The grief of losing a loved one can be compounded by the following end-of-life decisions. Preplanning and prefunding funeral services can provide families with a smoother transition and a sense of security.
“People just want to have things in place so that it takes the burden off of their children or their spouse having to do that after a death has occurred,” said Alan Austin, funeral director at Cambridge City’s Waskom Capitol Hill Chapel.
Austin’s main priority is to best help patrons through the process. When a family seeks consultation, Austin presents all available options, starting with preplanning. This involves making sure official documents are in order and discussing details of final services. Families can opt to have the plans on file, or proceed with prefunding the merchandise and services. Once a prefund budget is set, that price does not change.
“If they live another 20 years, they’ll never pay any more money for those services than what they paid us when they originally set the money aside,” said Austin. The only prices not guaranteed are for items like obituaries, death certificates, flowers and the opening and closing of the grave. These items are covered by the funeral home and later billed to the family.
Most prefunding arrangements are covered by a family’s insurance policy. Families without a policy have a funeral trust established. Waskom uses Clearpoint Federal Bank and Trust in Batesville.
Stegall-Berheide-Orr Funeral Home in Richmond follows a similar process, and uses Master Choice for funeral trusts.
Stegall funeral director and partner Trent Rogers says that with Master Choice, they work with a fiduciary to make sure the funds are invested wisely and properly.
A family’s prepayment check is submitted directly to the trust, removing the funeral home from ever handling funds. After 30 days, the contract is irrevocable and funds cannot be touched until time of death. If the family must change funeral homes, the contract is transferable if the new funeral home accepts the transfer to offer the services originally rendered.
“We do not receive commissions off of those trusts that we set up,” said Rogers. “Even though the state allows us to take up to 10% administrative fees, we feel that it’s better to put that money in the trust and have it working for the family.”
After Randolph County’s prosecutor alleged an owner at the now-closed Wilson-Shook Funeral Homes stole dozens of families’ prepayment funds, some residents are double-checking their plans and protection.
“In order to protect the funeral homes and primarily the clients, there is a consumer protection fund which we have to pay into and meet a certain threshold,” said Rogers.
The monies set aside cover services lost from fraudulent contracts, keeping families from being additionally charged. The funds also reimburse funeral homes that step in and assist victimized families.
The Indiana Funeral Directors Association has said that the protection fund will allow families involved in the Randolph County case to get their money back.
“Our goal is to serve the families to make sure their requests and needs are being met, both financially and otherwise,” Rogers said.
A version of this article appeared in the April 1 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.