Funeral and Estate Planning 2012

2, Thursday | April 26, 2012, Bangor Daily News

By David M. FitzpatrickSPECIAL SECTIONS WRITER

Late last year, funeral directors heardabout something new from the Depart-ment of Veterans Affairs, and Jim Fer-nald of Brookings-Smith FuneralHomes wants everyone to know.

The federal government has long pro-vided free grave markers for honorablydischarged veterans, including flat stonemarkers, upright stone markers likeyou’d see at Arlington National Ceme-tery, or bronze plaques in two sizes. Butnot every veteran or veteran’s familychooses these options.

“What we’ve found is that there are somany veterans [who have] bought theirown markers,” Fernald said. “There areall different reasons for that.”

For example, many people like tohave their markers purchased and inplace before they die. Some may bematching stones with a family plot ormay not care for the designs of the gov-ernment stones. But when volunteerscome around on Memorial Day to plantflags on veterans’ graves, those withoutmarkers identifying them as veterans getmissed.

“I know probably half of veterans wemeet with families already have theirown stones,” he said. “Every MemorialDay, we always get a complaint: ‘Whydidn’t they know that my husband was aveteran?’ If it’s not a veteran stone, theywouldn’t know that. This is one way tosignify that.”

Now, families of deceased veteranscan request the DVA’s new bronzemedallions instead of stones, which canbe easily affixed to existing headstonesand ensure veterans in private cemeter-ies are properly identified. The medal-lions are available in three sizes: 1.5inches, 3 inches, and 5 inches. Themedallions come as a kit with all mount-ing hardware and instructions. Using theincluded epoxy, anyone can easily affixthe medallion to the headstone. If you’dprefer to use the included screws, theDVA recommends hiring a stone mason

or monument company, as it requiresdrilling into the stone with specializeddrill bits.

Families can request the medallionsthrough their funeral directors, who canhelp them file the right forms, but thereare two requirements. First, the veteranmust have died on or after Nov. 1, 1990.Second, the family must have a copy ofthe veteran’s discharge paperwork. Formilitary veterans, this is a DD Form 214(Certificate of Release or Discharge fromActive Duty); for National Guard veter-ans, this is an NGB Form 22 (Report ofSeparation).

Whether stone markers or medal-lions, Fernald said the government hasalways provided top-notch materials.“Since I’ve been a funeral director…they’ve never cut back on the quality ofthese things,” he said.

Brookings-Smith Funeral DirectorChris Bowers has a unique view fromboth angles. He grew up in a funeral-home family before joining the Army in1970. He worked in personnel and logis-tics, some in field artillery, and servedwith combat engineer unit. Most of hisduty was stateside, but he went to Ger-many once and to Canada several times.He retired in 2000, a Chief Warrant Offi-cer 5. Then he joined Brookings-Smith.

“I was getting ready to retire, wonder-ing what I was going to do, this is some-thing I knew how to do,” he said. “So Iwent to school, got my license.”

His military service has always beenstrong in his mind, however. A few yearsago, when he heard about the funeraldirectors working at Dover Air ForceBase who hadn’t had time off due to theheavy workload as bodies of service menand women came back from Iraq andAfghanistan, he took a week off to godown and volunteer his time as a civilianfuneral director.

“I knew that they were having peoplecome in just so that people who workedthere full time could take vacation time,”he said. “So I went down over the Fourthof July one year, worked for a week. Itwas a quite an experience.”

Bowers really appreciates the medal-lion project.

“I think it’s great — to honor the vet-erans so that those that have purchasedtheir stones by themselves because theywanted something specific can identifythem as being a veteran,” he said.

“It just makes it so they can put thatflag there [on Memorial Day],” said Fer-nald, “to give them the dignity andrespect they deserve.”

Medallions ensure veterans’ graves are properly identified

BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY DAVID M. FITZPATRICKFuneral Director Jim Fernald of Brookings-Smith Funeral Homes holds one of the bronze medallions. The

medallion is affixed to a private headstone and identifies the deceased as a veteran and his branch of serv-ice. This ensures that veterans’ graves are properly identified on Memorial Day, when flags are placed on vet-

erans’ graves, and just that they’re identified as veterans’ graves at all.

