Mattatall - Varner Funeral Home

05/27/2026

Shannon Mae (Rossignol) Andersen – 54, Bible Hill, passed away peacefully, in the comfort of her own home, and surrounded by the love of family, on ...

05/27/2026

Dean Grant Cavanaugh – 89, North River, passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at Shannex Debert Court, Debert. Born in North River, he was a son ...

05/26/2026

Mary Anna Perry – 84, Truro. It is with great sadness that we, the children of the late Mary Anna Perry, announce that we lost our ...

05/26/2026

05/25/2026

David Wesley Sullivan - 63, Truro, passed away on Monday, May 18, 2026, at Cedarstone Enhanced Care, Truro. Born in Halifax, he was the son of the late ...

05/25/2026

Dorothy Mae (Johnston) Geldart - 87, Bible Hill, passed away on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, with her family by her side, at Colchester East Hants Health Centre, Truro. ...

05/25/2026

Edith Dianne Muise – 81, Bible Hill, passed away peacefully on Friday, May 15, 2026, at Colchester East Hants Health Centre, Truro. Born in Truro, she was the ...

05/25/2026

At Time of Need vs Advance of Need Arrangements
Let’s Talk About Disbursements

When we meet with families to make arrangements for a loved, we will discuss service details pertaining to the visitation, funeral, reception, cremation and cemetery. Depending on choices made, a number of topics are explored and are presented to the family. Given these activities are happening in real time, it’s easy to explain and itemize each aspect of the service. If the family would like to host a reception, catering requirements are discussed and a determination on how many to order for is decided on.

Disbursements are fees we collect on a family’s behalf which are paid to third parties. Obituaries which run in a local newspaper are an example of this. A list of standard disbursements is available at the bottom of this article.

When arrangements are made in advance of need, (preplanning), we also will discuss details of the service and present info on third party services. In some instances, certain items in the arrangements may be deferred. As an example, a family may opt to formalize funeral arrangements and prefund them, but may wish to defer decisions pertaining to cemetery arrangements. In this instance details of cemetery arrangements will be addressed later, perhaps at the time of need.

Most of the time, disbursements to third parties are typically deferred, as the prices which are charged by third parties can change over time as these are not under the control of the funeral home. In our obituary example above if an amount is collected in advance and the price doubles or triples over time, this would create a shortfall. For this reason, prefunding these items can be difficult.

When arranging services in advance and prefunding them, please also attach an itemized list of any disbursements which have not been paid for in advance to your paperwork. Add a note that they will need to be paid for at the time of need. This will help those who will tend these future wishes.

Standard Items or disbursements which are/can be deferred to a later date.
Flowers
Newspaper Notices
Clergy Fees
Musicians and Choir
Reception Room
Catering
Cemetery Details: Plot, Memorial, Opening and Closing Fees

These are some examples of disbursements, however, depending on the type and scope of the service provided, others may be applicable. If you wish to further discuss what types of disbursements would be needed for your service, please contact us; we would be happy to talk with you so that you ‘have a complete picture’ of what is needed. We will help you so that you have a comprehensive plan.

© Mattatall-Varner Funeral Home/CFHC Online

05/24/2026

"Remember me in the paths of the woods and in the sandy beaches and in the local coffee shops of the world and I will meet you there as I join the ancestors, the cloud of witnesses." -Joel Calabrese

05/22/2026

A Look Back at 1951 and the Top Stories from 75 Years Ago

The year 1951 would see technological innovations, military manoeuvres and the introduction of some pop culture gems.

In Canada, the population increased to over 14 million, as the baby boomer births continued to rise. Domestically, highlights included testing the first cobalt “bomb,” a cancer therapy developed in an Ontario lab; the establishment of the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority; the first performance of the National Ballet of Canada; and the release of Labatt Blue beer. Government initiatives of the day included the Massey Report which focused on Canadian culture; one recommendation was a message to include “the arts” as a key part of Canada’s international identity.

In the USA, the constitution was amended to limit presidential terms to two. The year also saw extensive forest fires in New Mexico, Arizona, California, Oregon and Washington State, and in Canada parts of British Columbia. The Marshall Plan expired, following the distribution of more than US$13.3 billion in foreign aid to rebuild Europe.

There were many nuclear firsts in 1951: the U.S. tested the first thermonuclear weapon in the Marshall Islands and the Soviet Union declared it had developed an atomic bomb. These developments would add fuel to the arms race and the Cold War.

In science, the world’s first experimental nuclear power plant opened in Idaho; the World Meteorological Organization became a specialized agency of the United Nations; the first production car with power steering wheeled off the assembly line; and the lie detector test was used for a murder investigation in the Netherlands.

In entertainment: “I Love Lucy” debuted on CBS; J.D. Salinger’s book, “The Catcher in the Rye” was released; Marlon Brando delivered an award-winning performance in “A Streetcar Named Desire”; and
“Dennis The Menace” was introduced to comic strip fans.

© Mattatall-Varner Funeral Home/CFHC Online

05/22/2026

Darrell Howard Alexander MacDonald - 62, Halifax, passed away at Dartmouth General Hospital, surrounded by his loving family, on Thursday, April 23, 2026. Born in St. Jerome, Quebec, ...