In this issue . . .• AMBIS Annual Mtg. 1• Map 1• AMBIS Briefs 2• New funeral services 2• President’s column 2• Financial report 2• Donors 3

Winter 2009

Annual Meeting to be held Sunday, February 22

The newsletter of the Austin Memorial and Burial Information Society (AMBIS), a nonprofit, nonsectarian, educational and consumer associationorganized to encourage informed planning about end-of-life issues. AMBIS is a member of the Funeral Consumers Alliance.

The AMBIS Annual Meeting will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on February 22, at the Kinney Avenue ChristianCenter, 1801 Kinney Avenue, Austin 78704. The church, formerly the Kinney Avenue Baptist Church, is readi-ly accessible from South Lamar Blvd. or Barton Springs Road. The Annual Meeting Program will include thefollowing updates on events, developments, and issues of importance to AMBIS members: Ed Nichols willgive the Council President’s Report: “Whither AMBIS?”; Lamar Hankins will report on the Texas Legislature,which is now in session; Gary Barnhart will present on “Green Burial in Central Texas, a Reality in Prospect”;Donna Belk will report on “The Home Funeral Movement: What’s Happening”; Leo O’Connell and MelodyChastelle will speak on “The Hospice Experience: Authors’ Perspectives”; Daesene Willmann will recognize aSpecial Member and volunteers. New Governing Council members will be elected, and there will be doorprizes, raffles, refreshments, ambienceand camaraderie. The location is easyto find. It is indicated on the map by adouble arrow.

There are two main access routes: 1) From Barton Springs Road:

The first traffic light on Barton SpringsRoad west of South Lamar Blvd. isKinney Avenue. Travel about 13 blockssouth on Kinney Avenue and find thechurch on the east side of KinneyAvenue.

2) To avoid the residential area,travel via South Lamar to either HetherStreet (the first traffic light north ofOltorf) or to Collier Street, which is oneblock north of Hether. Travel west oneither of these streets to Kinney Avenue.Between Collier Street and HetherStreet you will find the Kinney AvenueChristian Center on the east side ofKinney Avenue.

There is ample parking. Park on thenorth side of the church and enterthrough a side door. A sign indicatingthe AMBIS meeting should be in place.

We hope to see you there.

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Advance planning formsIf you need advance planning forms, call the AMBIS

office, or send a SASE to the AMBIS office with a requestfor the forms. Please specify which forms you want.Memorial and honorary donations

Two memorial donations have been made, one byFrances B. Allen in memory of David Pharis, and one byRon Gauny in memory of Sunny Peer.

Daesene Willmann made a donation in honor of long-time members, volunteers, and supporters of AMBIS Leonand Elaine Lebowitz. Leon served on the GoverningCouncil for many years, serving several terms as President,and handled the incorporation of AMBIS as a charitableorganization in the 1980s.Nominees for the AMBIS Governing Council

Retiring from the Governing Council this year isDaesene Willmann. Nominees for three positions on theCouncil are incumbent Leo Osterhaus; Amy Praskac,owner of On the Record Organizing; and Annice Ellington,a social worker for a state agency.Advance Directives Planning Workshop

An Advance Directives Planning Workshop is scheduledfor May 22. Details will be announced in the Springnewsletter. To get information before then, call theAMBIS office at 512-480-0555.

AMBIS Financial Statementfor the year ended December 31, 2008

Respectfully submitted,Ronald Turner, Treasurer

AMBIS BRIEFS Notes from the President–It’s a New Year. And what a New Year: The country has

a new President, and Texas has a new Speaker of theHouse. For AMBIS, the New Year challenges us to putnew energy into our constant mission to educate and helpfuneral consumers of Central Texas deal with end-of-liferealities.

AMBIS and The Legislature

The Texas Legislature is in biennial session. No publicinterest non-profit organization in Texas is more fortunatethan AMBIS in the quality of our advocacy before thatbody. Lamar Hankins, our long-time attorney-mentormember, not only always has eyes open to any legislativeinitiative that would compromise funeral consumers’ inter-ests; he is unflinchingly there to provide testimony andguidance to legislators at the first moment of need. Muchthanks to Lamar, AMBIS has had a big role in keepingTexas funeral laws reasonable. AMBIS works through theFuneral Consumers Alliance of Texas, a cooperative effortbetween AMBIS, the FCA of Houston, the FCA of SabAntonio, the FCA of North Texas, and the FCA of theSouthwest. Often, the FCA of Texas receives support fromthe Southwest Regional Office of Consumers Union (pub-lisher of Consumer Reports) and the Texas office of AARPin its efforts to keep funeral laws consumer-friendly.

AMBIS Annual Meeting Feb. 22

Pay close attention: The AMBIS Members’ AnnualMeeting will be held on Sunday afternoon, February 22,from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Kinney Avenue Christan Center,1801 Kinney Avenue, in South Austin.

Expect a dynamic program which will provide updateson events, developments and issues of signal importance toAMBIS. More details can be found in the article on page 1.

Ed Nichols, President, AMBIS Governing council

Page 2, Creative Choices, Winter 2009

Membership Fees $ContributionsFreezer Pouch/OtherTotal ReceiptsAlliance Dues PR-Insurance-MeetingRent-TelephoneNewsletter-Print & MailOffice SuppliesTotal DisbursementsIncrease in Cash

5,025.008,839.00

356.0014,220.00

1,787.401,330.683,291.034,375.291,727.63

12,512.03 1,707.97

New funeral services openOne completely new funeral service has opened in SanMarcos, and an old friend of AMBIS has rejuvenatedCentral Texas Cremation service.

