funeral Personalization Matter?

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“I encourage you to slow down, take a deep breath and focus on what is really important—what is essential—about the funeral you are planning. What is essential is the life…

How to Personalize a Funeral When an Infant Dies

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“Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” – A.A. Milne Losing an infant or a small child is one of the most difficult situations to…

What Are My Interment Options?

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For many of us, the ins and outs of funeral planning are unfamiliar and confusing. We don’t know where to start or even what all of our options are. Should…

7 Ways to Pay for Unexpected Funeral Expenses

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When a loved one dies, the last thing you want to do is think about how to pay for the funeral, especially if funds are tight and the death is…

Remembering Our Loved Ones Through Photos

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“When you photograph a face… you photograph the soul behind it.” – Jean-Luc Godard Today, we can’t imagine a world without photographs. They capture the moments of our lives –…

6 Things You Probably Didn’t Know about Funeral Goods and Services

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Most of us will only plan a handful of funerals in our lifetime, and because it is so infrequent, we often don’t know what to do, how to do it,…

Walking a Child Through a Funeral: 9 Tips for Parents

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Most of us dearly love our children and want to protect them from the difficult parts of life. But understanding that a funeral is a rite of passage and an…

10 Reasons to Plan Ahead

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A funeral is an important event for those who have lost someone loved. It’s a time to gather together, to honor the memory of the one who has died, to…

10 Questions to Ask Before You Prepay Your Funeral

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A recent study by the Funeral and Memorial Information Council found that nearly 70% of adults over the age of 40 say they would prefer to prearrange their own funeral.…

5 Reasons Why People Don’t Plan Ahead for Funeral Wishes

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Life is full of to-do lists, errands, activities, hobbies, and gatherings. While many of these things bring us great joy, some of them simply need doing. While we may not…

Cremation and the Importance of Ceremony

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Cremation is a rapidly growing trend in the United States, with just over 50% of those who died in 2016 selecting cremation for their final disposition. However, many families who…

The Importance of a Memorial Tribute Video

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“The death of someone loved changes our lives forever. And the movement from the ‘before’ to the ‘after’ is almost always a long, painful journey. From my own experiences with loss…

Should a Funeral Be Efficient or Effective?

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At some point in life, we’ve all attended a funeral or memorial service that seems to leave us feeling empty or numb. Why? Usually, it has to do with whether…

Exploring Your Release Ceremony Options

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Losing a loved one creates a painful hole in our hearts that we often don't know how to fill. However, through the process of grief and mourning, we can come…

7 Reasons to Help Parents Preplan for Funeral Wishes

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Life is busy, and many things demand your attention. In the midst of everything – daily chores, kids, work, friends, extracurricular activities – caring for an aging parent takes a…

5 Meaningful Actions to Personalize a Funeral

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Throughout history, many things have changed, but one thing that has endured is the funeral ceremony. At some level deep down, we all know that a funeral is important. It’s…

9 Preplanning Mistakes to Avoid

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According to the National Funeral Directors Association, 62.5% of consumers feel that it is important to share funeral wishes with family members, but only 21.4% did so in 2017. That…

Grave Liners & Burial Vaults: What’s the Difference?

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For many of us, the ins and outs of funeral planning are unfamiliar and confusing. We don’t know where to start or even what all of our options are. Should…

Myth vs. Fact: The Truth About Final Expense Plans

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Paying for a funeral in advance doesn’t have to be a difficult task. All you really need is a knowledgeable funeral professional who thoughtfully educates you on all the options…

5 Ways to Pay for a Funeral

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Many people do not realize that payment for a funeral is due prior to services being rendered. So, having a financial plan in place to pay for a funeral is…

Selecting a Cremation Urn

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According to the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), cremation has continued to grow as a choice for final disposition. In fact, in the 2017 Cremation and Burial Report, the NFDA…

6 Ways to Personalize a Funeral

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A funeral, though a time of mourning, can still be filled with celebration and remembrance. It’s a time to honor the one who has died but also an opportunity to…

5 Reasons to Establish a Permanent Memorial

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When we lose someone we love, our feeling of connection to them continues, even though they are no longer with us physically. It is this connection that contributes to our…
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Top 10 Characteristics to Look for in a Funeral Home

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For many of us, the death of a loved one is one of the most difficult life events we face. We don’t want to think about it, but there is…

How to Write a Great Epitaph

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An epitaph is an inscription on a tomb, a gravestone, a plaque, or a memorial marker that honors the memory of a deceased person. The use of epitaphs can be traced…

How to Select a Casket

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If you decide on a traditional burial for you or your loved one, the next important decision that you will need to make is determining the type of casket. Before…

Selecting and Installing a Grave Marker

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We all have a need to memorialize those who have gone before us. For thousands of years, humans have used memorials to commemorate important people and events. By choosing a…

What is a Memorial Service?

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A memorial service is similar to a funeral service in many ways. The main difference is that at a funeral, the body is present as a focal point for the…

What Is Embalming?

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Embalming is the process of temporarily preserving a body for public viewing or transportation. The main function of embalming is to provide an opportunity for the bereaved family and friends…