Bill R. asks "Can I save my family money by paying for all of my funeral services before I die?"

It's possible. If you choose to have funeral home services and merchandise guaranteed with a funeral contract it is called "prefunding a funeral." At Krause Funeral Homes a written contract guarantees that there will be no hidden or additional costs for the funeral arrangements you choose and removes the possibility that grieving or guilt-stricken family members will feel the need to overspend. And your contract is portable—in the event you move, the plan and funds are yours to use at whichever funeral home you desire. A prefunded funeral can also provide real benefits if applying for Medicaid.

Here's how it works: When you prefund a funeral you and your certified preplanner will put the details of your wishes in writing—including specific services and manufacturer and model of the merchandise you choose.

At the time of death that detailed list will be compared with a current price list to gather current costs. If at the time of death the cost of services and merchandise chosen is MORE than the value of the policy, the funeral home will cover the difference. In that way you are guaranteed the service and merchandise you chose at no additional cost to you.

If after comparing the current costs with the value of the policy the total is LESS than what is in the policy, the excess money goes to the family.

We cannot guarantee “Miscellaneous” fees, as they have nothing to do with the funeral home. For example, we have no control over the increase in costs or the amount the family may want to spend for newspaper death notices, flowers or the cost of the luncheon or cemetery plot.

For additional information on preplanning funerals click here or contact us.

*For privacy reasons, we have changed the names of the people who have asked questions.

Reduce Stress

Primitive carvings and drawings tell us that early civilizations valued plants for more than their shade and fruit. They planted sacred and formal gardens and groves for their beauty. Today we know that the aesthetic qualities of trees provide health benefits too. Texas A&M's Dr. Roger S. Ulrich reported that visual exposure to settings with trees produced significant recovery from stress within five minutes, as indicated by changes in blood pressure and muscle tension.

Improve Air & Water Quality

Many already know that trees improve the air we breath by absorbing pollutants and carbon dioxide. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one acre of forest absorbs six tons of carbon dioxide and puts out four tons of oxygen every year.

Trees also help keep our drinking water clean. Here in Milwaukee there is a movement to reduce the amount of rainwater that gushes into our city's sewer system, especially after large rains. When sewers get full, they overflow and potentially pollute lakes and rivers. As Milwaukee is nestled next to one of the largest freshwater lakes, Lake Michigan, this is especially important. Trees soak up more water than asphalt or grass. They are an integral part of improving Milwaukee's water quality. In fact, it is estimated that the city's trees reduce storm water flow by 22%. Trees currently make up 16% of the city's canopy cover and the goal is to increase it to 40%.

Help Celebrate a Life

At Krause Funeral Homes we've helped families plant trees as living memorials. Some choose to help restore or create a forest with seedlings planted in memory of their loved one. Others find comfort in planting a tree in a favorite place. A tree symbolizes the natural circle of life and can help the grieving process by providing something beautiful to nurture. We also provide reasonably priced living plant and tree options for people to send to grieving family and friends.

These are a few of the ideas we offer when helping families celebrate the life of a loved one. Krause Funeral Homes' Directors concentrate 100% of their focus on listening and assisting families prepare meaningful tributes. They are trained beyond state requirements with in-depth courses on sensitivity, ethics and ways to create meaningful, personal services.

Whether your goal is to help a grieving friend or just provide a shady spot for summer naps, planting a tree is a great way to help future generations benefit from a green planet.

Contact us for more information.

According to a 1939 article in The New Yorker he became so popular that he was often stopped on the street and asked for an explanation of "that theory.” He eventually figured out a creative way to end those conversations by replying “Pardon me, sorry! Always I am mistaken for Professor Einstein.”

Einstein changed how Physicists used time in theories. Among other things, "that theory" Einstein was incessantly asked about postulated a new way of thinking about space and time–as two aspects of a unified whole.

Funeral Directors are also often asked about timing. Many ask "how many days after the death of a loved one should a funeral take place"? We’re not sure how Einstein would have responded, but at Krause Funeral Homes we’ve been answering that question for over 75 years.

Some religious guidelines dictate that services take place as soon as possible after a death starting with a purification ceremony or by praying and watching over the deceased. For other cultures, it is customary to wait a week or more. For many, there are no guidelines.

While natural instinct pushes us to have a funeral soon after a death occurs, we see a dramatic difference between families who rush to plan and complete a funeral in a few days and those who take more time to consider how to celebrate their loved ones’ lives.

With at least 100 details to coordinate, families who take the time to think through decisions are able to plan meaningful funerals and they themselves seem more relaxed.

Whether a funeral is planned in a day or a week, Krause Funeral Homes’ expert directors will help create a one-of-a-kind service that truly reflects the personality and interests of your loved one. In the words of Albert Einstein, “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.”

Contact us for more information.

While he ruled for just nine years, people have been fascinated with the former ruler after a 1922 discovery unearthed his now 3,000 year-old tomb. The tomb revealed that people from the 18th dynasty of the New Kingdom personalized burial rituals by incorporating interests and hobbies. Tut, who was 19 when he died, was buried with his board game called "Senet," his bronze trumpet, his model boat and much, much more.

While burying objects with their owners is not widely popular today, people do pay tribute by tailoring memorials to fit their loved ones.

