Final Wishes Planner - Record Your Wishes
When a death occurs, most people don’t know what to do or who to turn to. For those left behind, planning final arrangements and locating documents at the time of loss is extremely difficult. When you organize your important documents in advance, as well as plan your cemetery arrangements, your family will be spared difficult decisions during an already emotional and difficult time.
We can help you plan in advance by providing you with a copy of our Final Wishes Planner, an easy-to-use guide which will help you record the location of important documents your loved ones will need to have, including:
- Will
- Living Will
- Life insurance polices
- Bank accounts and investments
- Veteran’s benefits
- Social security benefits
- Historical information for your obituary
- Funeral preferences
- Cemetery/Mausoleum arrangement
Request Your Final Wishes Planner Today!
Pre-Planning Checklist
Dealing with the loss of a loved one can be overwhelming to your surviving family and friends, but pre-planning your funeral service can help them better deal with the stress of losing someone.
Choose The Type Of Service You Want
Pre-planning your funeral service can not only ease the burden on your loved ones, but it helps ensure your final wishes are honored. While some families struggle with making those final decisions after losing someone, your family won’t have to worry with making those hard choices.

- Choose what funeral home and director you would like to use to handle your service.
- Decide what type of service you want (traditional, cremation, donation, etc…).
- If you choose a traditional service with burial, decide where you want to be buried.
- Meet with the funeral director and look at your options for caskets and urns.
- If you decide you want to be buried, choose clothing options.
- Look at options for a location to hold your service (funeral home, religious facility, sentimental building, graveside).
- What type of flowers do you want? Do you want flowers, or would you rather donations be given to a particular charity or a charity of one’s choice?
- Who will be a part of your service? You should decide on pallbearers and even ask them personally. You should also decide who you would like to officiate or participate in your service.
- Choose which songs you would like played at your service.
- Write an obituary or make notes about information you would like to be included in your obituary.
Choose Who You Want To Be In Charge
Your family and friends want to take part in the process of fulfilling your final wishes, they only need instructions on what they need to do.

- Make sure someone, preferably your executor, has a copy of the will.
- Give a family member or chosen friend a list of important account information that will need to be contacted and handled following your death. Also make sure someone knows your final wishes for your desired service.
- Designate someone to be your power of attorney.
- Have someone prepared to cancel basic utility services and subscriptions.
Choose To Pay In Advance
Making decisions about your funeral service in advance can benefit you and your survivors financially. If possible, pay for all expenses in advance, freeing your family from that financial burden. When possible, pre pay for:

- Cemetery services, burial plot
- All funeral arrangements including casket, urn, flowers, transportation and specialized services
Why Should I Plan Ahead?
Not everyone likes to plan ahead, but pre-planning your funeral arrangements not only gives you peace of mind about your final wishes being honored, but alleviates some of the stress and burden your loved ones are going through as they experience the grief associated with the loss.
The staff of Springfield Memorial Gardens, Funeral Home & Cremation Center are happy to assist you with your funeral pre-needs by helping you make decisions about your funeral service in advance and guide you in helping eliminate some of the unnecessary stress brought on by a loved one’s death.
SECURE ONLINE PRE-PLANNING FORM
Benefits of Preplanning
Lets Your Wishes Be Known
The death of a loved one often brings about unwarranted stress and turmoil among families. One family member wants one thing, while another family member wants something different. By planning ahead, you help prevent those disagreements by letting your family know what your wishes are and how you want your funeral service to be carried out and your business handled.
Peace of Mind
Our staff guarantees we will carry out the arrangements you want, just as you directed. Once the plans have been arranged, you and your family can rest easy knowing at the time of death, those uncomfortable decisions have been made. In a time when a family should be able to easily grieve, preplanning allows for that to happen.
Flexible Funding Options
When you preplan your funeral arrangements, there are more options when it comes to funding the funeral. A preneed insurance policy, life insurance policy or other payment options can all be arranged before the time of death. At the time of death, services must be paid in full, so having options ahead of time can also reduce other stress related to losing someone.
Relieves The Burden From Family
Following the death of a loved one, there are more than 150 decisions that have to be made within the first day or two following the death. Those stressful decisions on top of the stress of grieving a loss can be eliminated by arranging your final wishes ahead of time. If those decisions are made, your loved ones aren’t left wondering what you would have wanted and how they should proceed with funeral plans. With those decisions out of the way, your loved one can begin the healing process sooner.
Common Questions about Preplanning
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