There are many advantages that come along with providing pre-planning services for a funeral. When you plan in advance, you will be able to reduce many problems and expenses that may otherwise fall onto the shoulders of your loved ones. Additionally, pre-planning will ensure that your wishes will be accounted for during the funeral. If you are considering pre-planning, you may need to choose a cemetery to further ensure that all aspects of your funeral are planned for. Here are a few tips to help you choose a cemetery to meet your specific needs.

Method of Burial

Have you been considering cremation? Would you prefer a more traditional burial? The method of burial that you choose will have a huge impact on your planning process. If you have decided on cremation, you may want to choose a cemetery that has specific locations to host ashes or you may decide to have your ashes kept with your family members. You may even choose to have them spread in a meaningful location. However, if you are deciding on a more traditional burial, it will be important to choose the right cemetery plot to meet all of your needs.

The Layout

When you are deciding on the layout you want for your cemetery, it will be important to take some time to consider what your specific priorities are. Is it more important to you to be buried near loved ones that have already passed or for your loved ones to have a great view when they come to visit? Once you have decided on your priorities, you will be better positioned to choose the right layout to meet your needs.

Cemetery Policies

Various cemeteries may have different policies that will impact your final choice. It will be useful to learn about the various policies that the cemetery follows. They may have specific requirements regarding grave markers or headstones. They may have specific visiting hours or requirements about which items can be left behind after a visit. Considering these policies can help you to narrow down your choices. You may also need to consider the type of cemetery, such as a veteran’s specific cemetery.

Maintenance

What kind of maintenance does the cemetery provide? It will be beneficial to learn whether the cemetery provides maintenance or if maintenance will have to be performed by your loved ones. In addition, it will be important to learn about any related maintenance fees that the cemetery may charge.

Cost

Expense is a huge consideration when it comes to choosing a cemetery to meet your needs. It is important to examine all of the costs that are associated with the cemetery plot. Does the initial cost include any additional fees?

Associations with Funeral Homes

Some cemeteries may be associated with particular funeral homes. It will be important to learn about this when you are deciding on a cemetery, especially if you are working with a funeral home. The combination may enable you to get a package deal, such as saving money on transportation expenses.

Location

Location will likely be one of the largest factors that will help you to make your decision. Is there a particular state or city that you wish to be buried in? Will there be higher transportation costs involved in one city rather than another? It may even be useful to visit the cemetery multiple times before making a decision.

Future Development Plans

The current state of the cemetery won’t necessarily be the future state of the cemetery. It can be beneficial to ensure that you consider any future development plans that the cemetery has to understand how the cemetery may be impacted in the future.

When you are choosing a cemetery, there are many things that you will need to consider. Pre-planning can help to ensure that you are able to be buried in the exact place you wish. Our experts at Russon Brothers Mortuary can help you to identify the right planning steps to meet your particular needs. For more guidance regarding how to choose a cemetery, contact our experts today!

Burial insurance may be a term that you’ve heard before. Understanding the value of burial insurance can help you to determine if it is the right choice for your particular situation. Burial insurance can be used to help protect your family and prevent substantial unexpected costs from impacting their bottom line. Ultimately, funerals can be expensive. When you implement the appropriate insurance, you can prevent these expenses from impacting your loved ones.

May be an Interchangeable Term

Understanding the term “burial insurance” often comes down to individual business’s interpretation of the term. Some insurance companies use the term “burial insurance” interchangeably with “funeral insurance.” In these cases, funeral insurance is ultimately insurance that is used to cover funeral expenses. However, other companies will consider burial insurance to be a specific type of funeral insurance. It is important to consult with the company when you are searching for the right insurance to meet your specific needs.

Covers Funeral Expenses

In general, funeral or burial insurance is intended to help cover funeral expenses. This is especially important if you feel like your family won’t have the resources to come up with the money for your funeral costs. Though this can be a great method for protecting your family, it is also important to note that you may be able to pre-pay for your funeral arrangements. This will reduce the burden from falling on your family, as well as ensure that your wishes are followed out.

You Pay a Monthly Premium

This kind of insurance requires a monthly premium. The exact premium will fluctuate depending on the insurance policy. Burial insurance, since it is a generally low payout as far as various insurance plans go, tends to be one of the most inexpensive types of insurance. In many cases, it only costs a few dollars each week to provide this additional peace of mind.

What is the Payout?

