It’s a subject that makes us uneasy — not to be discussed in polite company — but that discomfort doesn’t change the fact that funerals are big business in the United States.
The average funeral costs $7,200. Despite the size of the expenditure, very little research has delved into why people spend what they do.
kAm&?:G6CD:EJ @7 v6@C8:2 >2C<6E:?8 AC@76DD@C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]E6CCJ]F82]65F^5:C64E@CJ^>2C<6E:?8^D2C29\H9:E=6J]9E>=Qm$2C29 (9:E=6Jk^2m 564:565 E@ =@@< 2E E96 4@?DF>6C ADJ49@=@8J @7 7F?6C2= 6IA6?5:EFC6D 6>A:C:42==J E@ F?56CDE2?5 H92E >@E:G2E6D E96 DA6?5:?8 564:D:@?D 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 7F?6C2= A=2??:?8]k^Am
Recommended for you
Scenes from the Hands for Humanity Donation Day and Locust Grove High School Band Christmas Concert held Friday at Locust Grove High School. Click for more.PHOTOS: Hands for Humanity Donation Day and Christmas Concert at Locust Grove High School
kAm(9:E=6J’D C6D62C49 7@F?5 E92E E96 DA6?5:?8 @? 7F?6C2=D H2D 5C:G6? 3J 2 ?665 E@ 42C6 7@C 2 56462D65 =@G65 @?6 2?5 E96 DFCG:G:?8 72>:=J] p?5 :E C6G62=65 2 DE2C< 4@?EC2DE H:E9 A6@A=6 H9@ AC6A=2??65 E96:C 7F?6C2=D] %96 D6=7\A=2??6CD DA6?E DF3DE2?E:2==J =6DD @? 2G6C286 E92? E9@D6 H9@ H6C6 A=2??:?8 2 7F?6C2= 7@C D@>6@?6 6=D6]k^Am
kAm“(92E H6 =62C?65 :D E92E H96? A6@A=6 2C6 A=2??:?8 2 7F?6C2=[ E96:C >2:? >@E:G2E:@? :D AC@G:5:?8 42C6 7@C E96:C =@G65 @?6D[” D2:5 (9:E=6J[ 2? 2DD:DE2?E AC@76DD@C @7 >2C<6E:?8 2E E96 %6CCJ r@==686 @7 qFD:?6DD] “qFE H96? J@F’C6 42C:?8 7@C D@>6@?6 H9@ 92D 2=C625J 5:65 J@F 5@?’E C62==J 92G6 E9:D ?@E:@? @7 42C:?8 7@C E96:C >2E6C:2= H6==\36:?8] *@F’C6 42C:?8 7@C E96:C >6>@CJ @C E96:C =6824J :?DE625]”k^Am
k9am$EF5J 7:==D 2 7F?6C2= 3FD:?6DD 82Ak^9am
kAm(9:E=6J DEF5:6D 4@?DF>6CD’ 6>@E:@?2= E:6D E@ E96:C DA6?5:?8 923:ED[ 6DA64:2==J AC@\D@4:2= DA6?5:?8 =:<6 5@?2E:?8 E@ 492C:E:6D @C AFC492D:?8 AC@5F4ED E92E DFAA@CE 42FD6D] w6C A2A6C “k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^@?=:?6=:3C2CJ]H:=6J]4@>^5@:^7F==^`_]`__a^;4AJ]`ac_Qm#6=2E:@?2= $A6?5:?8 :? uF?6C2=Di r2C:?8 7@C ~E96CD {@G65 2?5 {@DEk^2m[” 7:==D :? @?6 @7 E96 82AD 2C@F?5 E96 3FD:?6DD @7 7F?6C2=D :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D] xE H2D AF3=:D965 :? E96 y@FC?2= @7 r@?DF>6C !DJ49@=@8J :? |2C49]k^Am
kAm(9:E=6J 2?2=JK65 bdg 7F?6C2= 4@?EC24ED 7C@> 36EH66? a_`a 2?5 a_`c] %9@D6 4@?EC24ED D9@H65 E96 D92CA 5:G:56 36EH66? H92E A6@A=6 H2?E65 E@ DA6?5 @? E96:C @H? 7F?6C2= G6CDFD H92E E96J H6C6 H:==:?8 E@ DA6?5 @? E96 7F?6C2= @7 2 =@G65 @?6] tIA6?5:EFC6D :?4C62D65 3J 2=>@DE S`[___ H96? E96 A=2??:?8 H2D 7@C D@>6@?6 6=D6’D 7F?6C2=]k^Am
kAm$96 2=D@ 4@?5F4E65 =@?8\7@C> :?E6CG:6HD H:E9 :?5:G:5F2=D H9@ A=2??65 7F?6C2=D :? C646?E J62CD 2?5 4@==64E65 DFCG6J C6D62C49 E@ F?56CDE2?5 E96 >@E:G2E:@?D 369:?5 7F?6C2= A=2??:?8]k^Am
