How to Plan your Celebration of Life

An Evening of Thought Presented to _________ (Catholic) Church

Nancy Lohman, Lohman Funeral Homes, Cemeteries & Cremation

How to Plan Your Celebration

of Life”• First – the Key Decisions

• “The Experience”…Creating Memorable Moments & Life’s Keepsakes

• The Value of Memorialization

• Where do you go from here?

“The Key Decisions”

• First – Your Personal Preferred Choice

of Disposition

• Burial (Interment) within a Cemetery

• Entombment in a Mausoleum or Crypt

• Cremation

• “Forwarding” out of state,

followed by Burial or Entombment

“What Specifically is the Cremation Process?”

• Process by which the body is reduced by intense heat over several hours to produce small skeletal fragments. These fragments are then processed through a grinder/sieve and placed in a container called an urn. The urn is then usually placed in a memorial niche or ground space in a cemetery or kept in some other location, such as your home.

Is “Forwarding the Remains” Possible?

• Your Funeral Home here will serve as both your advisor and your protector/agent – working long distance with another funeral professional.

• Your Funeral Home is experienced and has a network of other helpful professionals around the country.

• Most Funeral Homes belong to our national association (ICCFA) which greatly enhances our ability to efficiently coordinate the legal and practical details of a death through a variety of professional tools. These tools include books which provide information on funeral homes nationwide as well as daily newspapers nationwide.

Second – Regardless of disposition, choose your funeral “tribute” of choice. Funeral rites – aka burial rights – ceremonies commemorating a life, performed in an established or prescribed manner.

• Funeral – funeral rites held at the time of disposition with the body present.

• Memorial – funeral rites held at the time of disposition without the body present.

• Committal Service – the portion of the service which is conducted at the place of disposition.

• Forwarding “up north” (typically) for services “up there.”

• Graveside Service – ceremony at the place of disposition (with no service prior to the graveside service).

“The Key Decisions”

• Lastly- which elements of your family’s celebration of your life are most important to you?

• Spend time reflecting on “The Experience.”

• Your visitation, funeral and “final resting place” are personal expressions of love and individuality.

Creating Memorable Moments and Life’s Keepsakes

The Funeral Experience…

• Allows for a final act of love.

• Allows us to create the significance of our loved one and our loss.

• Like a baptism or wedding, the “Rite of Passage” (service) allows us to recognize an important event that distinguishes our lives forever.

• It commemorates life.

• Allows family and friends to say goodbye.

Creating Memorable Moments and Life’s Keepsakes

The Funeral Experience…

• Helps you establish ongoing support.

• Provides a “safe” environment to grieve.

• Provides an opportunity for extended and sometimes unexpected family, friends and acquaintances to grieve and show you compassion, comfort and caring.

Creating Memorable Moments and Life’s Keepsakes

The Funeral Experience…

• Helps you gently embrace a new reality

• Helps you (especially a spouse) adjust to a new identity

• Allows for the first steps toward healthy emotional adjustment after loss

We must accept that death has occurred before we can begin resolving our grief

• Helps you go from the present to memories• Provides an occasion for saying goodbye reminiscing and reflection.

Making it Personal and Unique

• The Vigil –• Eulogies• Story Telling

• Personalization –– Photo tributes – DVDs – Memorabilia– A small token or keepsake for each guest– A written tribute

• A keepsake which is kept for a lifetime• Is often a person’s only printed life story

The Value of “Memorialization” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Creating a permanent memorial of you and your life

• Sadly overlooked – and leaves some family members “feeling empty”

• Requires careful thought, planning and financial resources, particularly if cremation is the preferred choice of disposition because of the myriad of choices

The Value of a Cemetery Memorialization

• Provides a tranquil sanctuary where you and your family can find peace, hope and healing

• It is a place where you can connect spiritually and emotionally

• It can be a place for dedicated thought, reflection and prayer

• It can be “private” as in family garden estates; allowing for an entire area to be dedicated to your family name and/or “consecrated and blessed”

Fr. Ryan’s Family’s Private Family “Catholic” Garden

The Value of Above Ground Entombment Memorialization

• It began with Jesus’ entombment

• It often has a permanent chapel

• It can be private with a walk-in vestibule

• Typically, it not only commemorates and pays tribute to a life, but also makes a statement about the impact that family has had in their profession or community, i.e. John Rockefeller.

The Value of Memorialization… …when Cremation is the preferred choice…

• Niches – a space in a columbarium or mausoleum

• Glass front niches are used for the permanent placement of cremated remains…allows you to personalize and create a story

• Ground inurnment is used for the permanent placement of cremated remains

• Cremation memorials – benches, honor rocks

• Scattering pond and scattering rock gardens

Where do you go from here?

Educate yourself

• Talk about your wishes with your family• Complete a Personal Planning Guide• Meet with a Pre-Planning Specialist

What you should know

• Florida state laws highly regulate funeral homes and cemeteries

• Pre-planned funeral services are 100% refundable and/or transferable in the state of Florida

Costs can be outlined in 4 areas

• Services of the funeral home

• Cemetery memorialization: burial space or mausoleum crypt, cremation niche, scattering garden, family garden estate, and memorial marker or monument

• Casket and vault or urn and urn vault

• Optional items: Death Certificate, flowers, etc.

What you should know• Funeral homes and cemeteries are financially

audited every 3 years by the FL Department of Banking & Finance

• Surprise inspections occur annually for all funeral homes by the FL Department of Banking & Finance

• Funeral homes have 3 licenses:• Funeral Home License• Pre-Need License (Certificate of Authority)• Funeral Director’s License

• Cemeteries must have 2 licenses:• Cemetery License• Pre-Need License (Certificate of Authority)

Why Consider Pre-Planning?

• Emotional Value ~ Your loved ones will be relieved of making painful decisions at a difficult time

• Financial Value ~ Eliminates emotional overspending

• Peace of Mind ~ Your selections reflect your wishes

• By paying in advance, the price will never increase and you can choose an affordable payment plan

Ask Who Owns the Company

Family Owned

• A deep commitment to upholding professional standards and providing personal service

• Personal Pride – our business is a part of our home town

• We’re building relationships so that your family and friends will return to us

• Long term commitment… we’re into our third generation

Locally Owned

• Neighbors serving neighbors – we’re a part of your community

• We have one singular focus – all our attention is devoted to making our funeral home the best it can be

• We’re not distracted by or bound to a corporate policy, so we can be more flexible and more responsive to your needs

• We take any opportunity to be involved in the community so that you know us personally

• We are able to create the kind of personal relationships that will allow us to provide the individual, sensitive service your family deserves

Thank you so much for having us!

Any Questions?

Call Nancy Lohman386.451.2011