This supplement was produced and published by the

Editor: David M. FitzpatrickSales: John Browning

Cover Design: Michele Prentice

If you’re interested in participating in next year’s Funeral andEstate Planning supplement, contact John Browning at 990-8271

or [email protected].

Bangor Daily News, Thursday | April 26, 2012, 3

By David M. Fitzpatrick

SPECIAL SECTIONS WRITER

When George Weiland Jr. relocatedfrom Washington state to WashingtonCounty, he discovered Maine was muchlike his home state. But one thing thatwas different was funeral pre-planning.

In Washington, someone couldbecome a pre-needs informationprovider in perhaps a few weeks. But inMaine, you must have graduated from amortuary school accredited by theAmerican Board of Funeral Service Edu-cation, serve one to two years as anapprentice, and be licensed by the stateboard as a funeral service practitionerbefore being able to properly educateothers about pre-planning.

“I always counsel folks… to pre-planin some way — even if you don’t comein and sit down with me and take out aguaranteed trust… have life insuranceavailable,” Weiland said. “For a few dol-lars a month… it will make a world ofdifference to your family.”

After 15 years in funeral service, Wei-land says that while more people are

aware of pre-planning, many still aren’tdoing it. And they should, because in themiddle of a loved one’s death is the worsttime to be dealing with financial woes.

People often pre-plan after a deathhas happened, either because the dece-dent properly pre-planned and made iteasier for the family — or didn’t proper-ly pre-plan and made it harder. Butwhen it comes to pre-planning, there’soften a lot of misinformation, oftenfrom well-meaning service organiza-tions disseminating incorrect data,things we see on television, or misin-formed neighbors and friends.

“Sometimes it’s just ‘We thought thatthis was the way things were,’” Weilandsaid. “Because of that, there does end upbeing some education of what actually isentailed in the process. From my person-al practice, I like to keep the process astransparent as possible I do that byanswering questions directly, honestly,and by being able to provide referencesto support my information.”

Weiland said that if you don’t have alife-insurance policy or otherwise havemoney that is accessible to your familyset aside for final expenses, your best bet

is a mortuary trust, which any funeraldirector can help set up. You’ll talk withthe director about what you want foryour funeral: whether burial or crema-tion, what type of urn or casket you’dlike, and much more, covering everydetail. The funeral director will ask plen-ty of questions to ensure all the bases arecovered.

When the cost is figured, the directorwill set up the mortuary trust through abank. You’ll begin paying into the trust,which also earns interest over time. Thegoal is to ultimately invest enoughmoney into the trust to cover yourexpenses.

“I basically explain it as… puttingyour funeral on layaway,” Weiland said.

“When the time comes, we take themoney in the account and we completeour arrangements with the rest of thefamily,” Weiland said. “In many cases,there’s not any out-of-pocket expensesfor surviving family members.”

Weiland said he knows it’s difficult totalk about this, especially with an under-taker. But he wants people to know thatthat isn’t just a job for him.

“I have been on the other side of the

table, and I understand what it is like tolose my grandparents, to lose my father,to lose one of my sons,” he said.“I’m wellaware of what that pain is, and even

being… a funeral director, I still havethat human experience, and I have thatappreciation for the person that I’ve

Pre-planning: A responsibility to your family

BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY DAVID M. FITZPATRICKGeorge Weiland Jr., operations manager, Bragdon-Kelley Funeral Homes.

See PLANNING, Page 7

By David M. Fitzpatrick

SPECIAL SECTIONS WRITER

In the old days, a funeral was a for-mulaic affair comprised of a somberviewing, a tearful service, and solemnprocession to the cemetery. A lot haschanged, and while nobody would call afuneral a happy affair, there has been ashift towards balancing the grief andsorrow with a celebration of remem-brance.

“I believe in celebrating one’s life,whether it’s a birthday, whether it’sChristmas, [an] anniversary, [or] what-ever it may be,” said Thomas Fernald ofJordan-Fernald Funeral Homes. “That’spart of life, a celebration.”

