Why Plan in Advance?

The Importance of Advanced Planning

"Grandpa Paul and Grandma Alice's Little White House"

Grandpa Paul and Grandma Alice were not only husband and wife-they were childhood friends. They grew up together in a small town in Illinois called Henry. When Paul and Alice were just 18 years old, they got married and decided to stay in Henry to start a family. They moved into a quaint little white house not far from the town's center.

When their daughter Catherine was born, they built some additional rooms onto the house to make room for their expanding family. Alice and Paul stayed in the little white house after Catherine graduated from high school and moved away and after Paul retired from his job at the local newspaper. Their little white house was filled with loving memories and family traditions, and they decided that they would live there for the rest of their lives. They lived in the home together for nearly 40 years.

When Grandpa Paul passed away 20 years ago, Alice made the tough decision to move from Henry to Chicago so that she could be closer to her daughter's family. Although it was very difficult for Alice to leave her hometown and the little white house where she and Paul had lived for so long, she knew that she needed her family nearby for support. However, Alice still owns the small Henry house, and she goes back four or five times a year to tend to the home. She takes her 13-year-old grandson Jack with her every time she visits the Henry house because he is absolutely fascinated with the small town where his grandmother was raised. He's even told her that he would like to move to Henry when he graduates from college.

Although she now lives in Chicago, Grandma Alice wants to be memorialized in her hometown of Henry, Illinois when her time comes. She wishes to be buried next to Grandpa Paul in the cemetery just up the street from their little white house. Grandma Alice also knows that she wants her family to hold a small, simple visitation and service at her Henry home. And Grandma decided a few years ago that she will leave the little white house to her grandson Jack so that he can eventually start his own family in the memory-filled home.

Although Grandma Alice has expressed her funeral wishes to her daughter once, she decided last year that it would be a good idea to put a more formal plan into place. So, the last time she made a trip to Henry, she visited the local funeral home to make specific prearrangements. This way, Alice is positive that her wishes will be followed exactly as she desires. She also takes comfort in knowing that her daughter won't be forced to remember exactly what she wanted during such a stressful time. It gives Grandma Alice great peace of mind knowing that she has a solid plan in place that ensures she will eventually be laid to rest in her cherished hometown next to her beloved husband.