Free Memorial Plans

The public announcement of a death can be accomplished by publication in local newspapers. A "death notice" is a paid announcement listing pertinent information. An "obituary" is a news story printed in the newspaper, usually at no cost. Sometimes a newspaper will print basic information at no charge, and then charge for anything in addition to the basic information.

These notices must be quickly prepared to meet newspaper deadlines. To assist family or other survivors in writing an obituary, this program provides for the type of information that is most generally requested. Additional information may be added as desired. Or if you prefer to actually write the obituary instead of merely providing facts, use this program's "Exhibit" document and attach it to the MEMORIAL PLANS document.

Representations Regarding Natural Decomposition
Funeral providers are prohibited from misrepresenting the effectiveness of their methods to slow the natural decomposition of human remains. For example, funeral providers cannot claim that embalming or a particular type of casket will preserve the body indefinitely into the future. Also, a funeral provider must not exaggerate the effectiveness of various caskets and burial containers in protecting the body from water, dirt and other materials.

Sealing Capabilities of Outer Burial Containers
Some manufacturers test the sealing capabilities of their caskets and outer burial containers and provide a written warranty regarding these characteristics. Although it may seem highly unlikely that anyone would ever make a claim on a casket warranty, such a warranty may be an indication of the quality of the product. This written warranty is made by the manufacturer, and is available from the funeral provider.

Laws Regarding Outer Burial Containers
The Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule prohibits a funeral provider from representing that state or local laws or particular cemeteries require outer burial containers unless that is the case. Also, the provider must make the following disclosure:

In most areas of the country, no state or local law requires that you buy a container to surround the casket in the grave. However, many cemeteries require that you have such a container so that the grave will not sink or collapse. Either a burial vault or a grave liner will satisfy these requirements.

Burial Vault or Grave Liner
A burial vault is a large tank, usually metal-reinforced concrete but sometimes metal or fiberglass, which is lowered into a gravesite excavation; after the coffin is placed inside, a lid is added. There is no significant effect on body preservation. A grave liner is simply an un-reinforced concrete box which may be sufficient and is usually less expensive.

Despite commonly accepted ideas that the material of the casket will determine the price, there is great variety of prices within each of the various types of materials. It is rather difficult to specify a type of casket without actually viewing the caskets. The appearance of the casket, and its sealing capabilities are the characteristics generally considered in making a purchase.

Direct Cremation
For direct cremation a rigid combustible container is required. Direct cremation is the cremation of the body without a viewing or other ceremony at which the body is present. Rosewood, mahogany, pine or cloth-covered caskets are suitable for cremation. The funeral provider may not state that the law requires a casket for direct cremation, and is required to offer an inexpensive alternate container. An alternate container is a non-metal receptacle, without ornamentation or affixed interior lining, which is made of cardboard, pressed-wood, canvas, or other combustible materials.

Making a gift of your body can be done by several methods: a donation of specified organs for transplantation, a donation of all organs and tissues, or the donation of the entire body to a medical school or research facility. You should also indicate an alternative disposition in case the donation is impossible for some reason.

This program offers an "Organ Donation Form." Also, donor cards are available from local agencies such as hospitals, the local office of the National Kidney Foundation, or a community eye bank. Some states provide organ donation check-off on driver's licenses. You should always inform family members or close friends of your wishes to assure the fulfillment of your desires. To donate your whole body, the school or hospital to receive the donation must be contacted and an agreement signed.

The dissection of human bodies is an invaluable part of medical school training and scientific research. You may indicate on a body donor form whether you prefer that your body be used for anatomy classes or for scientific research. Bodies generally are rejected if they are decomposed, obese, emaciated, amputated, infectious, mutilated, have been recently operated on or autopsied, or are otherwise unfit. With the exception of corneas, organ donations cannot be made if the body is to be donated to science.

Cost of Donation
The cost of donating a body to medical science may include a minimal fee for transportation of the body. However, some schools will pick up the body. In fact, donation of a body to science is the most economical disposition of a body. A special embalming process is performed and then the body is kept from six months to two years. Upon completion of the medical studies, the remains are generally cremated. Most schools will offer to return the body or cremains, perhaps charging a small amount for costs incurred.

What Parts of the Body May Be Donated
Donations can be made of a variety of organs and tissues: liver, heart, heart valves, lungs, pancreas, intestines, kidneys, bones, cartilage, marrow, skin, eardrums, corneas and other eye parts, blood vessels, ligaments, muscles, tendons and other connective tissue, pituitary glands, body fluids, the dura mater and other brain tissues, middle ears, ear bones, and other organ subparts.

Refer to the Organ Donation Form in this program for more information about organ donation.

