Common Questions
1. What is People’s Memorial Funeral Cooperative?
People's Memorial Funeral Cooperative (PMFC) is a licensed full-service funeral home. It is fully owned by the 80,000 living members of People's Memorial Association (PMA). Any profits that that the business makes are reinvested back into the funeral home to better serve our members and the general public.
2. Why a cooperative?
As a cooperative, the funeral home is wholly owned by the members of People’s Memorial Association for the members' mutual benefit. A co-op is a democratically run organization that allows the members to pool resources and share the benefits. Owning our own funeral home enables us to better control prices and quality of service as well as assure the long-term financial viability of People's Memorial.
3. May the general public use the Funeral Cooperative?
People's Memorial Funeral Cooperative is open to the general public, however non-members pay a higher price for our services. The low cost of joining PMA and the resulting savings makes it a smart choice for anyone. Nonetheless, whether a member or non-member, PMFC offers excellent value and prices that are well below other funeral homes in Seattle.
4. How is the Funeral Cooperative different from other funeral homes?
People's Memorial Funeral Cooperative does not have the huge "brick and mortar" edifice of a traditional funeral home, nor do we have money tied up in an expensive hearse. As a result, we pass the savings on to you. We have a very comfortable arrangements office where you meet with a funeral director to plan a cremation or burial. We don't have the funeral home smell nor the creepy music of your grandmother's day. Our staff is focused on serving you in your time of loss and in providing arrangements that are within your budget. You will not receive any pressure to upgrade the services or merchandise. Our goal is to provide a dignified farewell to your loved one with the best value in town.
5. Can the Funeral Co-op provide open-casket burial with viewing?
The funeral co-op can provide any type of burial or cremation service. If you wish to have a viewing or chapel service, we have serveral churches and other venues we rent for such occasions. If you have a faith community, we can arrange for viewing and services in your house of worship. A hearse and limosine can also be arranged if you desire. We offer a rental casket for those who wish to have a viewing or service with the body present, followed by cremation. We also offer a full line of caskets at a better value than Costco.
6. What is green burial? How does the co-op provide it?
Green burial is a return to the natural burial practices of our ancestors. An unembalmed body is enclosed in a cloth shroud, simple wooden box or woven casket and placed directly into the soil with no concrete vault or liner. The Funeral Cooperative is proud to be the first funeral home in Seattle to be certified by the Green Burial Council to provide such arrangements. There are currently two green cemeteries in Washington state that are certified by the Green Burial Council--White Eagle Memorial Preserve, near Goldendale and The Meadow Natural Burial Ground in Ferndale. PMA member receive a 15% discount at The Meadow.
7. What is carbon-neutral cremation?
What kind of footprint do you want to leave behind? While cremation is considered to be more environmentally friendly than conventional burial, People's Memorial seeks to minimize the impact of cremation on the environment. For each cremation we handle, PMFC invests in natural, clean solar and wind power through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. In addition, for each cremation or burial the Funeral Co-op handles, we plant a tree through American Forests. This way, you can be assured that your final act will not negatively impact life on this earth for your children and grandchildren.
8. What about traditional cemeteries?
The Funeral Cooperative can arrange for burial at any cemetery. While some cemeteries have an onsite funeral home, you do not need to use that funeral home to be buried in their cemetery. PMA currently has one contracted conventional cemetery, Moles Greenacres Memorial Park in Ferndale where our members receive a 15% discount. In addition there are several municipal and independently-owned cemeteries in the Puget Sound area which can offer affordable burial options. People's Memorial also contracts with a direct-import monument company, Pacific Coast Memorials, who offers monuments at significantly reduced prices. PMA members receive a 15% discount off their already low prices.
9. What if I want to be buried out of state or out of the country?
People's Memorial Funeral Cooperative routinely arranges for the preparation and shipment of bodies all over the globe. We do this at a price that is far less than other funeral homes in Seattle.
10. How do I become a member of the Funeral Cooperative?
Simply complete our membership application for People's Memorial Association, along with payment of $25 for lifetime membership. This entitles you to discounted prices at the Funeral Cooperative or any of our contracted funeral homes around the state of Washington at time of death.