Grieving daughters struggle to pay off $12,000 funeral bill. They're far from alone.
George Gabriel, a retired truck driver, was 85 when he died last August with no savings and no life insurance for his family to collect. His grieving daughters, Mary Wenzel and Christine Gabriel, organized what they thought was a modest funeral in Illinois, but it cost more than $12,000 — money they simply didn't have.
"I lost my father and my job on the same day," Christine Gabriel said.
For many families, planning a funeral is like planning a wedding, except they only have a few days. It gets expensive. Nationally, the median cost of a funeral, including casket and burial, is more than $8,000, according to the National Funeral Directors Association.
"Someone dies and you realize you don't have a way to take care of them, and you're left strapped, grieving," said Sara Williams, president of education nonprofit Funeral Consumers Alliance.
Once a month, Williams hosts "Death Cafes," where attendees can talk about dying and the costs associated with burials and funerals. While it may sound grim, Williams says what's worse is waiting too long, guessing about someone's wishes and overpaying.
"Always shop around. Visit several funeral homes. It will be the biggest gift you ever give your family," Williams said.
Mary Wenzel and Christine Gabriel have started making $300 monthly payments on their father's funeral bill. At that rate, paying it off will take more than three years. Their other worry is their mother, who is 86 and has dementia.
"We can't have another $12,000 bill," Gabriel said.
Her advice to other families is to "sit down, have the conversation," sooner rather than later.
