Most of the families we’ve served over the past sixty-four years tell us the same thing after a loss: they wish their loved one had written some of this down. Not because anyone wants to dwell on death, but because the act of planning quietly is one of the most generous things a person can do for the people they leave behind.
What pre-planning includes
- Choose burial or cremation
- Choose a service style and location
- Select a casket or urn (or wait until needed)
- Designate music, readings, and pallbearers
- Specify obituary preferences and notification list
- Document veteran status and family records
- Optionally pre-fund through an Illinois-licensed insurance trust
- A printed and digital copy provided to your family
The quiet conversation
We invite you to come in for a no-pressure, no-cost conversation with Sarah Bennett-Walsh, our pre-planning coordinator. Most pre-planning conversations take about an hour. There is no obligation to make decisions on the spot, no obligation to pre-fund, and no obligation to use Bennett Funeral Home when the time comes.
If you’d prefer, Sarah is glad to come to your home. Many of our clients find the conversation easier at a familiar kitchen table.
Pre-funding
Pre-funding is entirely optional. If you choose to pre-fund, your money is held in an Illinois-licensed insurance trust separate from our business operations — protected from inflation, transferable to any funeral home in the country if you move, and refundable should you change your mind.
Veterans
Veterans of the U.S. armed forces are entitled to significant benefits at the time of death, including a burial flag, military honors, and burial in a national cemetery. Our pre-planning process documents your service so your family doesn’t have to search for it during a difficult week. Quincy National Cemetery is just a few miles from our office.