It’s common to have photos displayedat services, he said. Jordan-Fernald cancreate videos set to music, displayingpictures from the decedent’s life. But

these days, services are becoming evenmore personalized as families andfriends seek to celebrate the departed ina special way.

Funeral Director Lauri Fernaldrecalled the service of a history teacherwho was a Civil War reenactor. Beingpart of his reenactment group was amajor part of his life and his funeralechoed it, complete with period uni-forms.

“I can remember the funeral inSomesville... they were outside and itwas starting to snow, and they all walkedto the cemetery with the hearse follow-ing slowly behind them,” she said.“It wasreally very meaningful.”

That sort of service memorializeswho the person was, and facilitatingsuch events is in line with Jordan-Fer-nald’s membership with The Remem-brance Process. The RemembranceProcess is a coalition of member funeral

homes and cemeteriescommitted to the basictenet that human beingswant to be remembered.The process is a step-by-step method its membersuse to properly help fami-ly and friends say good-bye, but also to help peo-ple build lasting memo-ries that go far beyond.

“[It’s] more about theperson’s life, not the per-son’s death,” said FuneralDirector Eric Schwitz.

The funeral itself ishighly customizable. Ideally, the depart-ed already chose such things as a casketor urn before passing; if not, the familyhas ample choices available. But beyondthe basics, personalization is availablefor everything from choice of registerbooks to panels inside the casket lid dis-playing Bible verses or military symbolsrepresentative of the individual.

Aspects of who the person was per-vade the service. Golf clubs may be dis-played for the links lover, or a fishingpole or mounted trophy bass for the avidoutdoorsman. If Grandma was a cham-pion knitter, perhaps some of her proj-ects are displayed. Poetry or artwork bythe deceased may be showcased. Favoriteteddy bears or toys may accompany achild. And photos are bound to be every-where.

But what about after the service?Beyond pictures and videos, it’s easier

than ever to keep a bit of your loved onewith you forever. Funeral homes are nowable to offer keepsake pendants,bracelets, necklaces, and other jewelryitem that contains a small amount of aloved one’s cremated remains. Designsspan the gamut and include miniatureurns, hearts, crosses and more. In addi-tion, keepsake memories of a loved onecan include laser etching or diamondengraving of the loved ones image on apendant while micro-lens pendants cancontain laser-etched images that you cansee by holding the lens up to your eye.

Instead of toting mementos around,they can be mounted inside display

domes. Photo etchings can also be doneon wood, stone, or steel, so your lovedone’s face can smile down at you fromthe side of an urn on the mantle.

One popular service comes fromThumbies Fingerprint Keepsakes.Thumbies will take a fingerprint, hand-print, or footprint from your loved oneand etch it onto a pendant or charm.The company can work off prints of thedeceased, or from existing prints, such ason a birth certificate or military form.(Thumbies are also popular for the liv-ing; parents can have multiple prints


How we remember: A celebration of your loved one’s lifeBANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTOS BY DAVID M. FITZPATRICKBelow: Eric Schwitz talks about Thumbies Fingerprint

Keepsakes, which reproduces fingerprints, footprints, andhandprints on keepsake pendants. Left: A silver Thumbiespendant with an engraving of a footprint along with a birth-

stone. Multiple prints can appear on a single pendant.

A marble urn laser-etched with the image of the departed loved one. Inthe past, urns were generally decorated only with text. Now, with such

technologies as laser etching more readily and inexpensively available,you can reproduce photographs on everything from stone to metal to

wood.

See REMEMBER, Page 6

By ElderLawAnswers.com

Many people think that estate plansare for someone else, not them. Theymay rationalize that they are too youngor don’t have enough money to reap thetax benefits of a plan. But as the follow-ing list makes clear, estate planning is foreveryone, regardless of age or net worth.(For more information on estate plan-ning, visit ElderLawServices.com’s EstatePlanning section.)

