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THE PARTINGPOINT JOURNAL

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Explore articles on planning, costs, paperwork, and life after a loss. Free to read, with sources you can check.

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12 articles · Newest first

12 guides tagged Planning ahead · clear

Body Donation in Illinois, Missouri and Kansas: How It Works

How whole-body donation works in Illinois, Missouri and Kansas: transport costs, whether ashes come back, how long programs keep a body, and refusals.

Ruth · 18 September 2026 · Illinois · Missouri · Kansas · Planning ahead · Burial choicesRead the guide →

Where to Keep Your Will and End-of-Life Documents

Where to keep your will and end-of-life documents, and who should have a copy of each one, with the safe deposit box and filing rules for MO, IL and KS.

Ruth · 20 August 2026 · Paperwork · Planning ahead · Estate & aftercareRead the guide →

How Much Does Hospice Cost? The Honest Numbers

How much does hospice cost? On Medicare, almost nothing out of pocket - but room and board, round-the-clock caregiving, and curative care sit outside.

Ruth · 19 August 2026 · Costs · Hospice & care · Planning aheadRead the guide →

What Should a Will Include? And What It Can't Control

What should a will include, and what passes outside it? A plain guide to executors, guardians, bequests, and Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas signing rules.

Ruth · 18 August 2026 · Estate & aftercare · Planning ahead · PaperworkRead the guide →

How to Talk to Your Parents About End-of-Life Plans

How to talk to your parents about end-of-life plans: openers that work, the objections you will hear, and the Missouri, Illinois, and Kansas forms to sign.

Ruth · 17 August 2026 · Planning ahead · Paperwork · First stepsRead the guide →

What Is a Death Doula? An Honest Look at the Role

A death doula, or end-of-life doula, offers non-medical support to a dying person and their family. Here's what they do, what they cost, and how to vet one.

Ruth · 3 August 2026 · Hospice & care · Planning aheadRead the guide →

Affordable Funeral Options That Still Feel Right

Low-cost funeral options that keep their dignity: direct cremation, immediate burial, body donation, county help, and veterans benefits, with honest numbers.

Ruth · 1 July 2026 · Costs · Planning aheadRead the guide →

Green Burial in Illinois: What the Law Actually Requires

What green burial in Illinois involves, what state law really requires about embalming and vaults, where natural burial grounds are, and what it costs.

Ruth · 19 May 2026 · Illinois · Burial choices · Planning aheadRead the guide →

Planning a Celebration of Life: A Warm, Practical Guide

Planning a celebration of life gives you time, freedom, and lower costs than a traditional funeral. Here's how to shape a gathering that truly fits them.

Ruth · 10 April 2026 · Ceremony · Planning aheadRead the guide →

Burial Insurance vs. Preneed: Which Protects Your Money?

Burial insurance and preneed funeral contracts work differently. Compare real costs, coverage amounts, waiting-period traps, and state trust protections.

Ruth · 6 April 2026 · Planning ahead · CostsRead the guide →

How to Write an Obituary That Sounds Like Them

Learn how to write an obituary with clear service details, a few personal memories, and a practical checklist for checking names and dates before publication.

Ruth · 16 February 2026 · Missouri · Planning aheadRead the guide →

How Missouri's Pre-Planning Paperwork Protects Your Family

A handful of Missouri documents decide who controls a funeral and how it gets paid — here is what each one does and how to put them in place.

Ruth · 29 January 2026 · Missouri · Planning aheadRead the guide →
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