MOUNT GILEAD — Jamie Brucker is comfortable talking about death.
Brucker, a director with Snyder Funeral Homes, told the Mount Gilead Kiwanis Club about the changes in the industry at their June 26 lunch meeting.
“I’m super passionate about pre-planning,” Brucker said.
Many families put off making decisions about funeral arrangements until a loved one passes away. Others opt to do it in advance, reducing the stress and saving money.
Brucker said many times pre-planning can guarantee prices for services charges, caskets and vaults.
“I encourage families to pre-plan, pre-plan, pre-plan,” said Brucker, who started working for Snyder at age 17.
“We meet them in their homes or wherever they are comfortable to talk about it.”
Snyder has been in the business in Morrow County since 1922 when it opened in Johnsville. They have 15 locations in central Ohio.
“It’s a great family. They’ve helped me grow,” Brucker said.
A Mount Gilead native, he graduated from Bowling Green State University and joined the business full-time in 2011. He has seen a shift in the type of services residents desire.
“The last 30 years the shift is toward more cremation. When I started it was probably about 25 percent wanting cremation. Now it’s 50 percent or more. But there are a lot of options between burial and cremation.”
Families differ on their choices for various reasons.
“Everyone grieves differently. For some, they need that closure of a burial,” Brucker said.
Traditions can change in families from one generation to the next regarding their wishes.
“We try to see what’s happening early and try to adapt and evolve. Funerals are for the living,” he said.
