FUNERAL PREARRANGEMENTS

Funeral arrangements made before death are called prearrangement planning or simply stated pre-planning. More and more people today are preplanning, showing an increasing concern to the reality of death and the need to make preparations for its eventuality.

The Reasons to Pre-plan a Funeral

In most cases people pre-plan because they wish to relieve their survivors of the responsibility of making funeral arrangements during a difficult time. They do this because there are many different decisions that must be made when making funeral arrangements. By pre-planning, your family is relieved of the need to make all those decisions at a time of emotional stress.

And because your plans are recorded, your family will be comforted knowing your choices will be followed as you wished. Others who have an immediate family may want the assurance of a funeral and burial, which meets their personal beliefs or expresses their individuality. By pre-planning, specific details of a service can be identified as important, like the type of service, the casket selection, who to notify, church preference and cemetery arrangements.

Still others who reside far away from their immediate family may want to make sure their wishes are known and recorded for future reference.

The best time to plan a funeral is when you don't need to.



The Casket

Pictures of Aurora Casket

As with your other important decisions for the funeral service, choosing the casket that best fulfills your needs and wishes is one of your most personal choices. At Cotrell Funeral Service we are fully prepared to answer any questions that may arise about the quality, construction, material or price of the casket selection we provide. The final choice should be yours, and we want you to know your options.

Caskets come in a variety of materials ranging from cloth-covered woods and hardwoods to steel, bronze and copper. We display caskets in a wide range of materials and prices ensuring that every family will be able to make a suitable choice.

Burial Containers

Pictures of Outside Burial Containers



To protect the casket and prevent the grave from settling, Cotrell Funeral Service offers a wide selection of vaults and graveliners.

Death Certificate

We will obtain certified copies of the death certificate for you. Just advise us of the number of copies needed or you may obtain them yourself by contacting any Health Department in the State of Missouri. The Missouri Health Department's current charge is $13.00 for the first copy and $10.00 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.

ALTERNATIVES

Cremation

Many people still believe that they must choose between cremation and the traditional funeral. However, cremation is not a replacement for a funeral. Cremation is simply an alternative, which can still include an open casket, public visitation and funeral service. In fact everything from a traditional service to a burial plot can be included in the cremation service. A family considering cremation may want to purchase a grave space in the cemetery to place the ashes. Other considerations would be an urn, usually made of ceramic, various metals, wood, etc., that may also be buried in a family plot or an urn garden. A family may wish to scatter the ashes at a place of significance to the deceased themselves.

Transfers Out or In

Should a death occur away from home and transfer back to Poplar Bluff is desired or if a death occurs locally and transfer to another area is desired, whether by air or land transportation, Cotrell Funeral Service can make the necessary arrangements. Of course prior knowledge and forethought of what to do can be very helpful. The best advice is to call us at Cotrell Funeral Service first.

A WORD ABOUT COST

Cotrell Funeral Service strive constantly to keep funeral costs affordable to anyone. And at our funeral chapel you pay only for those services which you select and use. If, for example, certain professional services are not required or requested, substantial reductions in cost can be made. The costs of all services are clearly stated and final costs are determined by the services selected by the family. We at Cotrell Funeral Service are happy to discuss costs and other arrangements at any time because we are confident that you will find our services exceptional and our costs as low or lower than other funeral firms.