Embalming is the process of injecting a dead body with preservative chemicals to retard decay. Routine embalming is generally not required by state law. However, death from communicable/contagious diseases or transportation by a common carrier requires embalming in some states. The type of embalming typically used to extend funeral arrangements for several days is not designed to preserve a body much beyond that time.

Funeral providers are required by the Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule to provide information about embalming so that a consumer can make an informed decision on whether to purchase this service. The funeral provider must:

1. Disclose in writing that, except in certain special cases, embalming is not required by law.

2. Not falsely state that embalming is required by law.

3. Not represent that embalming is required for direct cremation, immediate burial, a funeral using a sealed casket, or if refrigeration is available and the funeral is without viewing or visitation, a closed casket, when state or local law does not require embalming.

4. Disclose that you usually have the right to choose an arrangement that does not require embalming such as direct cremation or immediate burial.

5. Disclose that certain funeral arrangements, such as a funeral with viewing, may make embalming a necessity.

6. Not charge for embalming if it has not been authorized and it is not required by state law.

7. Provide a written explanation of the reason for embalming where a charge has been imposed.

Flowers may provide comfort to the survivors. Flowers have traditionally been an integral part of a memorial service and they are commonly displayed at the visitation, memorial service or funeral, and taken to the final resting place. Some people prefer that the money that would otherwise be spent on flowers be contributed instead to a particular charity, church, or nonprofit organization. The names of such organizations can be printed in the death notice.

You may want to discuss your funeral arrangements with a funeral director. After careful consideration, you can then make selections and describe those choices by completing the sections of this program. Provide a copy of these wishes to the funeral director for the director's future reference.

Some funeral homes and memorial parks offer prepaid funeral plans. If you make prearrangements, choose a reliable funeral director (one whose business will still be in existence at the time of your death). Also, be sure that your funds are paid into a state-regulated trust fund. This assures that the funds will be available when they are needed. You should also verify how this fund is handled and what happens to your prepayment if the funeral director's business is sold or goes out of business.

If a prepaid plan is chosen, attach proof of such purchase to this document for the benefit of your survivors. As you make your plans, find out if adjustments can be made at the time of your death. Some prepaid plans allow you to transfer the arrangements from one funeral home/cemetery to another. You should also ask if a pre-purchased lot can be transferred or sold if circumstances change.

Funeral ceremonies are for the survivors and this should be taken into consideration as you specify your plans. Visitation with family and friends and viewing the body is an opportunity for the survivors to accept the finality of death, pay their last respects and say good-bye. If visitation and viewing is chosen, embalming is generally required. A service, whether or not the body is present, offers the opportunity for family, friends, neighbors, and associates to gather and support the grieving and each other.

This simple gathering is one of the most important psychological and emotional needs that is satisfied by the funeral. It is the community's way of letting the survivors know that, despite the loss of a loved one, they do not have to face the loss alone. The activities associated with the funeral illustrate the reality of death and provide a coping mechanism.

The type of memorial service planned can vary greatly and is a matter of personal taste. Music, prayer, remarks, and songs are the traditional procedures. Short talks by friends and relatives of the deceased may also be comforting. You may want to indicate preferences for these items, such as favorite musical selections, scriptures or other readings, and preferred speakers.

The purpose of this document is to provide your survivors with a list of your desires for your final arrangements.

A funeral or memorial service can be a moving, personal ceremony. So that you may have the kind of remembrance that you want, provide a copy of this document to your family or other appropriate persons and discuss your desires with them. If you do not want to discuss your wishes with your family, at least advise them regarding the location of this document.

Realistic planning may be difficult for an event that may not take place for many years, and, of necessity, plans must be made on a tentative basis. Specifying too many details and instructions may be counterproductive. Sometimes it is best to allow a decision to be made based on the circumstances known at the time of death. However, if you provide guidance to your family, and yet acknowledge to them that changes may need to be made, they will feel more comfortable in making your arrangements.

A number of methods are available to notify survivors and the community of a death. Many times, the priority notification of your clergy person gives that person the opportunity to provide immediate comfort to your family and friends.

Family members and close friends are usually notified as soon as possible. If desired, this program's "Exhibit" document can be used to list everyone who should be notified. Or, you may refer to a list or other form that contains such names, such as an address book. Newspaper announcements can be used to notify a larger number of acquaintances. Formal printed announcements are sometimes used by businesses to inform colleagues or clients.

In addition to family and friends, there will be others who need to be informed of the death, for example, banks, credit card companies, and other organizations. You may wish to use the document called "Personal Fact Sheet," included in this program, to provide more information on who should be notified.

In this section, you may indicate whether or not you desire a marker or any other items. For example, you may want to specify burial clothing. You may also state which newspapers should be contacted to publish an obituary.

