 | Bob Phifer
Cochran Mortuary President, and his wife Terri Cochran Phifer have proudly served Wichita families since 1980. The company has been family owned and operated since 1928, spanning five generations. You may contact Bob at (316) 262-4422. |
Final Arrangements
2003-09-01 10:08:00
Handling an out-of-state death
ANSWER: Should a death occur away from home, out of state, or out of the country, once the appropriate authorities where you are have been notified, you should immediately contact your funeral home where you reside. Your hometown funeral director will guide and coordinate all the necessary details with the authorities where you are. Your funeral director will contact a funeral establishment or shipping service and assume the responsibility of returning the deceased back home. It is extremely important, from a cost perspective, to entrust your hometown funeral director with these tasks, as a family could become susceptible to “overpaying” for the same services your hometown funeral director can arrange for you. With regard to returning home, in some circumstances, overland transportation of the deceased may be less costly than air transportation. Again, your hometown funeral director will recommend the appropriate manner. Should air transporation be required, it is not necessary that a family member travel with the deceased. Some airlines do provide a special “escort fare” for the return journey. Your hometown funeral director can even work with the various airlines to determine the most efficient fare available. Several airlines also offer special “bereavement fare” for family to travel for funeral services and arrangements. Check with your hometown funeral director for availability and requirements. In some rare instances it may be necessary to require “air hearse” service, as the location of death may be remote in nature. In this case, your hometown funeral director will arrange for transportation back home by way of private smaller aircraft from a company that can provide this service. Many retired persons are traveling extensively today. Your hometown funeral director may offer special prearrangement services that can provide coverage for all or part of the expenses involved with returning a loved one who has died away from home. The cost is reasonable considering these expenses could total anywhere from $900 to $2,000 in additional expenses depending on the circumstances of the death. Check with your hometown funeral director for availability and details.
