Thank you so much. My husband and I are in our 70's and have discussed the need to make these decisions so the children won't have to. I'm grateful I read this so we can make appropriate choices without spending huge amounts of money or leave our loved ones with debt.
Darla, I'm glad you found our information so helpful. Thank you for passing along the message!
A few notes:
1. Federal law does NOT require funeral homes to have refrigeration, and few states require having a refrigerator. This is a real pity.
2. NO state requires *routine* embalming of every death. NO state requires embalming as a condition of viewing the body. As another commenter pointed out, some states do require it under limited circumstances. Never believe anyone who tells you something is "the law" unless they can show you the law in writing.
I know this because I co-wrote the only book on funeral law state by state, "Final Rights: Reclaiming the American Way of Death."
janelleSeptember 23, 2013
Thank you for all this information. I'm still relatively young, and hope to have plenty of years still left ahead of me. But a funeral plan and death plan still does cross my mind on occasion.I hope to prepare and plan with the needs of my loved ones I leave behind in mind. This information is very useful. Grateful for it. Thanks again.
StacySeptember 22, 2013
Thank you, My brother just died unexpectedly fortunately he had made arrangements prior to his death. His family was saved a lot of stress and money knowing what his desires were. He was cremated which was hard for some family members to accept but it did save his family the cost of a casket and a burial plot. It is not against our religious beliefs to be cremated as many people believe.
FayeSeptember 21, 2013
My husband died the beginning of this month. I called the funeral home, they took care of everything, and we also had the military service. I paid close to $7,000 for the funeral and the military service was free. I wish I had this information before. I can keep a copy for my family for when I pass on. Thanks for the article.
Sheila WSeptember 21, 2013
Thanks Darla, I had no idea! I'm sorry for what you had to experience to teach us this. I'm printing this off to put in my folder with my will.
Bless you, Sheila
FredSeptember 21, 2013
Nice article. Check local laws. There are certain circumstances in our state where embalming IS required by law, for example. But they can be avoided with prior planning and a quick burial.
Al TurcotteSeptember 20, 2013
This is what we were talking about.
It doesn't have to cost a fortune.
RuthSeptember 20, 2013
Thank you. This article is most helpful.
PeggySeptember 20, 2013
Thanks for this great article. Several years ago I told my family I want no formaldehyde, and a hand made wooden casket. I will save your article to share with them.
Joy WestraSeptember 20, 2013
Great info.... thank you so much!
TrishSeptember 20, 2013
Thank you! I've always thought the elaborate caskets and sealed vaults were odd--what's the point? To make it seem as if the person really hasn't left? I wasn't aware that embalming isn't necessary, which I thought always introduced a strange and even terrifying scent to the event. The whole situation is bloated to take financial advantage of people in distress.
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CarolOctober 20, 2013
Thank you so much. My husband and I are in our 70's and have discussed the need to make these decisions so the children won't have to. I'm grateful I read this so we can make appropriate choices without spending huge amounts of money or leave our loved ones with debt.
Josh Slocum, Executive Director, Funeral Consumers AllianceSeptember 23, 2013
Darla, I'm glad you found our information so helpful. Thank you for passing along the message! A few notes: 1. Federal law does NOT require funeral homes to have refrigeration, and few states require having a refrigerator. This is a real pity. 2. NO state requires *routine* embalming of every death. NO state requires embalming as a condition of viewing the body. As another commenter pointed out, some states do require it under limited circumstances. Never believe anyone who tells you something is "the law" unless they can show you the law in writing. I know this because I co-wrote the only book on funeral law state by state, "Final Rights: Reclaiming the American Way of Death."
janelleSeptember 23, 2013
Thank you for all this information. I'm still relatively young, and hope to have plenty of years still left ahead of me. But a funeral plan and death plan still does cross my mind on occasion.I hope to prepare and plan with the needs of my loved ones I leave behind in mind. This information is very useful. Grateful for it. Thanks again.
StacySeptember 22, 2013
Thank you, My brother just died unexpectedly fortunately he had made arrangements prior to his death. His family was saved a lot of stress and money knowing what his desires were. He was cremated which was hard for some family members to accept but it did save his family the cost of a casket and a burial plot. It is not against our religious beliefs to be cremated as many people believe.
FayeSeptember 21, 2013
My husband died the beginning of this month. I called the funeral home, they took care of everything, and we also had the military service. I paid close to $7,000 for the funeral and the military service was free. I wish I had this information before. I can keep a copy for my family for when I pass on. Thanks for the article.
Sheila WSeptember 21, 2013
Thanks Darla, I had no idea! I'm sorry for what you had to experience to teach us this. I'm printing this off to put in my folder with my will. Bless you, Sheila
FredSeptember 21, 2013
Nice article. Check local laws. There are certain circumstances in our state where embalming IS required by law, for example. But they can be avoided with prior planning and a quick burial.
Al TurcotteSeptember 20, 2013
This is what we were talking about. It doesn't have to cost a fortune.
RuthSeptember 20, 2013
Thank you. This article is most helpful.
PeggySeptember 20, 2013
Thanks for this great article. Several years ago I told my family I want no formaldehyde, and a hand made wooden casket. I will save your article to share with them.
Joy WestraSeptember 20, 2013
Great info.... thank you so much!
TrishSeptember 20, 2013
Thank you! I've always thought the elaborate caskets and sealed vaults were odd--what's the point? To make it seem as if the person really hasn't left? I wasn't aware that embalming isn't necessary, which I thought always introduced a strange and even terrifying scent to the event. The whole situation is bloated to take financial advantage of people in distress.
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