I remember how stressful it was when my father passed away suddenly at the age of 51.     He hadn’t planned for it and it was a huge burden for us to find a cemetery lot and provide the documents needed just to get through the funeral.   We were all in shock and needing to grieve, but there were things we had to do to make preparations for his burial.

It was several years later before his parents passed away.  Because my father was their only child, I stepped in and helped them in their later years.  I was so impressed with my grandfather because he had everything in order.   They had purchased their cemetery lots years before and had even done the pre-planning.   We went to the funeral home, gave them the necessary information that my grandfather had already written down for us, and paid the $500 to open the grave.  Because he had simplified the process for us, we were able to grieve and still celebrate their lives.

What a huge difference it made to have the information available!    Most children can’t provide birth dates and legal names for their parents on a good day, but when you’re immersed in grief at the loss of your loved ones, it’s hard to remember your own name!

Do your family a favor and write down the information that you have stored in your head or in your files.   If you just don’t know where to start, Emerson Publications can help you.  All They’ll Need to Know is designed to walk you through the process and even provide the forms for you to complete.

Joyce Moseley Pierce

http://www.emersonpublications.com