Moderate cost funeral homes and cemeteries (Houston, Earth: condo, high school, costs)

[hendersj31]

Hi all,
looking for recommendations on funeral homes\cemeteries for a service and burial. It is all overwhelming at the moment and I lack experience with this. We are not looking to go super cheap but also cannot afford top facilities either. Any recommendations from personal experience would be preferred. Calling around and using websites is cumbersome. Location is not a primary concern but maybe figure within the beltway is best.
Thanks for any recommendations

[WRM20]

Earthman Resthaven has plots for under $2k https://www.dignitymemorial.com/fune...emorialization

Cremation is always less expensive.

Most of the Houston area cemeteries are going to make you get a concrete vault as well.

[TallGreengrass]

I wish I had actual advice and suggestions to help you but I don’t. I just want to say condolences and good luck to you. It is overwhelming when you are grieving and making funeral arrangements at the same time.

FWIW I have also used Earthman and was mostly satisfied and pleased with service. I was fortunate to have had parents who pre-paid their funeral costs and it was not at all burdensome or worrisome as others have told me their experiences were.

[texas7]

Originally Posted by hendersj31

Hi all,
looking for recommendations on funeral homes\cemeteries for a service and burial. It is all overwhelming at the moment and I lack experience with this. We are not looking to go super cheap but also cannot afford top facilities either. Any recommendations from personal experience would be preferred. Calling around and using websites is cumbersome. Location is not a primary concern but maybe figure within the beltway is best.
Thanks for any recommendations

It is an awful experience. Unfortunately, after the fact, I was advised that i should have looked at some of the individually owned and operated ones rather than the big recognized names ones.

[hendersj31]

Thank you all for your replies.

We have made a selection. I will try to report back on the overall experience when time allows.

[WRM20]

Originally Posted by texas7

It is an awful experience. Unfortunately, after the fact, I was advised that i should have looked at some of the individually owned and operated ones rather than the big recognized names ones.

The experience is not as bad as it used to be. We read a book in High school called The American Way of Death, which was published in 1963. I read it in 1975. Our teacher told us about her experience after her mother died, and she pushed back against some of the stuff the funeral home was trying to sell her by saying "it's a legal requirement", or "if you loved your mother you would...". One common thing was pushing embalming, saying it would keep the loved one from rotting into worm food. Which is ridiculous, since embalming only delays decay.

When my Dad died, we chose not to have him embalmed. The only side effect of that was there could be no viewing, which was fine with us, as my family thinks viewing the dead is barbaric. We put a picture up that was taken a few years earlier.

Another thing that used to be big was pushing the concrete vaults by saying they prevented health issues. Well, a rancher who has a dead cow digs a hole with a bulldozer and pushes the carcass into it. There are no burial vaults for cows, but there aren't any health issues either. Many cemeteries require vaults, but that's to help prevent the coffins from moving around underground.

Years ago, my wife worked for SCI, the big funeral provider. One of the benefits was a discount on funerals for family members. So, the family got a discount on her grandmother's funeral.

[sheena12]

If you are a member of a church, hold the viewing of calling hours there. Have the memorial or service at the church. Or join one. Not a Megachirch. Just a church with nice people and a caring minister.

Drive out into the country and find a church yard. Most are very pretty. Ask them if they are still selling them.

Hold the reception at your own church. In the Fellowship Hall. Everyone can bring a dish or you can serve sandwiches, potato salad, and sheet cake. Maybe an ambrosia salad.