Schmutzler-Vick Funeral Home and Cremation

No one likes to think about death, let alone plan for it. In many families, discussing ones mortality is an extremely uncomfortable topic. It is a topic that should be discussed and planned for well in advance of your death. By pre-planning your funeral, you relieve your family of having to make important decisions during a period of time when most people are least able to manage the large amount of stress and grief. It becomes a time when people are not thinking clearly and may not know what to do because you never made your wishes known. It is important to realize that the ritual or memorialization following a death isn''t for the deceased, but for the living. It is a time when family and friends can gather together to grieve openly and to provide support for one another.

Pre-arranging your own funeral is becoming a common practice. At Schmutzler-Vick Funeral Home and Cremation Service, we offer a variety of pre-planning selections that can be shaped to your specific needs. Arrangements may be made in the comfort of your home or in the privacy of our facilities at either location. Should you have any questions, comments or suggestions please CONTACT US by e-mail or by telephone, (920) 261-3439.

Many people who pre-plan a funeral also pre-finance it with the funeral director. This insures that your family is relieved of financial worries whether death occurs next week or years from now. There are two ways you can pre-finance a funeral with our firm.

1. Irrevocable Funeral Trust -This type of pre-payment is placed in an irrevocable funeral account at a local banker or savings and loan of your choice. The money is placed in a certificate of deposit at the bank, and placed in your name for your future funeral expenses. Interest can be left in your trust account as a hedge against future inflation or the interest can be paid to you. Some maximums may limit the amount of money that can be placed in an irrevocable funeral trust.

2. Life Insurance -This type of pre-payment is placed in an insurance policy with Homesteaders Life Company. This policy is specifically designed to pre-pay funeral expenses. The growth in the policy offsets any future price increases. In this plan the growth is non-taxable and the plan can follow you anywhere if you move in the future.

Our insurance plan provider is Homesteaders Life Company. You can obtain information about them at www.myhomesteaders.com.

We can fully explain the advantages and disadvantages of both options, so you can make an informed decision and choose the option that is best for you.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Many people have questions that they may not feel comfortable asking their funeral director. We hope this will be of some help to you and if you think of something else you would like us to add to this list of questions, please CONTACT US so we can make it a part of our sites helpful information.

DO I HAVE TO PRE-PAY WHEN I PRE-PLAN MY FUNERAL? No, you do not have to pre-pay for your funeral. You may simply meet with one of our pre-planning specialists who will explain all your options so you can make an informed decision. You may also decide to place your wishes on file with us so your loved ones will have some guidance. Many people do desire to pre-pay their funeral expenses, some at the time of the pre-planning, others in the future. The choice is yours.

IS MY MONEY SAFE WHEN I PRE-PAY FOR MY FUNERAL? Yes your money is safe. When the money is placed in an Irrevocable Funeral Trust in a bank, the money is placed in a Certificate of Deposit in your name. Ownership of the money remains yours until the time of death and the funeral services you planned are conducted. The same is true of the insurance pre-plan, the money is placed in an insurance policy in your name and the proceeds of the policy are paid to the funeral home following the funeral services. In most cases, after your desired services are conducted all extra monies are paid to your estate.

CAN I MOVE AND HAVE MY PRE-PAID FUERNAL PLAN FOLLOW ME? Yes you can move and have your plan follow you. The funeral home name can be changed on either plan, whether across the state or across the country. The only difference may be if there are any price guarantees that may not transfer to another funeral home.

CAN I TRANSFER A PREARRANGED FUNERAL PLAN FROM ANOTHER FUNERAL HOME? Yes you can. If your funeral is pre planned at another funeral home, one of our preneed specialists can take the necessary information for our files. If your funeral plan is also pre paid at another funeral home, we can assist you with the transfer. we will simply assist you with writing the letters to transfer your account or policy. It is very simple to do. We will honor all pre planned funerals from other funeral homes.

********PERSONAL PLANNING GUIDE********

Below we have provided you with your own "Personl Planning Guide". You can print the guide and complete it at your convenience. This guide is intended for your personal use. You may want to share your wishes with a family member or trusted friend. Should you not want to review this guide with a family member or friend, please let someone know where it is located in the event of your death. A copy can also be placed in our funeral home files.

NAME: _____________________________

DATE: ______________

Dear Loved Ones:
In the pages that follow, I''ve recorded my desires and preferences regarding decisions you''ll be asked to make after my death. Please read through this entire document before making arrangements for my funeral.

Upon my death, I want to donate my organs as indicated:

___Any needed organs or body parts. ___No donation.
___Only those organs or body parts listed:_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

I have a Living Will (location)_______________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Notification: Please let all these people know of my death:
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Children: (full names and telephone numbers)

_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Parents: (names and telephone numbers)

_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Siblings: (full names and telephone numbers)

_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Friends: (fullnames and telephone numbers)
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Business Associates: (full names and telephone numbers)
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Place of Worship: (Include telephone number)
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

This is who I want to handle my funeral:

Funeral Director:________________________________________
Fuenral Home:__________________________________________
Address:______________________________________________
Telephone number:______________________________________

Please ask these loved ones to be my pallbearers:________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Details of my funeral:

Officiant:______________________________________________
Location of my funeral:____________________________________
_____Burial _____Cremation
Location of burial:_______________________________________

I prefer: _____Flowers _____Tributes to:(charities, church, or organizations)
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Favorite music:__________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Requested Readings:_____________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Burial clothing and jewelry:_________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Preferred style/material for my casket:________________________
_____________________________________________________

Burial Vault:____________________________________________

Last Will and Testament location:____________________________
_____________________________________________________

Personal Representative of My Estate:________________________
Telephone number:_______________________________________

Other important papers:
This list will help you locate documents necessary for settlement of my estate (birth certificate, marriage license, deeds, automobile titles, insurance policies, pension information, income tax records, bank records, securities, stock certificates, military discharge papers, etc.)
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Location of my safety deposit box: (Bank)_____________________
Location of safety deposit box key___________________________

Obituary: I''ve indicated infromation I would like included in my newspaper obituary:

Spouse:_______________________________________________
Date and place of marriage:________________________________
Children:______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Other survivors: (grandchildren, siblings, etc.)___________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

My Address:___________________________________________

Birth date and location:___________________________________

Parents names (including mothers maiden name):________________
_____________________________________________________

Education (including schools and degrees):_____________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Military Service:_________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Occupation:____________________________________________

Achievements/Awards:____________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Memberships:__________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Please also mention the following:____________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

The funeral director will need this information when filling out my death certificate:

Social Security Number:__________________________________
Usual Occupation:_______________________________________
Kind of Industry:________________________________________
Highest Level of Education:________________________________
Military Service:________________________________________
Mothers Name (First, middle, last maiden)____________________
Fathers Name (First, middle, last)___________________________
Place of Disposition (Name of cemetery, crematory, other_________
_____________________________________________________