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Both my parents are in the same nursing home here in the city I live in, and the funeral arrangements have been made in a city in another state. The pre plan and pre paid funeral includes a full funeral back where they used to live, which includes cremation and burial. The problem is they are unable to travel at all. They can't even come to my house for a visit let alone travel cross country for the spouses funeral. My question is do you think it would be bad to wait for everyone to die before sending their ashes to the cemetery to be buried. Every time you open the ground to bury ashes it cost $$$$. I also have my dad's brother's ashes here with me waiting to be buried at the same grave and at the same time as my dad. How do I start a conversation with them pertaining to the change of plans. There is not enough money to do all this from long distance. Help!!!

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freqflyer, combining ashes is a good idea but at this point, Mom has not decided if she wants to be cremated or have the traditional casket burial. The fact that she is currently pre-paying for traditional burial, adding Dad's ashes/urn to the grave is what generates the extra cost even though the urn would be added at the same time Mom is buried. Seems like the funeral home is double-charging!
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texasrdr22, you have a legit concern about the cost. There is an option of placing your parent's ashes together in one urn, thus just one burial. Unless the cost is in the paperwork that the State requires.
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MaryHelen, as jjariz as mentioned above, you may want to double check with the cemetery to see what are the State laws regarding how many urns are allowed in one grave site.

Example, where I live, one is allowed 2 urns per site, or one casket with later one urn. You wrote "brothers", I assume there is more than one?

It would make sense to wait until both parents had passed, and have a funeral home ship the urns to the funeral home at the end location. It would be less expensive then doing each one separately. Parents like to save money.

Now your parents need to realize there would be numerous separate funeral homes bills. First bill for cremation, services, urn for each parent. Then the cost of shipping 3 or more urns to the receiving funeral home. Then the cost of separate burials for each person.

Who will cover the cost for the burial of your Dad's brothers urns. The receiving funeral home might charge each urn as a separate burial.

There is also the possibly you could bring the urns with you if flying, but I would be afraid of the urns being misplaced. Or you can drive the urns. Check with the local funeral director to get their opinions of doing the delivery yourself.

Also ask your parents what type of headstone do they want.  Do they want their full names, full birth dates or just the year, what about the date of marriage?  I've also seen headstone that will have written "parents of____, _____, and _______." 
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You are correct about having to pay to open the grave again. My Dad was cremated and wants his ashes buried with Mom when she dies. The funeral home told me that they will charge one-and-a-half times the fee when they open the ground for Mom's burial if we are going to place Dad's ashes with her. To me, that seems like a rip off! The hole is already open! Why do you have to pay 1/2 again just to put an urn there?!
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If your siblings agree, you can keep the ashes and have a funeral at the time of your choosing. Also, check with the cemetery about how many people's ashes can be buried in one plot. Usually there is a limit or two, sometimes three.
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