Daily Record
Parsippany NJ
Feb. 19, 2011
Viewings, caskets, urns add to expense; economy has impact
When Margot Pesce’s middle-aged sister died unexpectedly last month, the Montville resident found herself experiencing sticker shock: $6,000 to fulfill her sister’s wish to be cremated.
“It’s outrageous,” she said.
The high cost of mourning and burying a loved one is, in fact, going up, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. The average funeral, which cost $708 in 1960, now ranges from $6,560 to $8,000.
Add to that cemetery, grave-digging, monument costs and other fees, and the total bill is thousands higher. Cremation, on the other hand, can be cheaper.
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RELATED LINK
Letter to Editor: Memorial Society can save grief, money (Feb 24, 2011)
