How to Plan an Durham, OR Funeral that Fulfills the Wishes of Your Loved One
Most people don't want to discuss death, especially their own. However, when someone close to you dies you can end up worrying about how to plan the best funeral and whether or not the choices you make would be what the deceased would have wanted for their funeral. While funeral homes in Durham, OR offer the opportunity to pre-plan funeral arrangements, many people don't take advantage of this opportunity. In order to insure that you plan the funeral that a loved one would want, you must discuss the uncomfortable subject of death. While it may seem like a delicate subject when you first start discussing it, you'll be happy that you have all of the details ironed out when it does come time to speak with Durham, OR funeral homes.
If you've never planned a funeral before, you may not be sure exactly what details you need to figure out. Durham, OR funeral homes will be happy to talk with you about the basic details of a funeral so that you can start planning. Speaking with funeral homes in Durham, OR does not mean that you need to prepay for a funeral or sign any contracts with a particular funeral home. You may even be able to arrange to meet with a funeral director who can help answer any questions you may have about figuring out the details of planning a funeral for someone else.
Letter of Last Instruction
One way to plan someone else's funeral exactly the way they want is to have them write a letter of last instruction. Unlike a will, this doesn't need to have the authorization of an attorney. Whether you're dealing with someone who has a terminal illness or someone who has just lived a long life, a letter of last instruction simply lays out the details of what they'd like for their funeral. Durham, OR funeral homes will happily follow the letter of instruction provided to them before the funeral. It's one of the easiest ways for funeral homes in Durham, OR to know exactly what you want for the funeral.
Your loved one should detail exactly what they want so that you know you're making choices that would make them happy. Some of the details include whether or not they want a burial or cremation, if any religious traditions should be included, whether or not they want visitors to send flowers or make a donation to a favored charity, and if they want anyone in particular to be able to speak at the funeral. If your loved one includes instructions for how the funeral should ceremony should go, Durham, OR funeral homes can easily fulfill your requests. Having a letter of instruction can also help remove the stress of funeral planning because funeral homes in Durham, OR can take the instructions and handle most of the arrangements for you.
Fulfilling Funeral Wishes in Durham, OR
If you have to plan a funeral without any sort of instructions, you will need to think about your loved one's past and speak with friends and family about the service. You never know if your loved one ever made any mention of their funeral wishes to a friend or other family member. You may be surprised how much information you can pull together by speaking with friends and family. Funeral homes in Durham, OR have a number of available resources to help you pull together exactly what you need.
Did your loved one enjoy sunflowers? Durham, OR funeral homes can help you locate a florist who will fulfill an order for funeral service flowers. Did your loved one enjoy live music? Funeral homes in Durham, OR have connections with local musicians who will respectfully sing at the service. If your loved one attended a particular church, Durham, OR funeral homes can make arrangements with the pastor to officiate the service. No matter what you need to make the service special, Durham, OR funeral homes have the resources and staff to help get it done.
Fulfilling the Wishes of Other Family Members
Unless your loved one left a letter of instruction, it's up to you to figure out exactly how the funeral service should go. Once someone dies, it seems that everyone has an opinion on what to do. While it's best to try to accommodate people as much as you can, never let family members make the funeral service more about them then about the deceased. Funeral homes in Durham, OR see many families who struggle to get along while planning a funeral service, especially if the service goes against someone's religious or personal beliefs.
When planning a funeral, remember that Durham, OR funeral homes are there to help you plan the best service. If you're really struggling to please other family members with your choices, leave it up to the funeral home to handle most of the arrangements. This way when family members ask you can say that you let the funeral home know what you wanted and they're handling everything. Funeral homes in Durham, OR are happy to make funeral arrangements as easy as possible for you so that you can grieve and begin healing from the loss.
I found Heritage Cremation when I was calling funeral homes in the area to make cremation arrangements for my brother. The cremation cost was a big concern for me and compared to the other funeral homes I found Heritage Cremations had the best price and the most compassionate staff. I was a bit worried because the cremation services price at Heritage Cremation was so much less than the other cremation services I was quoted, but I have to say the cremation service was beautiful. Visitors actually complimented me on the cremation service, and the kindness of the staff at Heritage Cremation. 
