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Advanced Planning

Andrea Thornburg
Funeral Director /
Advance Planning Specialist
(765) 716-2648
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Grandpa, what am I supposed to remember?

In the movie “Memorial Day” young Kyle Vogle confronts his taciturn grandfather with this question as he seeks to deepen his relationship and satisfy his curiosity about a mysterious trunk he found in the barn. The end result: his grandfather relents and we learn his story. In the movie, it turns out (unbeknownst to his family and friends) that he is a war hero. The telling of the hidden story…the expression of his life…also leads to the healing of Grandpa’s relationship with his son, Kyle’s father.

Blaise Pascal once wrote: “No one dies so poor that he leaves nothing behind.” That wisdom is often discounted as people reflect on their lives and fail to recognize the subtle but deep impact they have had. Every life has a story. Too often that story remains untold because no one took the time to draw it out. Perhaps, to us, it is unimportant. But it is of vital importance to those who love us…whose lives we have impacted. They want to know what to remember.

We invite you to take a journey of discovery. It may be a journey about yourself. Or, it could be a journey about someone you care about. Perhaps you have been asked to deliver a eulogy. Maybe you are wondering how you will be eulogized…or, more important, how you can influence how you are remembered.

Our lives are like ripples in a pond. A seemingly insignificant pebble eventually can have an impact on everything around it.

We’re here to help you capture your legacy – those memories so important to your loved ones, and design and pay for a funeral or memorial experience that uses those recollections to help family and friends heal after you’re gone.

 

Planning ahead is easy.

You can take your time creating arrangements that best suit your needs and preferences, and all you have to do is fill out a form or meet with a member of our staff to put your plan in place. Anyone can create a plan, at any stage in their life, and you can make changes at a later date if you wish.

 

It lets you decide how you'd like to be remembered.

Creating your own unique life celebration allows you to make sure that your wishes and desires are respected upon your passing. However you decide to be memorialized, pre-planning and preparation gives you control over the personal decisions that must be made when a person moves on from this life. Planning can be meaningful for your family, as well, if you choose to include them in the process. It can help them to feel connected to you both in life and in death, knowing that your arrangements reflect exactly what you envisioned them to be.

 

It takes the burden off of your family and friends.

When a loved one passes, the family faces an overwhelming number of tasks and decisions, all while struggling through grief and a range of difficult emotions. By taking care of your arrangements before the time of need, you’re relieving them of that burden and giving them more time and energy to focus on healing and remembrance. They won’t have to ask themselves, “Am I making the right choices?” and can instead focus on what matters: saying goodbye and celebrating your life journey with those who cared about you most.

 

It gives you the ability to pre-pay if you wish.

While pre-funding your funeral is certainly not required in order to pre-plan, pre-payment means that your funds will be set aside and protected against inflation and unforeseen increases in cost. Your family won’t have to worry about payment, and can enjoy peace of mind knowing that everything has been taken care of. We’d be happy to provide you with more information and help you arrange for pre-funding of your services.

 

What if I Move?

Once you create your pre-plan with us, we store it in our files as a record of your final wishes and decisions. Your plan is easily transferable to any funeral home in the United States, so it can be used wherever you might choose to relocate. No matter where you live at the time of your passing, or which funeral home’s services you decide to use, we’ll make sure that your plan follows you there.

 

Where Do I Start?

The first step is to review our Pre-Planning Checklist to help you consider all of your possibilities and gather all of the information you’ll need. Then, you can use our Pre-Planning Form to begin creating your personalized arrangements. You can also contact us to schedule a time to meet with a member of our staff to discuss your options and design your plan in person.

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