Talk about your wishes.

Take the first step and think about what is important to you. How would you like your family to honor your life? Where do you want a service to be held? Do you want cremation or earth burial of a casket? Then, talk with your loved ones about your ideas. To help record your final wishes, we have a booklet "Information My Family Should Know - My Funeral Wishes."

Inside this booklet you will find places to provide personal information, list family members and indicate the location of important documents, bank accounts, and property. But most important, there is a place for you to specify what type of service YOU want. It may be a service with a casket present and earth burial; a casket present with cremation following; or a memorial service. If you are an eligible veteran, you may choose to be buried in a State or National Veterans Cemetery.

Request a pre-planning booklet. »

Pre-fund your final expenses.

Setting aside funds to cover the cost of your final expenses today relieves your family from worrying about finances at the time of death. Together we can review your funeral wishes and develop a pre-arrangement worksheet reflecting costs based on those wishes. We will even talk about funding options available.

A Pre-Planning Worksheet has many aspects to discuss but it is basically broken down into two main areas: Funeral Home Charges and Cash Advance Items.

Funeral Home Charges

These are charges for services and/or merchandise provided by and/or purchased from the funeral home based on the type of service you select. Charges could include (but are not limited to): embalming, transportation, visitation, funeral service, casket, service merchandise, and basic professional services, etc. Each of these specific items are outlined in what is called our General Price List (GPL). The GPL is a required, regulated document which must be presented when discussing costs face to face. It helps both the consumer and the funeral home. It helps the consumer in knowing exactly why (or why not) certain items are charged, the cost associated with each decision/selection made, and opens up discussion to alternatives if costs become a concern. It helps the funeral home by ensuring we are honest and consistent in our pricing with every family we serve.

Cash Advance Items

These are expenses which may be paid on your behalf to other providers of services that are not funeral home related charges. These may include (but are not limited to:) certified copies of the death certificate, honorariums for churches (clergy, organist, custodian, etc.), cemetery costs, coroner fees, flowers, and/or obituaries.

Some funeral homes choose to publish their pricing on-line. Why doesn’t Evergreen Funeral Home and Crematory? Experience has taught us some things are just better explained and discussed face-to-face. Talking about your final wishes and expenses is a very personal journey. It is comforting to have a knowledgeable, compassionate Funeral Director or Pre-Need Specialist across the table listening to you and answering your questions. Also, many look at a GPL as a menu - something to pick and choose what I want to pay for (or not.) When really the GPL breaks down and explains the individual costs associated with each item based upon the type of service(s) you choose to be preformed by the funeral home.

You may choose to set aside funds in one of two ways: an Irrevocable Life Insurance Funded Burial Contract or with a bank by means of an Irrevocable Certificate of Deposit. Each method has unique advantages to consider and we are here to help decide the best option for you and your family.