Pre-planning

"Pre-planning that's simple, reliable and economical- that's our promise to you".

We at Hooper & Weaver Mortuary agree with the AARP that, "Everyone should pre-plan their own funeral." There are a number of sound emotional and financial reasons to do so.

• Your family and loved ones are spared the burden of making sometimes complicated and difficult decisions while trying to cope with their grief and loss.
• The cost of a funeral of cremation can vary depending upon the choices that are made. Pre-planning and prepaying relieves your loved ones of most of the funeral expenses.
• Your wishes are recorded and fulfilled. We are happy to provide a free planning guide to assist you and your family with your decisions. Your decisions will be made while everyone is calm and collected. This will help avoid family disputes or involvement by others who may not honor your wishes. Your loved ones won't need to ask, "Did we do the right thing? Did we spend too much or too little? Is this what he/she really wanted? Did we forget anything?" All of that is eliminated because you have made those decisions.
• By funding your arrangements today, you can be certain your family is not burdened with funeral arrangements that may be more expensive than you wish, or perhaps, than they can afford.
• Funeral costs increase 100% on average every ten years. By planning ahead, you can protect your family against those increases. You can lock in today's prices and be assured that your family will not have to pay any increases in the future for the cost of your funeral.
• Pre-planning your funeral is a normal part of all Estate Planning. It will save you and your family time, money and unnecessary grief at the time of need. Additionally, by pre-funding your pre-need you can shelter those dollars and they will not be counted as part of your assets should you need to apply for Medicaid.
• Veterans Benefits. Most veterans will receive a marker and a flag from the U.S. government as part of their benefits. Unfortunately, many veterans are under the impression that the cost of a funeral or cremation is covered by veteran’s benefits. This is not the case and for further clarification, you should talk with your funeral director or a representative of the Veteran's Administration.
• Social Security. Social Security will pay a one-time death benefit to a surviving spouse of $255 only. If there is no surviving spouse or minor children the $255 is not paid. The $255 lump sum payment to a surviving spouse is in addition to any other benefits that may be paid to minor or dependent children.
• Peace of Mind. It is hard to put a price on piece of mind. You can rest assured that all of us at Hooper & Weaver Mortuary will assist you and your family at the time of need. When these decisions and expenses are taken care of ahead of time, your family will have less area to be concerned about when the time arises. And they will thank you for it.
• Great Western Insurance funds our pre-planning arrangements. Your arrangements are SAFE, SECURE and backed by the greatest pre-planning provider in North America.
• Hooper & Weaver Mortuary and Great Western Insurance provides the means for families and friends to address the passing of life with the greatest amount of dignity and the least amount of burden. As a result of what we do, the focus at your hour of need is where it should be with your family and loved ones.
• Moving toward peace of mind for you and your family is simple to do. Please allow one of our funeral service professionals the opportunity to answer any questions you may have regarding pre-planning your funeral.

Cemetery Options

New Elm Ridge Cemetery	Greenwood Memorial
Sierra Memorial Lawn Cemetery	Forest View Cemetery

Tour Our Cemeteries - 4 Locations to Serve You

Cemetery Arrangements
In addition to making decisions about the funeral, the family has to consider burial arrangements. The burial space, crypt (above ground placement of casket) or niche (above ground placement of cremated remains) must be chosen. If burial is selected, the opening and closing of the grave is arranged. A permanent memorial either a monument or a marker will also have to be chosen.
If a cremation is desired, there are many different types of memorials from which to choose. The cremated remains can be interred in an urn space, a columbarium niche or placed in a beautifully designed cremation garden. A cremation garden highlights the beauty of nature and provides a serene setting for families to reflect and to remember.

Burial Options
There are a number of different interment options available, which are dignified and respectful to the deceased:

• Ground Burial- The space for ground burial is called a plot, and can vary in size from an individual space to a double depth grave. A burial non-sealing vault is required by our cemetery. This helps to prevent ground sinkage when ground burial is chosen.
• Crypts - Some of the best-known monuments in history are crypts, which are made of concrete with granite faces. Some of America's most famous people are entombed in sites, which include the Unknown Soldier, The Great Pyramids and the Taj Mahal. A crypt can give secure protection, is clean and the burial containers entombed cannot come in contact with the earth. Crypts often offer prestige and personalization, as they can signify that the family has been an important part of their community.
• Niches- One of the most popular placements of cremated remains is in a niche. Niches are made of concrete with a granite face. A bronze nameplate is affixed to the face of the niche, which has the family name, individual name, death year and birth year. Our niches are located in Sierra Memorial Lawn Cemetery and Greenwood Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
• Scattering Garden- Our beautiful cremains scattering garden is located at Sierra Memorial Lawn Cemetery in Nevada City. This area is beautifully designed with landscaping and a water feature.