11.. LLoossss ooff ccaappaacciittyy

What if you become incompetent andunable to manage your own affairs?Without a plan the courts will select theperson to manage your affairs. With aplan, you pick that person (through apower of attorney).

22.. MMiinnoorr cchhiillddrreenn

Who will raise your children if youdie? Without a plan, a court will makethat decision. With a plan, you are ableto nominate the guardian of yourchoice.

33.. DDyyiinngg wwiitthhoouutt aa wwiillll

Who will inherit your assets? Withouta plan, your assets pass to your heirsaccording to your state’s laws of intesta-cy (dying without a will). Your familymembers (and perhaps not the ones youwould choose) will receive your assetswithout benefit of your direction or oftrust protection. With a plan, you decidewho gets your assets, and when and howthey receive them.

44.. BBlleennddeedd ffaammiilliieess

What if your family is the result ofmultiple marriages? Without a plan,children from different marriages maynot be treated as you would wish. With a

plan, you determine what goes to yourcurrent spouse and to the children froma prior marriage or marriages.

55.. CChhiillddrreenn wwiitthh ssppeecciiaall nneeeeddss

Without a plan, a child with specialneeds risks being disqualified fromreceiving Medicaid or SSI benefits, andmay have to use his or her inheritance topay for care. With a plan, you can set upa Supplemental Needs Trust that willallow the child to remain eligible forgovernment benefits while using thetrust assets to pay for non-coveredexpenses.

66.. KKeeeeppiinngg aasssseettss iinn tthhee ffaammiillyy

Would you prefer that your assets stayin your own family? Without a plan,your child’s spouse may wind up withyour money if your child passes awayprematurely. If your child divorces his orher current spouse, half of your assetscould go to the spouse. With a plan, youcan set up a trust that ensures that yourassets will stay in your family and, forexample, pass to your grandchildren.

77.. FFiinnaanncciiaall sseeccuurriittyy

Will your spouse and children be able

to survive financially? Without a planand the income replacement providedby life insurance, your family may beunable to maintain its current livingstandard. With a plan, life insurance canmean that your family will enjoy finan-cial security.

88.. RReettiirreemmeenntt aaccccoouunnttss

Do you have an IRA or similar retire-ment account? Without a plan, your des-ignated beneficiary for the retirementaccount funds may not reflect your cur-rent wishes and may result in burden-some tax consequences for your heirs(although the rules regarding the desig-nation of a beneficiary have been easedconsiderably). With a plan, you canchoose the optimal beneficiary.

99.. BBuussiinneessss oowwnneerrsshhiipp

Do you own a business? Without aplan, you don’t name a successor, thusrisking that your family could lose con-trol of the business. With a plan, youchoose who will own and control thebusiness after you are gone.

1100.. AAvvooiiddiinngg pprroobbaattee

Without a plan, your estate may be

subject to delays and excess fees(depending on the state), and your assetswill be a matter of public record. With aplan, you can structure things so thatprobate can be avoided entirely.

For more information and resourcesfor elders, visit Elder Law Answersonline at www.ElderLawAnswers.com.


By Nathaniel S. Putnam, Esq.SHAREHOLDER, EATON PEABODY

An important aspect of estate plan-ning is understanding the differentmechanisms by which ownership ofassets is transferred when someone dies.In Maine, there are four principal waysthat your assets can pass to your lovedones when you die. These are joint own-ership, probate, beneficiary designa-tions, and through the use of a livingtrust. Understanding these mechanismsand how they relate to one another isessential to achieving your estate-plan-ning objectives.

PPrroobbaattee aanndd JJooiinntt OOwwnneerrsshhiipp.. Con-sider an elderly man whose planningobjective is to leave his estate equally tohis three adult children. He signs a willthat would accomplish this. All of hisassets are held in various bank

accounts. He asks one of his children tohelp him pay his monthly bills. Tofacilitate this, he adds the child’s nameto all of his bank accounts, whichmakes the child a joint owner of theseaccounts. When the father dies, thechild will own all of the accounts auto-matically with no obligation to sharethem with his siblings. The father’s willis irrelevant. A will only controls thetransfer of “probate assets,” which gen-erally include only assets that a personowns individually with no joint ownersand that are not subject to beneficiarydesignations. In this case, the fathershould consider giving the child adurable power of attorney rather thanadding him as a joint owner of thebank accounts.

