The Lake Shore Record · Chapter 06
Pre-planning your funeral arrangements is not a morbid act — it is a generous one. When you make your wishes known in advance, you spare your family from making agonizing decisions at the worst possible moment. You give them the gift of certainty.
Families in grief are not in the best position to make complex decisions about arrangements, costs, and preferences. When those decisions are already made, your family can focus entirely on each other.
Funeral costs, like all costs, rise over time. Pre-planning can allow you to secure today's prices for future services — a meaningful financial protection for your estate and your family.
You know best what kind of service reflects your life, your values, and your faith. Pre-planning ensures those preferences are documented and followed — not guessed at during a difficult time.
Many people who have pre-planned describe an unexpected sense of relief — knowing the details are handled, knowing their family is protected. It is a weight lifted.
We start with a simple, no-obligation conversation — in person at our chapel on East Second Street or by phone. There is no paperwork required to begin, no commitment expected. Just a conversation.
We walk through your options — service type, burial or cremation, ceremony preferences, music, clergy, readings. We take notes. Nothing is decided until you are ready, and nothing is final until you say so.
When you are ready, we document your wishes in a formal pre-arrangement. You receive a copy; your family receives a copy; we keep one on file. Your preferences are protected and portable.
Pre-planning can be done with or without pre-funding. Many families choose to pre-fund their arrangements — we can discuss the options that work for your situation, including trust and insurance-based funding.
There is no right or wrong time to pre-plan. If you are thinking about it, that is enough reason to call. Our directors are available every hour of every day — including for pre-planning conversations.