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FUNERAL CONSUMERS ALLIANCE OF PRINCETON
50 Cherry Hill Road, Princeton, NJ 08540
ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2013
Illustrated talk by Edward Bixby, proprietor
of Steelmantown,
Sunday,
April 14, 2013,
2:00 p.m.
For
three hundred years, Steelmantown has been a burial ground. It started
as a family and community graveyard—Bixby’s ancestors were Steelmans,
many of whom are here. In the 1950’s, it served as burial ground for
residents of the Woodbine Developmental Center, a facility serving
people with developmental disabilities.
In
2007, Bixby, who grew up in the area, bought the cemetery
after having visited his infant brother’s grave with his
father. Father and son were shocked by the horrific
condition of much of the cemetery, with gravestones
overturned, sunk well into the ground and covered with thick
overgrowth. Builders, they resolved to buy, clean up and
manage it. Since then, it has evolved into a model green
burial site with delightful trails, wooded and open areas
and a small chapel.
READ ON
Over 50 funeral homes listed! The results are
fascinating, showing an enormous range of fees charged by different
funeral homes in your area for the same services. This price information
is invaluable for those choosing a funeral home or making funeral plans.
Funeral Home Shopping Guide - Introduction and Definitions
Cemeteries are not regulated by the
Federal Trade Commission. At this time there is no way to anticipate the
charges or services of cemeteries except by visiting them individually.
This represents our first inquiry into the area's cemeteries.
Plan Ahead
website search
technology courtesy FreeFind
Funeral Advice You Can Trust
We Can Help
The Funeral Consumers Alliance of Princeton (FCAP) is a
volunteer-run, not-for-profit organization that is not associated
with the funeral industry. We provide objective support, education
and advocacy. We offer tools to empower you to make informed,
thoughtful decisions about funeral and memorial arrangements before
they are needed.
Did You
Know?
The average cost of a funeral is $7,323 and that doesn’t include the
price of the plot, cemetery fees, headstone, obituaries, etc.
There are more than 600 funeral homes in NJ, but fewer than 300 are
needed to support the death rate.
Since few people comparison shop, most don’t know that funeral home prices
vary greatly, even in the same town. In central NJ, funeral home
charges for direct cremation range from $750—$4,060.
If you go to a funeral home the funeral director is required by law
to give you a general price list (GPL) that itemizes the costs of
all goods and services.
If you don’t want a viewing or a service in a funeral home, you
don’t have to use one that’s nearby. This can mean big savings.
Embalming is not required by NJ law.
You can keep a body at home for up to 48 hours, giving family a
chance to say goodbye in a comfortable, personal place.
If you buy a casket at a store or online, funeral homes cannot
charge you a handling or other fee.
A safe deposit box is not a good place to store your funeral wishes
as they won’t be seen until other arrangements have been made.
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