2013 SPRING NEWSLETTER

We are pleased to provide access to our seasonal newsletters in hopes that they provide information and insight on a wide variety of topics. Click here to view this newsletter as a PDF

MEMORIALS CLOSE TO HOME

Do you want a daily reminder of a very special person? Hold onto the memories with a StoneMor Tribute Product.

Our backyard memorials honor your loved one with quality, personalized pieces that also beautify your home. Pieces include Lanterns, Bird Feeder, Bird Bath and more.

Whether you’d like to commemorate an event, capture a significant moment or remember a life well lived, our unique, customizable items ensure you’ll never forget. Prices start at just $395!

EASTER TRIVIA

Ninety million chocolate Easter bunnies and 16 billion jelly beans are produced each year before the commencement of the Easter festivities. As a holiday, Easter comes only second to Halloween in terms of the annual sale confectionary items.

76 percent of people eat the ears on chocolate bunnies first.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records the largest Easter egg ever made was just over 25 feet high and weighed 8,968 lbs.

SPRING CLEANING TAKES ON NEW MEANING AFTER THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE

It may not occur exactly as the winter begins to turn to spring, but at some point after the death of a loved one you will have to go through their things. This will turn into a walk down memory lane and will definitely be emotional. Consider having a close friend or relative carry out this chore with you.

And remember, as you sort through closets and decide what to do with this ‘stuff’, you are NOT giving away the person; you are only getting rid of their things. Keep your favorite items to celebrate the life of the person who has died and share other treasures with family and friends who will appreciate them. Donating other items will allow your loved one to help others in need.

While you are literally cleaning your home, you are also cleaning your heart and soul… and that’s one of the first steps toward healing.

DEATH & TAXES

If a deceased family member would have been required to file a return for the year in which he or she died, you must file a return on the deceased’s behalf. Report income earned from the beginning of the year to the date of death on your deceased family member’s final return.

To ensure all income the deceased earned is accounted for, a legal entity called an estate is automatically created at the time of death. Report on the estate return –, Form 1041 –, any income received after the date of death. This includes income earned from bank accounts or stock while the estate is in probate. The estate must request its own employer identification number (EIN) to use for filing purposes.

Your funeral director will be able to offer some guidance on the forms, but you’ll need to contact a tax professional for the last word.

ORGANIZATION TIPS

Spring-cleaning means not only giving everything a good scrubbing but organizing your home inside and out to welcome the warmer seasons ahead. Follow these tips and you’ll breathe a sigh of spring relief. 

• Install a trellis or pegboard in your garage for extra storage.
• Fill a plastic bucket with cleaning supplies that need to be toted from room to room.
• Put warranty expiration dates on appliance and electronics boxes lets you know when it’s safe to throw those cartons away.
• Apply labels to photos in albums and on walls to keep the memories alive for years to come.
• Sew magnets onto the cuffs of gardening gloves and attach to a metal watering can to keep from misplacing them.
• Store the lids to your pots and pans on towel bars installed inside your cabinet or pantry doors.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was formed as a direct result of the first Earth Day – April 22, 1970!

YES, PREARRANGEMENTS ARE TRANSFERABLE!

Often as we are conducting services for families, they ask if they can transfer prearrangements they made elsewhere to our firm. And the answer is YES! By law, any funeral prearrangement or preplan that is made can be transferred at any time from one funeral home or cremation society to another. If you would like more information on transferring arrangements or preplanning in general, please ask your funeral director.

PAST NEWSLETTER ISSUES (PDF)

• Winter 2012
• Fall 2012
• Summer 2012