1. How to Plan your Celebration of Life
An Evening of Thought Presented to _________ (Catholic) Church
Nancy Lohman, Lohman Funeral Homes, Cemeteries & Cremation

2. 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?

3. “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

4. “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.

5. 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.

6. 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).

7. “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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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”

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

16. 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 Above Ground Entombment Memorialization

20. 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
The Value of Memorialization…

22. 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

23. 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.

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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

28. Thank you so much for having us!
Any Questions?
Call Nancy Lohman