BBeenneeffiicciiaarryy DDeessiiggnnaattiioonnss.. Most indi-viduals own some assets that will not begoverned by their will when they die. In

addition to jointly owned property,common examples of these “non-pro-bate” assets are life insurance, IRAs,401(k)s and other qualified retirementassets, and most annuities. When youdie, these assets are distributed to yourdesignated beneficiary rather than underyour will. An essential part of the plan-ning process, therefore, is making sureyour beneficiary designations for thesenon-probate assets are coordinated withthe provisions of your will.

TTrruussttss.. A living trust (i.e., a trust thatyou establish during your lifetime) canbe used to control the disposition ofyour assets at your death without thoseassets being subject to probate. If yourassets are transferred to the trust beforedeath, the terms of the trust (and notyour will) will govern how those assetsare distributed after you die. Many peo-ple believe that it is essential to “avoid

probate.” These concerns frequently arethe result of negative experiences withprobate systems in other states (e.g.,Florida). Fortunately, Maine has a rela-tively simple probate system comparedto many states, so you generally don’tneed a trust if your only concern isavoiding probate. There are numerousother reasons why you may need a trust,but probate avoidance in Maine is usual-ly not one of them.

Understanding the different ways thatyour assets will pass to your loved oneswhen you die is an important part of the

planning process. It will go a long waytoward making sure that you accomplishyour objectives.

Nat Putnam is Chair of the EstatePlanning and Wealth Transfer Practicegroup at Eaton Peabody. Nat’s practiceis concentrated in the areas of estateplanning, trust and estate administra-tion, and planning for owners of closelyheld businesses. He provides advice onestate and gift tax planning, varioustypes of trusts, and other tax-planningvehicles. To learn more, visitwww.EatonPeabody.com.

Avoiding common mistakes and misconceptions in estate planning

10 reasons to create an estate plan now

etched onto a pendant, such as having allthe children together, and pendants canincorporate birthstones as well.)

“People are really looking at a lot ofways to remember,” said Lauri.

However, a funeral home isn’t like aretail shop; you shouldn’t ever have asalesman trying to convince you that

you need this or that. “We don’t sell any-thing,” Tom stressed. “We tell them whatwe have and show them, but we don’tsay, ‘This is what you need, and youshould have it.’ We… let them maketheir own decisions.”

Lauri believes this recent explosion ofinterest in personalization is likely partof a broader cultural shift. While manypeople are connected to their faith, theprocess of death has become less tied toa church, and more about honoring thedeparted. They’re using the funeral

home and cemetery more.“I think that part of it is they don’t

want it to necessarily be about viewingthe person and a casket and that kind ofthing; they want it to be more about theperson,” she said. “That’s really, I think,what’s gotten to the personalization.”

That personalization is part of theroad to acceptance of the loss of a lovedone.

“It’s not like it’s ever a closed book…because the person’s always with you inyour heart and in your mind,” said Lauri.

“You just adjust your life around nothaving certain people in it anymore,”said Eric. “We all have to say good-bye toeach other at some point in time. Some-times it’s through death; sometimes it’sother ways. But we all say good-bye. Butyou never get over anybody. You justlearn to live life without them.”


By the National Funeral Directors Assn.

A funeral is so much more than a way to saygoodbye; it’s an opportunity to celebrate the life ofsomeone special. Today, a funeral can be as uniqueas the individual who is being honored. From sim-ple touches like displaying personal photographs toevents created around a favorite pastime, funeralscan reflect any aspect of a person’s life and person-ality. Following are questions you can use to helpyou decide how to personalize a service:

• What did the person like to do?• What was the person like as an individual?• What was the person like as a professional?• Was the person spiritual?• Was the person proud of their heritage?

For additional ideas on personalizing a funeral,please contact your local NFDA funeral director.

