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OTTUMWA -- For the Facebook story of the day our fans wanted to know what some of the benefits are when it comes to pre-planning your own funeral.

KTVO spoke with Bill Reece of the Reece funeral home in Ottumwa.  Reece says people who plan their funeral in advance help lift the burden on their families.  In many cases, once an individual actually starts planning for the future, the topic of death is not as scary.

Many funeral homes take down information about the person.  Then the funeral director asks what the individual would want at the service such as the type of casket.  Thirdly, directors will ask if a person wants to put money aside.

“Quite often we do that,” Reece said.  “We do that more and more.  We see that people are doing that especially in today's economy where we entrust 100% of what they put aside and that way it's taken care of and often paid for in advance so when the time comes the family doesn't have to worry about that."

Another way a person can plan ahead is by picking out spots in a cemetery.  In many instances people will not just select two spots for a couple, but anywhere from six to twelve for an entire family.