EXPERIENCE THE VOYAGE DIFFERENCE

I am sure by now you are familiar with some of the horror stories of people being taken advantage of and paying far too much for funeral services at their time of need. These are not only stories; they are indeed true facts. The reality is that this happens to families more often than not. It is unfortunate, but true. My intent is not to offend, but rather to educate today for peace of mind tomorrow. I can honestly tell you from the bottom of my heart that Voyage Funeral Home is probably one of the best kept secrets in funeral service. We are non-judgmental and welcome people from all faiths and walks of life, to experience the VOYAGE difference. Our staff will never try to upsell or talk you into something that is not required. We will respect and honor your wishes and final decisions whatever they may be. Voyage does NOT employ sales staff, nor do we use high pressure sales tactics. We are sensitive to your requests, and we strive to make your experience at Voyage a positive one. We do not thrive nor capitalize from your vulnerability. We understand that no two families are alike. Each family deserves respect, dignity, compassion, honesty, empathy and the best of care. Voyage feels each and every family deserves a dignified farewell or service. Whether it be a Traditional Earth Burial, a Simple Cremation, a Cremation with a Memorial Service or a Celebration of a loved one’s life. Our families are encouraged to personalize the service honoring their loved one’s memory as they enjoyed life itself.

Death is a difficult topic to talk about; however, it is one the most important conversations that we all need to have with our loved ones. On average a family loses a loved one, once every 15 years. Because of this, most families have a limited knowledge and understanding of the inner workings of the funeral industry, thus making one vulnerable to deceptive practices. Having a conversation will indeed provide a great deal of peace of mind and comfort for both yourself and your family. The three most important documents you should have in place are as follows:

Health care directive – this provides your family and doctors your treatment instructions and restrictions. Power of attorney – this person can speak on your behalf if you are unable to make your own decisions.

Last will and testament – this allows you to appoint a sole or joint executor/executrix to follow through with your final instructions in accordance with your wishes.

These appointed people are given a great deal of power and responsibility. I suggest you appoint persons you trust and feel extremely comfortable with.

Having funeral arrangements in place, meaning pre planning your final wishes, takes the heavy burden away from your children and your remaining loved ones. Pre-planning will also eliminate the risk of your living family being taken advantage of. Once you put your final wishes on paper there is no second-guessing. Family can simply comfort one another as the funeral home follows through with your instructions. Voyage can provide you with a wishes and memories booklet at no charge to you or your family. This booklet will help guide you and enable you to put your thoughts and wishes to words. It is a great information tool as it informs your family of locations of bank accounts, if you have insurance, where and how you would like your personal belongings to be distributed and any other final wishes and important information you may have.

When you pre plan with Voyage, rest assured, we lock in your pre plan funeral services at today’s prices, with no surprises or hidden costs. Voyage is a licensed insurance agent, which means that we use an insurance policy not trust funds. This policy is YOUR policy held in YOUR name. No funds are ever held in our name. A funeral home can only cash in a policy when a person has passed with proof of your passing. An insurance policy is 100% safe and transferable. If you currently hold a policy with another funeral home, you can transfer that policy to any funeral home you feel comfortable with. In the past few months I have spoken to many families who have been taken advantage of by local funeral homes. For example, a family believed that their loved one’s prepaid arrangement were complete however, when the death did occur, the family was then informed of additional charges they were required to pay which totaled more than $2,500.00 in addition to what was already prepaid. These charges included a mandatory identification viewing that must take place prior to the cremation, embalming, and that a cremation casket must be purchased. At Voyage we do not play these games. If you have prepaid with another funeral provider, I suggest contacting that provider and request in writing, what you have paid for, and that no additional expenses or other service costs will be added to your account at your time of need.

As a funeral director, I cannot take death away nor can I take away the pain. I do however have empathy and will do my utmost best to carry your family through the most difficult experiences caused by death. I promise to be honest, loving, caring, understanding and most of all have the greatest compassion, respect and dignity for your family, regardless of your situation.

At Voyage, our vision incorporates tradition, compassion, cultural sensitivity and cost options to meet the needs of every family. We truly do believe in treating your loved one as we would our own. If you have any questions or concerns about preplanning or a preexisting preplan or if you would like to preplan with Voyage, please call Lisa, our preplan specialist at 204-668-3151.