As with any insurance policy, the exact payout will depend on the plan. In most situations, the burial insurance payout will be between $5,000 and $25,000. One of the major benefits of burial insurance, when it is differentiated from funeral insurance, is that it tends to enable the beneficiary to use the payout in whatever manner they desire. For example, it can allow them to afford to take time off of work for grieving following the funeral.

May be Part of a Package

Some life insurance policies will include burial or funeral insurance as a component of their overall package. This may mean that you are covered by funeral insurance without even knowing it. Consult with your life insurance company to determine if burial insurance is a part of the plan that you are already paying for. They may also be able to advise you regarding how to best bundle your insurance policies to save the most money on your premium.

Burial insurance often serves at a safeguard that will enable you to provide financial protection for your family. This can help to alleviate your stress and provide you with a great deal of peace of mind. For more information about understanding funeral costs, pre-paying for your funeral arrangements, or the benefits of burial insurance, contact us at Russon Brothers Mortuary & Crematory today!

There is a lot that goes into planning a funeral. Writing the obituary, coordinating services, and choosing pallbearers are just a few of the things that you will want to consider during the process. Understanding how to choose pallbearers can help you to make the best decisions. This may feel like a situation that involves family politics, likely because it does. Here are a few things to keep in mind to help you choose pallbearers.

What Does a Pallbearer Do?

First, it is important to understand what exactly a pallbearer does. This will help you to choose pallbearers that will be able to complete the task efficiently. Ultimately, the pallbearers are expected to carry the casket from the service to the hearse in order to transport the casket to the cemetery. Depending on the funeral and situation, it is also possible that the pallbearer will participate in graveside services, namely carrying the casket from the hearse to the gravesite. Due to the physical nature of their task, it is most common for men to serve as pallbearers. However, it is still possible for women to be pallbearers, too.

Types of Pallbearers

There are two types of pallbearers. These types are active and honorary. Active pallbearers are the individuals that perform the task of carrying the casket. Honorary pallbearers are those that are recognized as being important to the deceased but are not expected to carry out any tasks during the funeral. It is important to be aware of both types to help you make the best decision for the pallbearers for the funeral you are planning.

Pre-Planning a Funeral

Pre-planning your funeral can help to reduce the need for your loved ones to choose pallbearers for you. During the pre-planning process, you can list the individuals that you desire to serve as your active and honorary pallbearers. This can help to take some of the weight off of your loved ones when it comes to making these decisions.

How Many Pallbearers you Need

When you want to choose pallbearers, it will be important to know how many pallbearers you will need. Ultimately, this will depend on the number of handles that the casket has. The majority of caskets have 6 handles, 3 on each side of the casket. For these caskets, you will want 6 pallbearers. Other caskets have additional handles on the front and back of the casket. For this type of casket, you will want 8 pallbearers. You will need between 6 and 8 active pallbearers, but you can choose as many honorary pallbearers as you would like.

How to Choose Pallbearers

When you want to choose pallbearers, it will be important to ensure that you choose people that are of consequence, namely that they were important to the deceased. This often means close family members, like sons and grandsons, as well as close family friends. While this certainly is an important factor, it isn’t the only thing you should consider when choosing pallbearers. If you are concerned about someone’s ability to carry out the task but know that they were important to the deceased, you may want to name them as honorary pallbearers instead.

Physical Strength

One of the major components of choosing a pallbearer is their ability to carry out their task. Due to this, you will want to keep physical strength in mind when making decisions. This is often why small children do not make good pallbearers, even if they were important to the deceased. This is also why adult males tend to be most commonly chosen to act as pallbearers.

Emotional Strength

All eyes are on the casket as it is carried to the hearse. This means that pallbearers will have the spotlight for those moments. It can be extremely unsettling to attendees when a pallbearer has an emotional breakdown during the process. When you choose pallbearers, you will want to consider individuals that will be able to keep their emotions in check, at least while carrying the casket.

Pallbearer Etiquette

If you have been asked to be a pallbearer, there are some expectations that you should be aware of. You will want to ensure that you dress appropriately for the funeral. In addition, it is important to ensure that you follow any instructions that are given to you. Finally, you may be expected to sit with the other pallbearers, so check with the funeral director for instructions.

At Russon Brothers Mortuary, we offer the ideal funeral services to meet all of your expectations. When you work with our team, we can provide you with the appropriate guidance to expedite the process. To learn more about how to choose pallbearers, contact our experts today!