Ferry, Konantz-Warden to honor pre-paid burial plans sold at Evergreen

When the Evergreen Memorial Chapel in Nevada ceased operations in September 2010, it left about 80 customers holding policies for pre-paid burial plans, and C.K. Warden of the Konantz Warden Funeral Home in Lamar wants to assure holders of the policies that they will be honored.

The funeral industry in Missouri is subject to state oversight and even though there have been significant changes in some of the laws regarding who will provide services in such a case, Warden said, "from the state's perspective, I am the provider."

According to Warden, every pre-need plan sold through the Evergreen Memorial Chapel "was in the form of insurance." Warden said those policies are still in effect and they would be honored by his company and by Ferry Funeral home of Nevada.

Ferry Funeral Home has "already honored some and will continue to honor them," said David Ferry. As a form of insurance, the goods and services to be provided are specifically "itemized in the contract, but can be changed," said Warden. Ferry said, "if they wish to alter those terms, we will honor that too."

The contracts, according to Warden, "have to be tied to price by law and most are guaranteed." Holders of the policy are not limited and can further contract for any other goods and services offered by either provider. In fact, "as an insurance policy, they are completely portable," said Warden, which means policy holders can choose another provider if they desire.

For more information, call C. K. Warden of the Konantz--Warden Funeral Home in Lamar at (417) 682-3344 or David Ferry at the Ferry Funeral Home in Nevada at (417) 667-3322.