Redwood Funeral Society

Information may not be reliable

The Redwood Funeral Society is a volunteer-run nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting a consumer’s right to choose a meaningful, dignified and fairly priced funeral serving the north Bay counties of Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Mendocino and Lake. Not affiliated with the funeral industry or any religious group, we are one of over 100 similar organizations throughout the country supported by the national Funeral Consumer Alliance.

(AP Photo/Manuel Valdes)Thanks go to Martin Espinoza of the Press Democrat for this great article, "Consider a Green Burial" on Sunday, October 23, the day after our annual meeting featuring Grave Matters author, Mark Harris. To have all the options and choices for people in our community, we hope to help develop something like this green burial ground in Washington (pictured), to preserve the forestland and open space of our northern California counties.
Send your suggestions for what you would like to see the Redwood Funeral Society focus on in 2011!

FUNERIA Gallery's 5th biennial exhibition of original artist-made funerary urns, vessels and personal memorial artwork opened October 23 at Art Honors Life / The Gallery at FUNERIA 2860 Bowen Street in Graton. Many of the attendees of the Redwood Funeral Society's Annual Meeting attended, and were thrilled, amazed and delighted at the extraordinary art at this treasure of a gallery tucked away in the little West County town.
This opening weekend, October 23-24, benefits the Redwood Funeral Society with 10% of the exhibition's sales proceeds being donated to the recently revitalized regional nonprofit. Viewing this exhibition is a rare treat and really has to be experienced in person. The pieces are humorous, stunningly beautiful, simply full of heart. Really, you don't want to miss this.
Visit FUNERIA'S website, and the ASHES TO ART website for more information.

The California Funeral and Cemetery Bureau just issued their alarming audit, finding that the California Master Trust - the largest "preneed" financial holding vehicle used by fully 1/3 of California funeral homes - misused $70 million in money prepaid by funeral consumers. All told, 27,000 California families may be affected by this scandal. Read the full audit report here.
If you have a prepaid funeral plan with the California Master Trust, and would like to inquire about cancelling it and receiving a refund, please contact us for information and assistance. If you signed a contract with a funeral home to perform a funeral that you prepaid, that funeral home is legally obligated to honor that contract, even if they have been illegally using those funds for other purposes. This is a good time to get out a copy of your prepaid contract if you have one, and verify that it will be performed today by writing or calling the funeral home.
If the funeral home you have made these arrangements with has gone out of business, had its license revoked, or perhaps been sold to another business, contact us for help to assure your contract will still be valid or can be refunded. Among these firms are: Gibson-Veg Funeral Home, Abby Chapel of the Redwoods, Richard Pierce Funeral Service, and Inspiration Chapel in Napa.

"...the morning after he died I found a list of instructions on his desk. No. 5: My body is to be placed in a plain pine box. I would like my children to make the box." John Manchester shares his story of how, on a bright Saturday afternoon, he, his sister and his sons built a simple coffin. Writer William Manchester's gift to his musician son is simple, sweet and unforgettable. Read the full excerpt in Salon here.