Pre-planning Final Arrangements Alleviates Stress

2011 January 25 by

The beginning of the year is traditionally a time when people feel the need to better organize their lives. They make resolutions to live happier and healthier lives; they tie up those nagging loose ends. They set a budget, invest in a financial plan and update their wills; they ensure that their families are taken care of in the event of their death.
 
However, one often-overlooked item is planning for one’s final arrangements. Pre-arranged funerals provide peace of mind for both you (in that your wishes have been carried out) and for your family (in that they’re not “guessing” about what you would want). In addition, a trust fund may be established to pay for the funeral arrangements in advance. When those funds are needed, they are applied to cover the cost of your funeral arrangements.
 
Trusted funeral advisors can assist you in planning all of the details of your final arrangements just as you wish. A few areas that are specified when pre-arranging these services:

  • Instructions of final disposition including of both location of service and cemeteries; if you are to be cremated, what do you want done with your ashes?
  • Who do you want to serve as pallbearers?
  • What clothing and jewelry do you want to wear?
  • What items/mementos would you like to have displayed?
  • What poems or literature you would like to have read?
  • What favorite religious passages would you like read?
  • What favorite colors and flowers would you like used in floral arrangements?
  • Are you eligible for military, graveside honors?

A.R.N. Cremation Services assists individuals in planning funerals, including those who wish to pre-plan their own services.  A convenient pre-planning form is available for download on our website (click here).   Locally owned by Max Nelson and Jennifer Nelson Williams, we have been assisting Indianapolis-area families plan and carry out final arrangements since 1935. For more information, call us at 317.873.4766 or visit the website, www.arncremation.com.

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Cremation Ashes

2009 July 28 by


When a loved one passes away, there are a myriad of options to choose from when deciding what to do with the body-burial, cremation, cryogenic freezing. Although all are viable choices, cremation in particular has become increasingly popular in the United States. Perhaps this is because cremation allows for a more personal touch. Instead of being buried in the ground (and potentially harming the environment), there are a multitude of choices for keeping or spreading cremated ashes, from collecting them in a standard urn to sending them into space.

While reading articles and posts between people discussing what they wished their loved ones would do with their ashes, a recurring trend appeared. Many people mentioned they wanted their ashes spread somewhere they loved, places like an old childhood home or a favorite vacation spot.

In one particular story, a daughter spreads her mother’s ashes in nine different locations.

  • Her garden, among the pansies and geraniums, her mother’s favorite flowers.
  • Her grandparent’s home, where her mother spent most of her childhood.
  • Her mother’s first home that she lived in with her husband, “a tiny shack in the woods.”
  • The home her mother raised her children in, where the author lived in until she was 9.
  • The Forum, Trevi Fountain, and Spanish Steps in Italy, her mother’s favorite place in the world.
  • The city of Assisi, one of her mother’s favorite cities in Italy.
  • The Grand Canal in Venice, a place her mother always adored.

This author’s accounts show that there are no limitations to how many places you can spread your loved one’s ashes. Because there are usually 5 to 6 pounds of ashes after cremation, they can easily be divided up to give to different family members, or be scattered in various places.

Among the articles read, many people said they wanted their relatives to each take a portion of their ashes and spread them somewhere either they loved or would have loved to visit. One woman wrote that she wanted her ashes spread on the land of her childhood home, which burned down when she was 17. Another person, self-described as an avid hiker, said he wanted his ashes spread on his favorite hiking trail.

In every case, the ashes are spread somewhere meaningful, a place that holds special importance for the deceased. Whether it’s a backyard garden or a fountain in Italy, a loved one’s ashes will always be a part of something they love.

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