The death of 4-year-old Marquel Peters on New Year’s Eve was more than disturbing. The young boy was killed by a stray bullet while sitting in church with his mother during watch night service in Decatur, Ga. Compounding the tragic loss of a life cut short is the turmoil of having to suddenly make arrangements to put the child to rest.
Funeral and burial proceedings are always difficult, but when you’re financially burdened they are almost unbearable. The following tips from Evans St. Fort, entrepreneur and owner of St. Forts Funeral Home, may bring comfort and closure when preparing for the inevitable:
1. Plan in advance what type of arrangements you’d like to have. Don’t further burden your loved ones with scrambling to figure out what you would have wanted and how much they should spend.
2. Have a family meeting. Sit with the family to find out what financial position everyone is in. Families should discuss if they are interested in cremation, burial, headstones, etc. Research costs and even shop around for the best prices for the type of casket and service you want.
3. Check the burial clause in your life insurance policy, make sure it covers the entire cost of the funeral and not just a portion of the service.
4. Consider making arrangements with a mortuary or funeral home to make monthly payments on the service of your choice.
5. Make a last will and testament to advise family members of your wishes for final arrangements. Appoint beneficiaries on all bank accounts and make sure there is someone who has power of attorney. –christian johnson
