Families who plan ahead have already answered five questions. If you have not, that is normal. Most people have not. The difference is who answers them, and when.
You do not have to decide everything at once, and nothing has to be paid today.
Planning ahead
Choose the place your family will come back to.
Planning ahead is not about preparing for your death. It is about not handing your family five decisions and a bill during the worst week of their lives.
What it does for the people you leave
Your wishes are written down, so nobody is guessing.
The cost is settled at today's price, not next decade's.
Your family makes one phone call instead of five decisions.
You can see the place first, in daylight, with time to think.
The five decisions.
Every family makes these, whether they plan ahead or not. Here they are in order, with what each one means.
Decision 1 of 5
Burial or cremation
This is the first thing a funeral home asks. Either way, you still choose where your loved one will rest. That is the part we handle.
Decision 2 of 5
Where they will rest
Indoor or outdoor first. A family grave already here, a ground plot, an outdoor niche by the pond, an indoor glass-front niche, or a crypt.
Decision 3 of 5
What holds them
A casket, an urn, or the container the crematory already provided. That container is fine for burial. You do not have to buy an urn.
Decision 4 of 5
How they are marked
A headstone, a flat marker, a name bar on a niche, or a name added to a stone that is already here.
Decision 5 of 5
How you say goodbye
A chapel service, a short graveside service, or a private placement with no service at all. The chapel seats about 40.
How it works.
1 of 4
Write down what you want
Burial or cremation, indoor or outdoor, a service or not. Rough answers are fine. The guide has a one page worksheet you can fill in at the kitchen table.
2 of 4
Come and look
Walk the grounds and the mausoleum. This is the step that changes most people's minds, usually because they did not know the mausoleum was here.
3 of 4
Pick the space
We will show you what is open and what each one costs. If you find the right spot but are not ready, we hold it three to six months with no deposit.
4 of 4
Settle it
Spaces are paid in full before any burial or placement, so prepaying is how you take it off your family's plate. You get a deed in your name. You can prepay the opening and closing fee too.
Questions we get about planning ahead
Do I have to pay now?
No. You can take the guide home and think about it. If you want to hold a specific space, we hold it three to six months with no deposit and call you if someone else asks about it.
Can I pay it off over time?
Not through us. We do not offer payment plans, and a space has to be paid in full before any burial or placement. Many families use a loan from a local credit union instead.
What if I move away?
What happens to a purchased space if the family relocates, and whether it can be resold or transferred
What if I already have ashes at home?
That is very common, sometimes for years. Everything on this page still applies, and there may already be room on a family grave here.
Can I plan for someone who is still living?
Yes. Families caring for someone near the end do this often. Call and we will keep it quiet and unhurried.
What does the guide actually contain?
The five decisions, every option with what it costs, what the all-in totals look like, and a worksheet. It is the same information we would go through with you in person.
Start with a conversation, not a sales pitch.
Whether it is today or years from now, we will walk you through it. No deposit to hold a space, and no pressure.