The staff at St. Matthew's is experienced in counseling clients with both pre-need and at-need requirements. While at-need preparations are immediately and often made at a times of duress, pre-need planning allows for more relaxed and thoughtful decision-making. Discussed below are pre-need considerations specific to our cemetery and to pre-need planning in general*.

If you have chosen St. Matthew's as your cemetery, there are still a number of decisions to be made. First, one needs to consider the type of grave desired. Single graves can be purchased in any section of the cemetery, including areas designated specifically for single graves where reserved graves are not allowed. If reserved graves are desired-graves which allow you to select to have two or more people buried adjacent to one-another (for example, a husband and wife) you may select from any of the garden areas.

The second decision is whether one desires monumented or flush marker graves. Monumented graves require the purchase of two or more graves and allow owners to erect an upright memorial to mark the graves. The only exception to this are the Single Monumented Graves. Flush marker graves limit owners to mark the grave(s) with a memorial that is flush with the ground.

In addition to these primary decisions, one also must decide the section they prefer, if roadside graves are desired, if one wishes to purchase graves near family or friends, and if additional graves for family members are desired. Like the cost of all goods and services, the price of graves at St. Matthew's, as well as all other cemeteries, continues to increase. The difference between current prices and future at-need prices may be considerable.

In addition to these decisions, there are a number of other issues involved in pre-planning:

• Having adequate insurance, with husband and wife both being knowledgeable about their policy(s).
• Having necessary information to claim benefits if a spouse is a veteran.
• Investigate Social Security death benefits.
• Having a current, valid will.
• Consult with your funeral director regarding options, costs and pre-arrangements.
• Consult with clergy regarding specific requests about services.
• Pre-purchase of graves and monumentation to assure satisfaction and avoid hasty decisions.

Having resolved as many of the above issues as possible lessens the burden of family and friends at the time of death, because they will not face the uncertainty of having to decide "what you would have wanted"; it allows you, family, and friends to be confident that all of the necessary arrangements are to your liking.

* A portion of the general information on pre-arrangements was taken from "Let's Face it Now", a pamphlet written by Lawrence F. Sloan. Copyright 1986. Stop by our office for a free copy.