After cremations as part of the cremation services offered in Dayton, OH, your family should have a legacy list that spells in detail what you want each family member to have from your personal belongings and from family heirlooms.
Creating a legacy list is probably one of the best gifts that you can leave your family, because many family disputes and rifts occurs because of disagreements among family members about who should get what out of a loved one’s personal belongings and heirlooms that have been in the family for generations. Some of these disputes and rifts can be so serious that they create permanent breaks in family relationships that never get repaired.
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A will divides assets such as property, financial accounts, and vehicles. However, most wills do not detail who should get what out of your personal belongings or family heirlooms. It would surprise most people to find out what their family members cherish – and want – from the everyday things they have.
For example, cast-iron skillets are something that should be included on your legacy list. If you inherited them from your parents or grandparents, then there is someone or maybe several people among your immediate family members who will want them. If you have a set and you have several family members that want them, you can give each person one cast-iron skillet or pot on your legacy list.
To determine what goes on your legacy list, think about what you’d want to save if you woke up in the middle of the night and your house was on fire.
Jewelry with sentimental value might be one thing you’d want to save. Perhaps you have one set of real pearls that you wore on your wedding day. Maybe you have your mother’s and father’s wedding rings. Maybe your grandfather had a pocket watch that passed down to you.
Photos may be another thing that you’d want to save. Are they all in one place? Do you know where they are? A great legacy gift that you can give each person on your list is a DVD or flash drive with all the family photos you have scanned onto it.
There are many companies that will take all your photos, scan them in at high resolution, and put them on a DVD or flash drive for a very reasonable cost. You can then make a copy for each of your immediate family members, and include these on your legacy list.
Perhaps you or another family member was in the military and you have a lot of military honors and memorabilia. These should go on your legacy list.
Your legacy list should also include things that mean something to you. This could be your grandfather’s coin collection or your dad’s stamp collection. Maybe you had a brother or sister who liked to build model trains or model airplanes and you have a collection of those. Maybe someone’s baseball or football card collection was handed down to you.
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These are the kinds of items that you’ll want to include on your legacy list. Make sure you specify who should receive each item. It might be a good idea to talk with your immediate family members and find out what they would like to have and to keep out of your personal belongings, and then make sure they are designate to receive those things on your legacy list.
For more information about cremation services offered in Dayton, OH, our caring and knowledgeable staff at Glickler Funeral Home & Cremation Service is here to assist you. You can visit our funeral home at 1849 Salem Ave., Dayton, OH 45406, or you can call us today at (937) 278-4287.