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Funeral and memorial arrangements can become complex and costly if done at the time of a person’s death. It can place added stress on loved ones during an already difficult time if the final wishes of the deceased are unknown. That heightened stress can be avoided with a little preparation. Kathy Kavala came to realize the importance of early planning when her aunt died a few years ago. The aunt never married or had children, so the job of making arrangements fell to Kathy. “My aunt told me everything had been set up and that I didn’t have to worry about anything,” Kathy recalls. “As it turned out, the only thing she had done was pick out and pay for her burial plot. Nothing else. “So, when she passed away, it was up to me to do everything. When people don’t have a plan in place, it’s disconcerting for the loved ones left behind.” To avoid placing their survivors in a similar situation, Kathy and her husband have fully planned their final arrangements. They did so with the help of Nina Guiglotto, a family services counseling manager with Lohman Funeral Homes. “With preplanning, you communicate your wishes, which reduces the stress on your loved ones at an already emotional time,” Nina asserts. “Preplanning also saves money because you pay for your arrangements with today’s dollars. Then, you don’t have to worry about inflation and higher prices down the road. Further, there will be no financial burden on your loved ones at the time of your death.”
Final Wishes Booklet
After Kathy and her husband settled on their funeral and memorial arrangements, the information was recorded in a final wish booklet, which they filed away in a safe place for future reference. “We both decided to be cremated,” Kathy shares. “We also purchased a bench to go in the memorial garden at the cemetery. The bench will have our last name on it. Then, we will be interred, one on each side of the bench that will have our name, date of birth and date of death inscribed on top. I find that very comforting.” The booklet also contains instructions for the couple’s memorial service. Again, everything is planned, so there are no decisions remaining to burden the survivors. “This gives our loved ones peace of mind because they know that everything is already set up, and they don’t have to worry about what we wanted, what they have to do or how to go about doing it,” Kathy says. “And it’s all in writing, so all they have to do is follow the guidelines in the booklet. “The funeral home has a copy of the booklet, and we have a copy. If one of us predeceases the other, then the one left behind will know what to do. “If we both pass away at the same time, the funeral home has our wishes on file. So, again, there’s no guesswork.” Kathy is extremely pleased by the advice she and her husband received from Nina. “She was fantastic,” Kathy raves. “She’s very professional and knowledgeable. She explained everything and went through the programs offered by Lohman Funeral Homes. And it was very affordable in the long run because we decided to make monthly payments. We are now finished with those payments and can rest comfortably.” Kathy says planning final arrangements is an easy, even pleasant process. “We had a lot of laughs as we were sitting there talking with Nina,” she relates. “It was actually very enjoyable to sit down and have our last wishes made known. And now, we’re certain they’re going to be fulfilled correctly, just as we planned.”
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