Possibly the only time you think about funeral services is when you are attending one for a family member or a friend. In a 2015 survey by the Funeral and Memorial Information Council, 89% of adults over the age of 40 felt that talking about their end-of-life wishes would be beneficial, and 69% said they would prefer to pre-arrange their own service, but less than 17% had made arrangements.
Planning your funeral can bring you and your family peace of mind. One of the main reasons for preplanning your funeral is so family and/or friends won’t be burdened with worrying about what you would like or be responsible for paying for services. When you preplan a funeral, you minimize or even eliminate needless stress on them. At Roper and Sons Funeral Home in Lincoln, Nebraska, you can trust our experienced team of professionals will answer your questions and help you through the pre-planning process.
What does preplanning cover?
Preplanning a funeral allows you to articulate your end-of-life wishes, relieving your family and friends from the decision-making during an emotional time. Roper & Sons’ experienced professionals will go step-by-step through the entire funeral service. From the type of funeral service you want, to when and where you want it to be held, you have the opportunity to clearly lay out your wishes and personalize every aspect of your funeral or memorial service. We encourage you to include your children and other members of your family. Making funeral arrangements ahead of time can give you and your family plenty of time to decide how to honor and celebrate your life.
Considerations such as burial or cremation, budget, and type of service are thoughtfully explored, eliminating the need for last-minute decisions.
What are my options for funeral arrangements?
Having a traditional funeral or a memorial service is a personal choice. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to how you want to celebrate you. Remember, this is a time when family and friends come together to grieve, share memories, and support one another. Be thoughtful about your funeral arrangements.
- Visitation. A viewing or visitation is a non-formal time for family and friends to get together and offers an alternative for anyone who is not able to attend the funeral or memorial.
- Funeral Service. A funeral service typically involves people gathering together and includes a casket with the deceased, whether it is open or closed. This service is performed prior to burial or cremation.
- Memorial Service. At a memorial service, there is no casket; however, there may be pictures, flowers, or an urn in place of a casket. This type of service can be scheduled at any time before or after the burial or cremation.
- Graveside Service. A graveside service follows the funeral service, or some families have held the entire funeral service at the place of committal.
What expenses are outlined in the preplanning process?
When you meet with one of the Roper & Sons’ funeral directors, they will go over your funeral plans and provide an estimate of costs based on your requests. This can be done at the funeral home and give you and your family the opportunity to tour one of our funeral homes.
Expenses may include a casket or urn, funeral or memorial service, location rental, final resting place, flowers, and fees for clergy or organist. Virtual options, such as Zoom conferencing, phone, or email, are available for convenience. Your funeral director will provide a detailed estimate of costs during the preplanning process.
Document your wishes
Preplanning your funeral is an important step. After discussing all details, creating a document outlining your wishes is necessary. This document helps your family honor your desired celebration of life.
Don’t be afraid to include alternative ideas if for some reason your family can’t follow through with your plan exactly. Give them the option to make last minute changes if necessary.
Guidance from professionals
At our monthly Food for Thought events, Family Service Counselors provide an overview of the preplanning process, allowing guests to ask questions before scheduling a meeting with one of our funeral directors. We are dedicated to guiding families through every aspect of the preplanning.
Roper & Sons Funeral Home in Lincoln, Nebraska is ready to get started, give us a call at 402-476-1225.