As older cemeteries become full and their space for expansion is limited, families can be turned away if they try to buy a lot in one of these landlocked for a loved one at the time of immediate need.

While there are many benefits to prearrangement, having the ability to be buried beside your loved ones is another important benefit of preplanning. When you select and purchase your burial property before the time of need, you can select the number of graves for yourself, your spouse or partner, and loved ones, such as children, grandchildren or in-laws.

"Some families create beautiful burial estates by purchasing graves not only for their immediate family, but for future generations," explained Bernard Stoecklein, president of CMS Mid-Atlantic, Inc, a company that provides financial, marketing and consulting services, as well as business development processes to the cemetery industry throughout New Jersey and New York. “Some of the families in our communities have purchased up to 12 adjoining spaces in the gardens of CMS-affiliated cemeteries to ensure that their grandchildren and even great grandchildren can be buried with their ancestors, if they so choose,” Stoecklein added.

There are many benefits to preplanning:

·        Couples can make important decisions together at their leisure without the stress of having to guess what a spouse or partner would want at the time of immediate need.

·        Prearrangement spares loved ones, such as children and other relatives, from having to make decisions and arrangements on one of the saddest days of their lives

·        Planning ahead also ensures that your wishes will be carried out. If you purchase a grave or graves in a cemetery, loved ones will have the information and must follow your burial wishes. The cemetery will have records of your choices, which helps to assure that your loved ones won’t have your body cremated if you chose traditional ground burial. 

·        The graves your select and purchase in advance are based on today’s costs, which assures savings since most graves purchased in advance are not needed for an average of 27 years. Just look at how the price of a home or automobile has increased in the past 27 years.

CMS currently is offering an economic stimulus program to help families in the  communities it serves. CMS Mid-Atlantic has pledged to distribute 10,000 U.S. Savings Bonds in $100 denominations to families who meet with the company’s family service counselors to learn about pre-need burial planning at CMS-affiliated cemeteries and memorial parks. This program is part of CMS’ continuous effort to help strengthen the U.S. economy.

“We are acting on President Barack Obama’s call to service,” explains Mr. Stoecklein. “By distributing savings bonds, we are giving families in our communities additional purchasing power, creating more funds in the area that can be spent at local businesses and helping to strengthen the U.S. Treasury by helping with the economic bailout.”

It is easy to obtain a savings bond from CMS. Bonds are offered to families, couples and individuals as an added benefit. People who meet with a CMS counselor become educated consumers and learn about their pre-need burial options. They will receive a $100 U.S. Savings Bond and most importantly, their greatest benefit will come from the peace of mind that pre-planning provides and the significant savings versus unplanned burial costs.

In addition, families who decide plan ahead with their burial spaces at a CMS property will receive a PNC Bank Visa gift card along with the savings bond.

CMS Mid-Atlantic has a large staff of knowledgeable family service counselors who can meet with residents in their homes when it is most convenient for them — including evenings and weekends. If families prefer, they also can meet with the counselors at CMS’ affiliated cemeteries and memorial parks and see the beauty of the properties firsthand.

CMS Mid-Atlantic-affiliated cemeteries and memorial parks include:

Alpine Cemetery

703 Amboy Avenue

Perth Amboy, NJ 08861

www.alpinecemetery.com

888-536-1402 ext. 2240

Greenwood Cemetery

1800 Hamilton Avenue

Hamilton, NJ 08619

www.cmsmidatlantic.com/greenwood.php

888-536-1402 ext. 2240

Hollywood Memorial Park

1500 Stuyvesant Avenue

Union, NJ  07083  

www.cmsmidatlantic.com/hollywood.php 

888-536-1402 ext. 2240

Laurel Grove Cemetery

295 Totowa Road

Totowa, NJ  07512

www.cmsmidatlantic.com/laurelgrove.php   

888-536-1402 ext. 2240

Restland Memorial Park

77 DeForest Avenue

East Hanover, NJ  07936

www.cmsmidatlantic.com/restland.php

888-536-1402 ext. 2240

Vestal Hills Memorial Park

3997 Vestal Road

Vestal, NY  13850

www.cmsmidatlantic.com/vestalhills.php

888-536-1402 ext. 2240

For more information or to schedule a personal presentation, contact the cemetery or memorial park in your community listed above.