When Preneeds Were Good

          My first introduction to the preneed funeral concept came about while working as a student intern at a funeral home. By the time I had joined that particular funeral home, one of more than five with a few cemeteries, it had been bought by a corporation. In the large file cabinets, there were drawers filled with folders. The first few that caught my attention were the older preneed contracts.

          The original family had been the first to offer preneed funerals in the area. The firm, dating back to the late 1800's, was also home to the first licensed female funeral director as well. In the beginning, the family established a burial insurance policy for $500. That was a lot of money in those days. However, the insurance policy included a complete traditional funeral, including basic services of the funeral director and staff, removal from the place of death to the funeral home, embalming, dressing, casketing, cosmetology, casket, spray of flowers for the casket, memorial folders, newspaper notice, clergy stipend, stipends for an organist and vocalist, limousine for the family and flowers for the pall bearers. Also, because the family owned the cemeteries, opening and closing of the grave was included. The only additional cost was the grave space, which I learned most folks had already purchased.

          One of the most interesting features was the choices. When a family purchased the policy, they were guaranteed the opportunity to use any of the family funeral homes or cemeteries. Unlike today, the prices were the same in each neighborhood. These days, in that particular city, the corporations use the neighborhood to dictates the prices. Also, they tend to frown on allowing a family to choose which funeral home they wish to use.