04/01/2026
Take it from someone who has been helping families preplan funerals for many years - there are a lot of misconceptions about prearrangements! Here are the most common ones I hear and why they just aren't true:
Myth #1: "I have to prepay for my funeral and that's not something I can do right now."
BUSTED! While it is most common for families to want to prepay for chosen services, it is NOT mandatory! The most important part is letting your family know what type of service you want and getting the biographical information completed. Yes, it does make it easier at the time of a loved one's passing to not have to worry about the financial end of things, but don't let that stop you from getting your wishes down in writing with your chosen funeral home. (More on insurance and prearrangement options, soon! Stick around!)
Myth #2: "If I come in and see you, I'll die the next day."
BUSTED! I have prearrangements in my filing cabinet dating back to 1994! I've made prearrangements for people in their early 30s just because they didn't want their young children to worry about anything should something happen to them. Just because you make your prearrangement does not mean you will need those services in the immediate future - funeral directors don't cast a magic spell on you when you leave the prearrangement conference so they can drum up business.
Myth #3: "It's too depressing to think about my death and I don't want to talk about it. And what if I change my mind in the future about what services I want?"
BUSTED! While yes, it may be depressing to think about, the fact is that none of us are making it out of here alive. We know death can be scary and come with a lot of questions, but it is so much easier to sit with a family during a preneed conference and get decisions made than with a grieving family the day their loved one has passed. It is a more relaxed atmosphere, your brain in functioning better than it does during an at-need conference, and it gives you a chance to think and ask questions even after you've left here. And what better way to know exactly what your funeral service will look like? You have the chance to make sure everything you want is mentioned in your obituary, you can pick your music, decide on your casket or urn - the possibilities are endless. There is no better way to have the exact service you want than to plan it yourself. Also, prearrangements can be changed at any time, so if you decide ten years from now that you want to be buried instead of cremated, we can make those changes for you. Prearranging also gives us the opportunity to complete necessary forms ahead of time, including the option of appointing someone other than your immediate next of kin to be in charge of your funeral arrangements if you don't believe they will follow through with your wishes.
Myth #4: "I made my prearrangements at ABC Funeral Home years ago because that's where everyone in my family always went, but now I'd like to change. I've signed a contract with them, though, so I'm stuck."
BUSTED! Prearrangements can be changed from one funeral home to another at any point in time - either before a death has occurred or at the time of passing. Prearrangement contracts are written to protect the client, not the funeral home. The arrangements are YOURS - not the funeral home's. While there may be some paperwork involved if prefunding has been completed, it's an easy task for any funeral home to complete with you. We know things have changed in the death care profession over the years and you should never be locked into a funeral home you aren't 100% satisfied with. I promise you, as a third generation funeral director and embalmer and a family owned and operated business with deep roots in this community, there is nothing more important to me than taking care of our families - ones we've served for generations or ones that are trusting me for the first time - and that's one thing that will never change at my funeral home.
Myth #5: "Mom said she made prearrangements with you years ago. She isn't doing well and I wanted to make sure everything was handled."
BUSTED (Sometimes)! Mom may have seen me in the grocery store a couple of years ago and said "I want the same service as my husband, Harold.", but that doesn't mean she has a prearrangement. Or someone is leaving the funeral home during visitation, asks for a general price list while they are here, and says "I need to come see you", but then life happens and they don't make it in. Unless someone comes in, sits down with me, and we get those wishes in writing to start a file on them, please don't believe that they have a prearrangement with any funeral home. We aren't pushy here, so if you say you need to come see me, I wait to hear from you. You won't be getting ten phone calls from me asking you to come in and make your prearrangement just because you mentioned it whenever you see me.
Do you have any concerns about prearrangements I can potentially BUST for you? Drop them in the comments below!
