MANATEE — Death does not respect economic downturns; it happens anyway.
With average costs for a funeral and burial topping $5,000, local funeral homes and crematories report families are opting for less expensive ways to honor the deceased.
Cremation is now more popular than ever given tight budgets and dwindling resources, says Gene Brown, of Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory. He estimates 65 percent of families choose cremation over burial.
“We live in a transient area,” Brown said. “When people move down here, they don’t want to go north. They have no local ties, so many choose cremation.”
Like other businesses, funeral centers have been hit by the economic downturn.
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