Funeral Pre Planning

Has anyone made their funeral arrangements already? My mom did hers some time back and I'm really glad she did. Will be one less thing I have to do in such a difficult time. Plus she had an idea of what she wanted, so now she knows for sure it will be that way. Plus it's cheaper in the long run. She hasn't written the obituary, which will be hard to do. So make sure your parents give you the information you would need to write it. Also, collect pictures in case there is a video at the funeral. I want to be cremated and I really don't care what happens to the ashes. I have no children or close relatives. I still have dad's ashes in a cardboard box. Had plans to dump them at the beach but just not ready to do that now, or ever. He stays in the office with me. He wanted to be cremated also and didn't care where his ashes ended up. So I guess he's okay with me for now.

I'm working on it.

I know the songs I want played, I know I want a certain poem and I know I want to be buried. currently my problem is money- I just don't have it, even for a funeral plan. I'm basically screwed financially anyway, not being able to work does have downsides

a few weeks ago I spoke to someone in regards to writing a will, but guess what?. money. money I don't have to throw at it

it's very important my final wishes are carried out though. I mean: it's not like anyone cared during life, so at least they can do this.

thanks for starting this thread!. I wanted to start one myself, but wasn't too sure on the area to put it

You may want to check online about the will. I think there are places that you can download the form for free. Also check with hospitals, they like for people to have wills, power of attorney, and living wills.
My mom financed her funeral plan. It may be worth it to talk to a funeral planner and see if it is in anyway possible to make it happen.
Make sure all your family members have a copy of your wishes. I think that increases the chances of compliance.
Also, wills can be hand written. Get it witnessed and file at the county clerks office.

I've donated my body to the local medical school. If they don't want it (not that I'd blame them) it'll be cremated. Throw the ashes in the trash...

Pretty sure if you are thin, they will take you. At our school, once a year they have a, um, mass send-off? for all such contributors.

If they don't take you, which they wont here if your BMI is too high, you dont even get in the door, and you have to make other arrangements at your own expense. Which is hard to do if your dead.

So yeah im on a diet for THAT

Everybody knows I want no funeral and no viewing. Just cremation and a celebration of life for the survivors. I haven’t prepay Ed anywhere yet because I’ve heard people get ripped off. Only song I have picked out isI Into the west.

I've heard pre-planning can be a rip-off, too. I've written up a sheet with the Biblical scriptures and songs I want. It's been put in my safe deposit box. My hubby and sons will have their names put on the list to have access to it.

The plan mom has is through a very well established Funeral Home company local. The paid off plan is a binding contract between the heirs and the funeral home. I guess it would be wise to research where you make these purchases and the legality of what you are buying. Trying to screw over the dead never brings good Karma or nice relatives.

Or have the family to take you to the hospital and don't claim your body. They will dispose of the body somehow.

Does it really even matter what happens to us when we pass on? Who is the funeral really for anyway? My mom wanted to make the pre arrangements to make it easier for me and to have a say in what she will rest in for eternity. I'm okay with that because that gives her comfort on her journey to the heavens. My personal belief is that when we leave the body we are gone. The body is just a vessel for our earthly time. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

The funeral is obviously for the living. Like fixing up the person's body, so they look good and remembering the good things about them.

I just hope my relatives won't sing that they are glad "the wicked witch is dead"!

Yes that song would be ugly I have often thought about just having an empty casket at my memorial and play the "Pop goes the Weasel" song over and over again just to keep people on their toes

I've been their, (thinking about not having a funeral), I don't have anyone who would show up!. the only reason I want one I guess is to have it done properly rather than just placed in the ground with nothing said about me or no thought to how I want the end to be.

I also thought about having a practice funeral (like the one they had in the fault in our stars), just so I could see what people would say about me on the dae- and if everything I wanted was how it should be.

does anyone else on this thread find this topic really comforting?

not in a



sort of way, but in a way that's like.. if something did happen, at least it's been sorted and everything is in order. I constantly feel like this, as I feel it's really important. final wishes are everything to me

I haven't made any sort of final plans for myself. I have decided against cremation, though, and I would like to write my own obit at some point. I know I will not have any kind of embalming or cosmetic stuff done because my family is Jewish.

As for my parents, they both died long ago. My sisters and I worked on their headstones, and on our uncle's, and I can honestly say that those 3 headstones are some of the most original and exquisite I've ever seen.

I don’t care what people want to do or say at my funeral. I’ll be dead. We don’t cremate. But if they want to, what am I going to do about? I won’t be here

I think it’s wise to buy a spot. My mom passed two years back and my dad bought burial place next to hers. So he has that done. My dad wanted some weird stuff on moms tomb stone. Took us awhile to agree on the headstone. It’s pretty. We worry dad would want us to put something crazy on his tomb stone. Omg. Hope not.

Yeah, talk this out and having pre-plans make it easier on those left. Pretty much everyone in my family has a living will that states no drastic emergency measures. No machines. No feeding tubes. But it’s really hard in real life. When mum went to the hospital a year and half ago. The monitors were going crazy. But she pulled though without drastic measures. She has her plot and stone already picked out and the funeral prepaid. It’s next to dad. But she told me if she dies during the pandemic not to have the service. To wait and have a gathering when people are safe. Yes vortex, there’s something reassuring about having talk all these things though.

I know I was not as prepared with dad's memorial and that made it even harder. The songs......I had no idea what songs he would have wanted played, then there was the gathering of the photos to make a slide show in the reception room. It would have been a little easier if all this had been done prior to the memorial service. Thank goodness his business had a large picture of him that we used at the service. I need to get to working on this myself. I talk about it but really don't have that much done

My in-laws prepaid their funeral. It was nice and easy for us. They did it way back when my husband was a minor. The money they saved by doing it so early was incredible.

I only put in my will that I want to be buried and my estate will pay for it. My husband/children can decide where.

You can buy a Will at an office supply store or online. You can fill in the blanks and have it notorized. It’s legal and can cost nothing. I think it’s important to have the original copy though. If you have little money you can probably just do this instead of a lawyer drawn Will for more expense.

thanks for this post

I'm the same when it comes to machines, I don't want them. I have stated that

My mother picked out her pictures for the slide show. and that helped. I'll probably just want a graveside service--but time will tell. It partly depends on what my family wants. I doubt I'll have a big crowd,

I have a living will, but it depends on how old I am. Right now (At age 66), I'd like CPR. I have things I want to do.

And yes, this topic could be triggering--if thought about in a certain way. I'm assuming we're talking about a natural death.

Of course we are talking about natural causes.

I didn't have any idea they needed photos for a slide show until I had to plan dad's funeral. With everything that was going on having to go through pictures made it even harder. I'm trying to get mine together now. The slide show we did for dad's service turned out really well and people were able to purchase it afterwards. I bought a copy but I haven't watched since he died, maybe one day.

Our living wills are specific too. We have CPR down as yes but other drastic measures no. When I was going to college I paid for school by being a CNA. So I know I don’t want to be in a vegetative state and kept alive by feeding tubes or machines. Where I live now is part of the Mayo Clinic and they have tons of info you can get on making living wills. Before when I was in Texas I had to rely on what I could find on the internet. This thread reminds me I need to look over mine and make sure it’s updated.