Planning Your Funeral

In line with this chapter's positive theme of the value of personal death awareness, here is a funeral service assessment that can help you examine your reactions and thoughts about the funeral arrangements you would prefer for yourself.

After answering each of the following questions, you might wish to discuss your responses with a friend or close relative.

1. Have you ever considered how you would like your body to be handled after your death?
2. Have you already made funeral prearrangements for yourself?
3. Have you considered a specific funeral home or mortuary to handle your arrangements?
4. If you were to die today, which of the following would you prefer?
   1. Embalming
   2. Ground burial
   3. Cremation
   4. Entombment
   5. Donation to medical science
5. If you prefer to be cremated, what would you want done with your ashes?
   1. Buried
   2. Entombed
   3. Scattered
   4. Other: please specify
6. If your funeral plans involve a casket, which of the following ones would you prefer?
   1. Plywood (cloth covered)
   2. Hardwood (oak, cherry, mahogany, or maple)
   3. Steel (sealer or nonsealer type)
   4. Stainless steel
   5. Copper or bronze
   6. Other: please specify
7. How important would a funeral service be for you?
   1. Very important
   2. Somewhat important
   3. Somewhat unimportant
   4. Very unimportant
   5. No opinion
8. What kind of funeral service would you want for yourself?
   1. No service at all
   2. Visitation (calling hours) the day before the funeral service; funeral held at church or funeral home
   3. Graveside service only (no visitation)
   4. Memorial service (after body disposition)
   5. Other: please specify
9. How many people would you want to attend your funeral service or memorial service?
   1. I do not want a funeral or memorial service.
   2. 1-10 people
   3. 11-25 people
   4. 26-50 people
   5. Over 51 people
   6. I do not care how many people attend
10. What format would you prefer at your funeral service or memorial service? Select any of the following that you would like:
    1. Religious music
    2. Nonreligious music
    3. Clergy present
    4. Flower arrangements
    5. Family member eulogy
    6. Eulogy by friend
    7. Open casket
    8. Religious format
    9. Other: please specify
11. Using today's prices, how much would you expect to pay for your total funeral arrangements, including cemetery expenses (if applicable)?
    1. Less than $4000
    2. Between $4001 and $5500
    3. Between $5001 and $7000
    4. Between $7001 and $8500
    5. Above $8500

To Carry This Futher

Which items had you not thought about before? Were you surprised at the arrangements you selected? Will you share your responses with anyone else? If so, whom?