* An avid Harley rider may have his or her bike brought into the visitation room with riding gear placed around it.
* For an environmentalist, a green burial may be arranged with a catered organic lunch to follow.
* At the service of a car collector, a favorite Corvette or Model A car may be parked at the funeral home entrance.
* For a book lover, a display of favorites may give a reception the feel of a cozy library.
* For the much admired cook, a favorite dish may be served at the visitation with the “secret” recipe handed out as a take-home memento.

To help families celebrate the life of their loved ones with customized services, Krause Funeral Homes funeral directors go beyond Wisconsin state requirements by attending life appreciation training. All of our burial and cremation packages include signature services like video slideshows, candle lighting ceremonies and environmentally safe balloon releases. And while we can't offer a gold gilded wood chariot, like the one King Tut was buried with, we do offer the choice of a traditional or motorcycle hearse. For more information on customizing memorials contact us.

Scott, you bring up excellent points for joining the ranks of the 16.5 million people who will preplan their funerals this year. As another writer put it “no one is promised tomorrow.” According to 2000 U.S. Census data, people under 50 account for one fourth of all U.S. deaths. It also reports that deaths are more common than births: a baby is born every 12 seconds while a death occurs every 8 seconds.

When a death occurs, one of the best gifts you can give your family is peace–the knowledge that they have acted in accordance with your wishes. Preplanning also:

• eliminates the possibility that your family will debate, discuss and guess your wishes
• protects your family from the stress of hunting for important information and documents
• removes the possibility that grieving family members will feel the need to overspend

Below are tips from the experts to help you move forward.

Set a Timeframe

The best time to preplan is when you are healthy so that you can have time to reflect and decide what is best for you. Many find that setting a finished plan goal date works best.

Educate Yourself

There are over 100 detailed decisions a family needs to make upon the death of a loved one and a trusted professional can help streamline the process and answer questions. At Krause Funeral Homes, Preneed Specialists concentrate on listening and recording clients’ wishes. They are trained and licensed beyond the State’s licensing requirements and have helped more people organize their wishes than any other funeral home in Wisconsin. Christine Jacob, Krause’s Preneed Director, says “We find that it works best to meet face-to-face for about an hour and can arrange to meet in our office or any quiet place convenient for people. If that option isn’t available, we can set-up a phone conference or simply answer questions via email.” There is no charge for meeting with a Preneed Specialist.

Set Aside Introspective Time

For most, preplanning involves some easy-to-answer questions and some that need more thought.

Educate Your Loved Ones

Once your wishes are in writing you need to tell someone where they are. While you may have put directives in your will or a safe deposit box, often these are not opened or read until after a funeral. And unless someone has access to your computer passwords and knows which files to look for, a computer document may never be opened. A safe bet is to keep a copy of your wishes at the funeral home of your choice.

Related helpful advice can be found here:

• Talking to Your Adult Children About Your Funeral Wishes
• Talking to Your Parents about Putting a Plan In Place
• Talking to a Spouse Who Is Reluctant to Put a Plan In Place
• Prefunding a Funeral
• Why Preplanning Makes Sense

Don’t hesitate to contact us for further information.

Peter R.* asked about memorial ideas and cremated remains scattering. “Where can remains be scattered?”

As long as it is permitted by local regulations you can have a scattering memorial service or ceremony in any place that is meaningful to you or your loved one. Krause Funeral Homes has experience in helping facilitate scattering discussions with the proper authorities.

Many choose a traditional scattering where one or many release the cremated remains to the wind; however, there are endless ways to personalize a scattering ceremony. For some families the right choice is to scatter some of the remains and keep some remains in an urn or keepsake urn. A permanent plaque or other memorial noting the location of a scattering is another option.

It is important to discuss your wishes with family members and put specifics into writing.

Personalized Scattering Ideas

• Farewell Toast: Using special cups or glasses, cremated remains may be tossed simultaneously in a “toast” like gesture.

• Personalized Trench: Using a trowel or hoe, some choose to draw initials, a heart or a date into the Earth and fill with their loved one’s remains. It could be done on a beach, timed so that the remains slowly wash into the water as the tide rises.

• Circle of Life: Remains can be poured around a meaningful object like a tree or a group of candles. Loved ones may create a circle around the object and remains, sharing words of remembrance.

• Returning to the Earth: A rake may be used to ceremoniously mix the Earth with cremated remains. This is often how the remains are scattered in a memorial garden.

• Water Scattering: By using a water-soluble urn that gradually disperses the ashes back to the water or tossing cremated remains directly into the water a favorite lake or river could be a loved one’s final resting place.

• Aerial Scattering: Cremated remains may be professionally cast from a private plane over a specific location.

• Reef Construction: Cremated remains can be combined with concrete to create new marine habitats for fish and other forms of sea life.

• Artwork: Artists may combine cremated remains with oil paint and create a painting of choice, including portraits and landscapes.

• Fireworks: Professional pyrotechnicians have combined cremated remains with explosive materials and create a fireworks display in conjunction with a memorial service.

For more information contact us.

Green Burials are natural burial alternatives that often aim to avoid chemical preservatives or traditional metal and wood caskets. Remains may be put directly into the ground, either shrouded in cloth or buried in containers made of easily biodegradable materials, such as cardboard, wicker or pine. Outer burial containers may or may not be required. There are a few Southeastern Wisconsin cemeteries with dedicated sections for green burial. Options vary between cemeteries and Krause Funeral Homes can help families decide which would best serve their needs. As with any final resting place choice, a memorable service, visitation or gathering can be planned.

Call, email or stop by for more information.