Each cemetery or memorial garden may have its own rules regarding decoration of gravesites, so it is important to be aware of the rules for your particular cemetery. For example, memorial stones and statues may not be allowed in some cemeteries. There may also be restrictions on personal memorials, such as the placement of flowers, urns, vases, or the lighting of candles at the gravesite. A cemetery should provide printed information describing its decoration policy and any other restrictions.

The federal government will provide a free bronze or granite marker for a deceased veteran. The local Veteran's Administration office or funeral director will have information on how to obtain the veteran's marker.

Many funeral homes will provide the necessary personnel to carry the casket from the chapel or funeral home to the hearse and from the hearse to the grave site or crematory. However, there may be an extra charge for this service. You may choose instead to designate members of your family or close friends to serve as pallbearers. A designation of pallbearers from relatives and friends is a recognition of close friendship to the decedent and considered an honor by many. It is important to note, however, that in some locations, such as New York City, paid professional pallbearers are required by the pallbearers union unless you can obtain a waiver.

Prepaid plans can include a variety of different options but generally identify the casket, burial vault, and other services to be included in the funeral arrangements. They can be set up to pre-purchase specific items, or merely prepay an amount of money to be applied to the funeral costs. In some instances, prepaid plans may be designed as a Certificate of Deposit or another type of restrictive account which names the funeral home as the beneficiary of the account. These plans may be revocable or irrevocable, depending on whether or not you can change your mind, cancel or change the arrangements,and receive a refund.

Most states have regulatory bodies that supervise funeral providers and/or protective legislation for consumers. In addition, the Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule requires that certain information must be provided to consumers in a clear manner. This rule applies to prepaid arrangements as well as arrangements made at the time of death. For example:

1. You can obtain the cost of individual items by telephone in order to compare prices among funeral providers.

2. When you inquire about funeral arrangements in person, the funeral provider is required to give you a written price list of the goods and services offered for sale. Some funeral homes wait until you ask for this list even though federal law requires that it be provided at the beginning of the meeting. Do not hesitate to request a price list.

   This list must include at least the price of embalming, transportation of remains, use of facilities, caskets, outer burial containers, immediate burials, and direct cremations. This price list will state if professional services for arranging and supervising a funeral are not included in the prices. The price list also provides information regarding embalming, cash advance items (such as newspaper notices and flowers), caskets for cremation and any required purchases.

3. You may purchase individual items or a package of goods and services.

4. When inquiring about a casket or alternate container, or an outer burial container, the funeral provider must supply a list or use a notebook, brochure or chart that describes all of the available selections, their prices, and the effective date of the price list.

5. The funeral provider must give you an itemized statement containing the total cost of the goods and services selected, the prices for each, including itemized cash advance items (or a good faith estimate with actual charges provided before the final bill is paid). This statement will also list any legal, cemetery, or crematory requirements that necessitate the purchase of any specific goods or services. You can then decide if you want to add or delete items.

It is illegal for a funeral provider to require you to buy certain additional items by falsely claiming that they are required by a cemetery, crematory or by law. If legal or other requirements necessitate the purchase of items you did not specifically request, the funeral provider must disclose in the Statement of Goods and Services Selected the specific rule that requires the purchase of the item.

If you have questions about the laws of your state, you may contact the licensing board that regulates the funeral industry in your state. If you have a problem concerning funeral matters, first attempt to resolve it with the funeral director. If you are still dissatisfied, contact your local consumer protection agency.

The Memorial Plans document is not legally binding. However, it should be signed by you as verification of the intentions described in this document. The document should be placed in a location that is safe and secure, but one where it will be quickly found by close family or friends so that your wishes regarding the disposition of your body, memorial services, and arrangements can be quickly determined. You should also discuss these plans with your family. Finally, a copy of the document should be provided to any funeral director with whom arrangements have been made. If any prepayments were made for such services, attach proof of purchase receipts to this document.

This section concerns the selection of a final resting place for the body or remains where survivors can visit to mourn or reflect in a quiet, contemplative setting. Burial plots may be purchased from cemeteries, churches, memorial parks, or cooperative groups, as well as governmental bodies. Above-ground burial or entombment (mausoleum) is also an option, serving not only as a burial place, but also as a monument to the deceased individual or family.

Cremation
Cremation is the reduction of the body to minerals through intense heat (burning). The ashes and bone fragments that remain after cremation are called "cremains." These cremains are placed in an urn or other container for burial, storage, or scattering. Most states allow cremains to be scattered if the bone fragments in the cremains have been pulverized. Ask a funeral director or crematorium about the local rules.

Cremains may also be placed in a columbarium, a structure containing small chambers for cremated remains. The door behind which an urn is placed may be marked with a bronze plaque bearing the name of the deceased.