WWhhaatt ddiidd tthhee ppeerrssoonn lliikkee ttoo ddoo??

Often people have hobbies that become morethan just a casual pastime, perhaps as much a partof who they were as their smile. Why not showcasethat important part of their life during the funeral?Incorporating a hobby can be as simple as:

• Displaying hobby items; e.g. sports equip-ment, gardening tools, or collections.

• Personalizing the casket or urn with a sym-bol of their hobby.

• Displaying trophies or awards they won.• Creating a picture board or presentation

featuring pictures of them engaged in theirhobby.

• Having someone speak about the person’spassion for the hobby.

By adding these or other personal touches to afuneral, the service becomes a reflection of the per-son’s life and personality.

WWhhaatt wwaass tthhee ppeerrssoonn lliikkee aass aann iinnddiivviidduuaall??

One way to enhance a funeral is by bringing apiece of the person’s personality to life. Considerwhat made that person special, what made themwho they were? Then find ways to link their indi-viduality to traditional aspects of a funeral service.As an example, an avid cowboy or cowgirl may wantto ride of into the sunset one last time. Tasteful waysto honor their wish include:

• Using a covered wagon rather than a hearse• Displaying saddle and riding equipment• Playing western music• Having their horse walk in the procession• Having a barbecue after the service

Other themes you may want to consider:• Military honors for armed forces members• Tailgate party for a sports enthusiast• Harley-Davidson rally for the Harley owner

WWhhaatt wwaass tthhee ppeerrssoonn lliikkee aass aa pprrooffeessssiioonnaall??

Many people take great pride in their career. Per-haps they dedicated a lifetime to a profession thattransformed into more than just a job. If this holdstrue for your loved one, you may want to considerways to include their professional life into theirfuneral service. Following are two examples of howyou could incorporate a profession into a service:

For a teacher:• Have the choir or band from the school per-

form during the visitation or service• Encourage students to write essays about

the person, which could be displayed.• Invite a past student to speak at the service

For a fire person/police officer:• Incorporate any honors or traditions that

their department has established• Fire trucks/police vehicles in the procession• Have bagpipers play at the visitation/service• Display their uniform and equipment

WWaass tthhee ppeerrssoonn ssppiirriittuuaall??

Through organized religion or personal beliefs,

most people have some sense of spirituality in theirlife. Often those values are from the very core ofwho the person was in life. Therefore, you may feelit is important to incorporate the individual’s senseof spirituality into their funeral service.

Following are ideas on how to incorporate spiri-tuality into a funeral service:

• Hold the service at the person’s parish orreligious facility.

• Have someone read excerpts from a key reli-gious publication (i.e. Bible, Koran, etc.).

• Decorate the funeral home with symbols ofthe person’s faith.

• Have the person’s cremated remains scat-tered at a place of spiritual significance tothem.

• Read a prayer that touches on their keybeliefs.

• Include sacred music from the religion inthe service.

For more resources, visit the National FuneralDirectors Association at www.NFDA.org.

Some ideas for personal tributes

BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY DAVID M. FITZPATRICKLauri Fernald of Jordan-Fernald Funeral Homes shows a cherry urn. A

three-dimensional lighthouse was etched through a combined laser carv-ing and laser engraving process. Any image from scenes to photos can

easily be put on many items and surfaces.

RememberContinued from Page 4

By Debra BellCUSTOM PUBLICATIONS WRITER

You know you’ve grown up when youand your husband write a will.

As homeowners and 30-somethingswith a pair of adorable pets, we knewthat if something happened to us wewouldn’t just need life insurance. We’dneed a properly written will. And there’snothing that makes you consider thehard questions more than having a lastwill and testament, as well as power ofattorney and medical power of attorneywritten.

But answer them we did in 2011.And if you haven’t had your will

drawn up, you should.

WWhhyy aa wwiillll??When a loved one dies, the last

thing you want to be thinking aboutis all the legal stuff that happens tohis estate. The estate could be largeor it could be small, but the statewill get its cut. And if you’re plan-ning on leaving items to family,friends, or having assets distributedto organizations, a properly writtenwill makes it so much easier.

