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Monday May 12,2008

Planning your funeral

by Susan Cox

Whether or not you have your ideas written down, it is good to have your "plan" (your wishes) well thought out when you sit down to talk with your funeral professional. But in talking to your funeral professional, remember that they may have suggestions that will enhance what you want. They are called "directors" because they can give you "direction" with your wishes.

Most funeral professionals have a booklet or funeral planning guide to assist folks in gathering their information in the privacy of their own home. They explain and allow you to list:

• the information needed for the legal documentation;

• the information needed for the obituary, including survivors and loved ones who have predeceased (or already passed on).

They also have space for you to make notes about your wishes for the memorialization and disposition of the physical remains. Some even use space to ask you about your favorite things:

• Memories
• Food
• Pet
• Color

And a lot of other things that you may consider to be frivolous, but when you are gone, your loved ones will treasure knowing that you took the time to write down these things.

If you don't have everything written down, your funeral professional will sit down with you to ask you the questions (because no one knows more about you than YOU).

What is interesting is that in this "interview" type of information gathering, some of the questions may catch you "off-guard" such as: "What is your social security number?" or "What is your mother's maiden name?" These are items that most state's death certificates request...and if you think these questions may baffle you, think what they would do to your children!

Susan Mitchell Cox has served as the managing funeral director of Alexander Funeral Service in Taylorsville since it's opening in 1996. She was the first woman in a ten-count area of northwestern North Carolina to be a licensed as a funeral director and embalmer. She was recently elected as the District 10 Director for NCFDA.