Hand-In-Hand In Life: The Yoneys Take the Same Approach to Plan Their Final Chapters

People often refrain from pre-planning their funeral simply because it’s an intimidating topic. Terry and Bonnie Yoney once felt that way, but now have a new outlook. They didn’t want their funerals to be a burden on their loved ones or on each other:

“We truly wanted our wishes to be known when we pass, and that may sound a bit selfish, but it’s not. It shows consideration of others. It’s better for our two daughters’ heads and hearts because it will allow them to grieve in their own way without having to worry about all of the details.”

The Yoneys have known John and the staff at Hanson-Runsvold for many years and have the utmost respect for them, saying “They are community-focused and we like supporting people who approach business that way. Our meeting with John was easy and comfortable. He was a very good listener, and we knew he had the experience to guide us in the right direction.”

The two have decided to be cremated and have chosen their plot at First Lutheran Church Columbarium in Fargo. Their urns and cover stones are already engraved.

When asked what advice they would give to someone who is thinking about pre-planning, the Yoney’s said they would tell them to stop putting it off, “Our advice to people would be not to put off making these decisions. We have made our wills and living wills, so this seemed to be a natural next step.”

Although they were intimidated at first, it didn’t take long for Terry and Bonnie to realize just how easy the process was, stating “We didn’t expect it to be so easy and comfortable to talk about these arrangements and do the planning. They know the work they do can be hard to discuss, but they have a way of making the conversation flow. It’s light, not heavy, and when celebrating a life, that’s how it should be.”

Bonnie was a music teacher and Terry spent most of his career in the car business. He then became administrator at First Lutheran Church. They both officially retired in 2015 but have since come out of retirement to help as needed. They find comfort in knowing that these arrangements have been made: “Once we retire again, we plan to travel as much as possible. Knowing that, it’s a very good feeling to have these arrangements and plans put in writing and filed with the funeral home.”