kAm“(6 H2?E65 E@ E2<6 2 566A6C 5:G6 :?E@ H92E’D C62==J 5C:G:?8 E9:D 5:776C6?46 :? E96 2>@F?E @7 DA6?5:?8[” D96 D2:5] “xD :E ;FDE E92E[ ‘x H2?E E@ DA6?5 >@C6 @? E9:D DA64:7:4 A6CD@? 7@C D@>6 C62D@?[ @C :D :E D@>6E9:?8 23@FE E96 C@=6 @7 E96 7F?6C2= A=2??6C :ED6=7n %96 BF2=:E2E:G6 :?E6CG:6HD 96=A65 FD E@ 86E 2E H92E :D 5C:G:?8 E9:D DA6?5:?8 2?5 564:D:@? >2<:?8]”k^Am
k9ams6D:C6 E@ 9@?@C 2 =6824Jk^9am
kAm}@ >2EE6C H9@ E96 A=2??6C H2D — 36C62G65 H:76[ 9FD32?5[ 52F89E6C[ D@? — E96J 2== C6A@CE65 E96 D2>6 D6?D6 @7 H2?E:?8 E@ 6IE6?5 42C6 7@C E96 >6>@CJ 2?5 =6824J @7 E96:C =@G65 @?6D[ A=2? 2 7F?6C2= E92E H@F=5 92G6 366? >62?:?87F= E@ E96>[ 2?5 @776C 4=@DFC6 E@ 7C:6?5D 2?5 72>:=J >6>36CD]k^Am
kAmx? >2C<6E:?8 C6D62C49[ E9:D EJA6 @7 DA6?5:?8 @? 2 =@G65 @?6 @C 72>:=J >6>36C :D 42==65 C6=2E:@?2= DA6?5:?8] qFE 7F?6C2= A=2??:?8 :D 2 F?:BF6 42D6 3642FD6 :E 5@6D ?@E AC@G:56 2 >2E6C:2= 36?67:E E@ E96 56462D65[ F?=:<6 @E96C EJA6D @7 C6=2E:@?2= DA6?5:?8[ (9:E=6J D2:5]k^Am
kAm(9:E=6J 925 6IA64E65 E@ D66 D@>6 A6@A=6 >@E:G2E65 E@ DA6?5 E@ FA9@=5 2 72>:=J’D C6AFE2E:@? 3J AC@G:5:?8 2 >@C6 =2G:D9 7F?6C2= 3FE E92E H2D?’E E96 42D6[ D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm“!6@A=6 5:5?’E E6?5 E@ @G6CDA6?5 E@ 36 @DE6?E2E:@FD[” D96 D2:5] “x?DE625 E96J H2?E65 E@ AC@G:56 2 7F?6C2= E92E H2D 2 =:EE=6 3:E ?:46C E92? E96 >:55=6 @7 E96 C@25] %96 DA6?5:?8 H2D 5C:G6? >@C6 3J 2 D6?D6 @7 5FEJ 2?5 :E 36:?8 E96 C:89E E9:?8 E@ 5@[ 2D @AA@D65 E@[ ‘x H2?E A6@A=6 E@ D66 E96 8C62E E9:?8D x’> 5@:?8 7@C >J 72>:=J >6>36C H9@ ;FDE A2DD65]”k^Am
k9am(2?E:?8 E@ D9:6=5 =@G65 @?6Dk^9am
kAmr2C:?8 2=D@ >@E:G2E65 E96 A6@A=6 H9@ AC6A=2??65 E96:C @H? 7F?6C2=D 3J >:?:>:K:?8 E96:C 4@DED] |@DE A6@A=6 H9@ 925 AC6A=2??65 E96:C 7F?6C2=D 925 A=2??65 2 7F?6C2= 7@C 2 72>:=J >6>36C :? E96 A2DE 2?5 H2?E65 E@ D9:6=5 E96:C =@G65 @?6D 7C@> E96 4@8?:E:G6 2?5 6>@E:@?2= 6IA6C:6?46 E96J 925 6?5FC65] !=FD[ DA6?5:?8 =6DD @? E96:C @H? 7F?6C2= >62?E E92E >@C6 @7 E96:C 6DE2E6 H@F=5 6?5 FA 8@:?8 E@ DFAA@CE E96:C DFCG:G:?8 72>:=J >6>36CD[ AC@G:5:?8 2 H2J 7@C E96> E@ 42C6 7@C E96:C 72>:=J 27E6C 562E9]k^Am
kAm(96E96C :E’D 2 =2C86[ 7@C>2= 7F?6C2= @C D@>6E9:?8 D:>A=6[ E96 677@CE 2?5 6IA6?D6 6IA6?565 3J E96 A=2??6CD :D 2? 24E @7 42C:?8 7@C E96:C =@G65 @?6D] (9:E=6J D2:5 E9@D6 H9@ >2C<6E 7F?6C2= D6CG:46D ?665 E@ F?56CDE2?5 E92E >@E:G2E:@? :7 E96J H2?E E@ 4@?E:?F6 E@ >66E E96:C 4=:6?ED’ ?665D]k^Am
kAm(9:E=6J’D 4@\2FE9@CD @? E96 A2A6C :?4=F565 ):>6?2 v2C4:2\#252 @7 w2CG2C5 &?:G6CD:EJ[ u=6FC2 q2C59: @7 r:EJ &?:G6CD:EJ @7 {@?5@?[ s2? pC:6=J @7 sF<6 &?:G6CD:EJ 2?5 r2C6J z] |@C6H6586 @7 q@DE@? &?:G6CD:EJ]k^Am
kAm%96 A@DE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?6HD]F82]65F^42C:?8\6>@E:@?D\>@E:G2E6\7F?6C2=\DA6?5:?8^Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmr2C:?8 6>@E:@?D >@E:G2E6 7F?6C2= DA6?5:?8k^2m 2AA62C65 7:CDE @? k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^?6HD]F82]65FQ C6=lQ?@7@==@HQm&vp %@52Jk^2m]k^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Please log in, or sign up for a new, free account to read or post comments.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.