Heafey Hoffmann Dworak Cutler 

Funeral Pre-Planning Eases Burdens

 By Linda Sutherland

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It is difficult to talk to your family about your wishes for your funeral or memorial service—that’s just true. Another truth is that it is a very loving gesture to do so. It will be easier for your family if they can celebrate your life as you wished without having to worry about whether or not you would have approved of their choices for the service.

If you are young and healthy when you’re reading this, you may think that you have plenty of time to think about this, and you may well be right. However, it is always a good time to pre-plan your funeral service. The more details you plan for your funeral in advance, the easier it will be for your family to execute your wishes in their time of grief. I speak from experience when I say that grief can make the simplest decisions seem exceedingly difficult. The stress on a family can be daunting. If you have not made your wishes clear in advance, your family will be left to guess what you may or may not have wanted. What a gift it would be to them if you have done that work beforehand, allowing them to use their strength to support each other.

Heafey Hoffmann Dworak Cutler provides the opportunity to pre-plan all aspects of a funeral and follows through with your specific wishes. The advantages of planning your services with a pre-planner are numerous. First, you will greatly reduce the stress on your family. Second, you may also help prevent family conflict by pre-planning. If your family is left to guess about what you wanted, it is easy for family members to disagree, which leads to unnecessary tension and strife during a time when no one is at their best. 

Another advantage to pre-planning is the ability to save money. Purchasing funeral arrangements is just like purchasing anything else—if you have time to shop around, you can get the best deal for the price. If your family is frantically trying to get all your arrangements in order with no guidance from you, they may end up spending more than they need to. 

One particular advantage to pre-planning may not have occurred to you. Discussions with your family about this topic may, in fact, encourage some meaningful conversations with them. People often feel awkward about discussing the end of life. If you start the conversation, however, you may be surprised by what you find out about your final wishes as well as your family members’ wishes. 

Jeff Meuret, a pre-need counselor with Heafey Hoffmann Dworak Cutler, is a very resolute man who has been in the pre-planning business for 39 years. This kind and caring counselor is dedicated to giving personalized service to those seeking his advice. Jeff can suggest ways to gather information that you may need before you start making your plans. He will make sure that your wishes and desires are recorded, from music to pall bearers to who should speak at your service. 

Jeff is wholly committed to creating a pre-planning experience that provides freedom from anxiety. “The peace of mind and comfort that we can give our customers, and the burden that we can lift from them, is so gratifying,” he shares. The most difficult part of his position, he says, is “getting past the obstacles with people who have never considered the advantages to planning ahead and not leaving that burden for their family to contend with.” Jeff can create a personal funeral profile to record your wishes. If you choose to pre-pay, today’s prices are locked in and guaranteed. 

Heafey Hoffmann Dworak Cutler is the largest funeral home business in the Omaha and Council Bluffs area, with six locations. They are locally owned and operated and have been in the funeral business for over 140 years. These caring funeral professionals are devoted to making each service a personal experience that honors the deceased’s life. They have a full-time grief counselor on staff to help with the challenges that come with losing a loved one.

Jeff encourages people to pre-plan their own service to ensure that they have a voice in that planning, and he can make sure you’ve covered all the bases with your selections. This is one of the most loving actions that you can take to make sure your family is not left with the burden of decisions in the wake of your death. To reach Heafey Hoffmann Dworak Cutler, call 402-391-3900. To learn more about the funeral products and services they offer, or to complete their pre-planning survey, visit heafeyheafey.com. 

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