Funeral planning and prefunding

Planning a Funeral Ahead of Time and Prepaying

For many people, planning ahead and prepaying for a funeral go hand in hand. This page answers some of the most frequently asked questions about this topic. However, this is a big topic, and this brief summary may not cover everything you want to know. For more information, we recommend that you visit our pages […]


Green Funeral Preplanning

Considerations in Pre-Planning a Green Funeral

Many people, not wanting to burden their families with difficult decisions during an already difficult time, opt to pre-plan their funerals. Because green burials are a relatively new trend in the United States, you may not know what green options are available. With these pointers, you can plan a funeral that is natural, free of toxic chemicals, and minimizes your environmental impact.


Hmong Funeral Service Rituals

The Hmong have a faith and culture that centers around animalistic beliefs. They believe that after death a person’s soul reincarnates as a different form. Generally speaking, the Hmong funeral is seen as a time to mourn, grieve, remember the deceased, and to talk, visit, and even laugh together.



Deceased Transportation

Deceased Transportation

Inter-city Transportation of Human Remains In many cases a loved one's body is initially transferred from the place of death to a local funeral home (i.e., the "first call" funeral home) and then subsequently transported to another city for funeral ceremonies and/or burial. If this is your situation, you'll need two funeral homes - one locally to handle the first call, and a second one in the final destination city.


Cellphone makes first call for making funeral arrangements with Funeralwise

The First Call: Who to Call When Someone Dies

Who to Call When Someone Dies When you need to have a loved one's body removed from the place of death, you'll need to contact a local Funeral Director to transfer the body to a funeral home or comparable care facility ("first call"). Funeral directors are available through funeral homes and other funeral service organizations.


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Funeral Resources

Looking For More Funeral - Related Information? If you need more information on funeral planning, grief, customs, or other funeral-related issues, you can find more information in books, organizations and on other websites. We are happy to offer various sources of useful information organized in the following categories


History of the Funeral Industry

How the Funeral Industry has Evolved

In the U.S., the funeral service industry is relatively new. Until the 20th century, funerals in the U.S were organized by family and neighbors and held at home. People were often buried on family property. As communities became larger and more established common cemeteries began to be used. Funeral homes were later established to relieve the family of the logistical problems presented by a death.


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