The impetus to write our will, anddraft our healthcare documents, cameas we’d been work-ing on our financialplan. We knew a willwas important butjust hadn’t gottenaround to it. But wealso knew that byNOT writing ourwill, we were play-ing with fire. Lifeinsurance wouldn’tcut it.

And it didn’t hurt that once a yearwith the publication of this supple-ment, I’m reminded about the not-so-nice task of will writing.

For instance, we don’t have kids (yet).However, we have pets. If somethinghappened to one (or both) of us, wecould designate how they would becared for.

If both of us were to pass, we had todecide where our assets would be dis-

tributed. That’s harder than you mightthink, especially without heirs.

We own a house as joint tenants incommon. Our will stipulates what hap-pens to the house in the event of ourpassing.

We own cars, life insurance policies,and multiple assets. By writing a will

there’s no questionthat the ownershiptransfers to.

In addition, I owna business asidefrom my job at theBDN. Business own-ers, even sole propri-etors like me, alsohave needs theyneed to addresswhen it comes to

estate planning.In short, we decided to write our

wills, and our medical and financialdirectives, to make decisions easier oneach other. When you’re dealing withheavy issues, the last thing you need tothink about are medical and financialmatters.

HHiirriinngg pprrooffeessssiioonnaall hheellppWe could have done it ourselves,

but trust me, you don’t want to. Withissues as complicated as writing a willand determining financial and med-ical directives, hiring a lawyer whospecializes in this topic was a godsend.We hired a lawyer who specializes inwills and estate planning and shewalked us through the process,explaining things to us and makingsure we understood our rights and ourdecisions.

In addition, by having our lawyerwork on this for us, there were no addi-tional surprises and she handled all ofthe filing. We have a legal copy of thepapers stashed away in our safe.

The cost was reasonable for theamount of work that goes into draftingand finalizing all three documents. Onthe day of the will signing, we had twowitnesses at the will reading. The finalreading took about two hours.

Now, every 5-10 years, we’ll revisit thedocuments with our lawyer and makechanges as needed.

But for now, we know that we’ll bothbe taken care of if the worst happens.

And that’s a great feeling.

been called to serve as well.”Weiland said he cannot stress enough

the importance of some form of pre-planning, whether a life-insurance poli-cy, a mortuary trust, or a bank accounton your own.

“I consider it to be a personal respon-

sibility to your family,” he said.“As a hus-band, as a father, as a grandfather, I real-ly… I consider it my responsibility thatthat money is there for my family whenthe time comes that I am gone.”

Contact your funeral director to setup a meeting to discuss a mortuarytrust. George Weiland is the operationsdirector for Bragdon-Kelley FuneralHomes, with locations in Ellsworth,Machias, Milbridge, and Stonington.Visit online at www.BragdonKelley.com.


PlanningContinued from Page 3

Importance and ease of having a will

IMAGE COURTESY OF PROLINESERVER VIA WIKIPEDIAThe will of Alfred Nobel, wherein he endowed the Nobel Prize. Your goals

with your will may or may not be as lofty as Nobel’s, but it’s just asimportant that you write one.

A CLEVER SOLUTION

BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO BY DAVID M. FITZPATRICK

This may look like a plastic kitchensink, but it’s much more than that.

Many veterans opt for flat gravemarkers that lie flush with the surface ofthe ground. The problems with thesestones are many.

For example, it’s easy for them to getovergrown with grass as they sink intothe earth, or covered in moss and lichen.Worse yet, lawn mowers frequently dam-age the stones. If a particular stone isn’t

regularly cared for, all these unfortunatethings can happen.

One solution is this nifty device. Itsets into the ground and provides stabil-ity to prevent sinking. The stone sitswithin it. This model, available at Brook-ings-Smith in Bangor, has been dressedup with some artificial grass.

This ensures flat veterans’ stonesdon’t get damaged, covered, or lost tohistory and Mother Nature.

Now, we knowthat we’ll both be

taken care of if theworst happens.

And that’s agreat feeling.

Funeral and Estate Planning 2012

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