Sue's story
Sue and DeWitt Young had general discussions about their end-of-life wishes. However, the 50-somethings from Rock Island, Illinois, hadn’t made any formal plans. And they hadn’t shared their thoughts with their two grown children.
Then Sue, who has been a Modern Woodmen member for decades, checked out one of her free fraternal member benefits – the Final Wishes website.
Plan and communicate
Available exclusively to Modern Woodmen members, Modern Woodmen’s Final Wishes site can be an invaluable resource, no matter what stage of life you’re in. It helps you give your family a full, clear view of your end-of-life wishes. Share what type of burial you’d like, where important financial documents are stored and more.
The online resource walks you through many important topics, such as:
- End-of-life planning.
- Legal considerations.
- Ways to leave a legacy.
- Advice for sharing wishes with those closest to you.
The site helps facilitate conversations and provides an area to organize all of your information in one convenient place. It’s an easy, convenient way to plan and communicate the important information your loved ones need after you’re gone.
The site may also be helpful to you as a beneficiary or as the executor of an estate.
It made me think about my wishes and take action in a way I hadn’t before.
Take action
Once Sue started reviewing the fillable prompts found throughout the Final Wishes site, she admits to feeling overwhelmed.
“I was actually nervous giving my answers,” she says. “There weren’t any real surprises, but it made me think about my wishes and take action in a way I hadn’t before.”
The site also made Sue see the value of planning early.
Before accessing Final Wishes, she had a rough idea of when people should begin end-of-life planning – “when about half the people our parents’ age have passed away.” After using the site, she was surprised to find that timeline moved up.
“Now I think people should plan earlier, maybe around age 25,” she explains. “Death can come at any time. We should be as prepared as we can.”
Access the site
Log in to your member account to access the Final Wishes website.
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