Incredibly Well-Organized

The love of my father's life died suddenly and unexpectedly in early 1973. My father grieved heavily and found that having to make 'arrangements' during this time was extraordinarily painful. To protect his family from the same fate, Dad went out the next month and made and paid for all of the arrangements for his body. He was, at that time, fifty-two years old. Did he have any idea those plans would not have to be put in place for almost another forty years? Beth flew down on Sunday, arrived at noon, and we went to the funeral home. Dad had even prepaid for six death certificates. For over thirty-nine years, the funeral home had been earning interest on the money he gave them. However, since the cost of death certificates had gone up $6 a piece over that time, they had to charge me the difference in price: $55.65. Another person would have squawked, refused to pay the difference, and would have reminded them how much they had probably made on the original investment for thirty-nine years. Beth and I decided not to. It wasn't enough money for us to get upset. I was surprised, though, that death certificates in our county now cost $14 each. They would call me when the cremains and the death certificates were in. It might take ten days or so.