John Goodnight and Jonathan Snell, former long-timefuneral directors with Pennington Funeral Home in SanMarcos, have started a new funeral business, Goodnight &Snell Funeral Directors, located at 101-B Centerpoint Rd.in San Marcos. Their phone number is 512-667-6182. Asnoted on the 2009 funeral cost survey enclosed with thisnewsletter, their prices for our hypothetical full servicefuneral are moderate, but their charges for cremation, imme-diate burial, and funerals are the lowest in San Marcos.Their cremation price is more than $500 below that offeredby Los Angeles, and is less than half of the cremationcharges made by Pennington and Thomason funeral homes.

Central Texas Cremation, previously associated with afuneral home in Harker Heights, has found a new home withKoenig-Strickland Funeral Home in La Grange. It was cre-ated by Robert Falcon, the original co-founder and co-ownerof All Faiths before it was sold several years ago. Robert isnow the funeral director in charge for Koenig-Strickland.Central Texas Cremation has a toll-free number (1-877-260-6447) and offers the lowest cremation price in the 2009 sur-vey at $775, the same price calculated for Travis Countyresidents at A Simple Tradition, Austin.

Page 3, Creative Choices, Winter 2009

Abraham, LarryAdams, Denis & LoisAlbarado, Willis & AngelikaAmoscato, Tom & SharonAnderson, JaneAnonymousArmentrout, DalemaAverill, EvelynBaker, Robert & AngelaBaranoff, T.Barber, Virginia W.Bates, Alvin & MarionBattrey, Jerry & BarbaraBelk, DonnaBiggs, Bill & NevaBilski, Ronald & SandraBippus, James P.Boggers, ElizabethBrandt, Col. David D., Jr.Brengle, John & EvelynBrooks, StanBrown, William & JanetBrumder, Nicholas & EllenBryant, Robert & MaryBuehring, Jim & JeanetteBurke, Edward & DoloresByers, Richard & LoisCarleton, John & DianaCarlson, Merrill & RitaCarpenter-Moore, AlanaCarroll, Henry & JoanChandler, Cecil & EdnaCheney, Elliot & VictoriaChew, Edgar & LennaChurch, EvaClark, Katheryn S.Clements, LyndonCoale, JeanmarieCoker, Judy D.Collins, DorothyComer, Mary LeeConroy, Trinidad C.Crosson, PriscillaCunningham, Alice (Cris)Dahlke, Richard & PhyllisDavis, NolaDearen, BillDecker, Gary & NancyDoehne, GaynellDonoghue, James L.Doyle, R.B. & NolaDrury, RichardDuff, ScottEllis, KathleenErchinger, Ralph & EleanorEricson, Rodger & MargaretEvans, HazelFalck, VilmaFarrell, Jo AnnFelice, Nanci A.Fickling, HoraceFitzgerald, William P.Flink, Duane & MillieFlynn, CharlotteFowler, H.E. & ErnestineGatti, AnnaGatti, C.E. & AnnaGibbons, Elizabeth

Giddens, Homer A.Giller, Donald W. PhD.Gretzinger, Dr. ThomasGriswold, Gary & KimberlyGroce, BillHale, Beverly A.Hall, LawrenceHarris, LanaHarriss-Teas, EloiseHawkins, Jolly & DellHaynes, Earnest & NancyHeraty, RichardHess, RichardHewgley, Dale & MargeHines, ChrisHofmann, MargretHolden, DonnaHouck, GiaHouston, Sam & MarciaHuff, ConstanceHyer, Russell & KarenJames, Jolly & MarilynJames, MarthaJames, Raymond, Jr. & BarbaraJennings, Coleman & LolaJohnson, John C. Jr.& LindaJohnson, PaulineJones, J.Robert & ShirleyJuried, Nicholas & DorothyKane, Hugh M.Kasson, William & BrooksKeahey, James H.Kenyon, C.H. & BillieKieke, WalterKindle, Jean R.Kopra, MarthaKurio, Mary C.LaFevers, O.J.Lambdin, DollyLegette, CarolineLindell, John & BettyLloyd, James L. & Nancy E.Louis, Patricia AnnLuedecke, SueMacDonald, John A.Macomber, Edward M.Mading, George & BettyManlove, James L.Mc Dermott, Paul & JeanMcCabe, Msgr. RichardMeharg, Bart & JoanMeijer-Drecs, JacobaMenasco, Ollie & MarilynMeriwether, W.M.Mersky, DeenaMeyer, HeatherMiddleton, Kent & KarolMiller, Frances H.Mohlberg, EdMontgomery, JonMorello, Barbara ShelbyMueller, Frederick M. & Helen L.Nauert, Herbert & DoraNelson, HermanO’Daniel, Vivian R.Ochs, Paul J.Oliver, Richard & VirgaOrton, Richard E.

Oswald, Guenther & IdaOur Lady of the Rosary CemeteryParsons, DavidPatton, Robert & CamillaPeterson, Robert & CharlottePhillips, William M. & Gay B.Pilgram, Susanne M.Pope, JoanPosey, Elizabeth S.Pruitt, Betty L.Raffalovich, Rev. & Mrs. FrancisRalph, PiersonRasmussen, BarbaraReusser, Mrs. R.A., Sr.Rhodes, PhyllisRichardson, MarthaRiddell, StephenRigney, Carl & MargaretRoberson, Richard & MarionRogers, Carl & BettyRussell, Rhoda WinterRust, WaldineSanders, Richard & PennySchaefer, WendySchneider, JoSchultz, Robert & DianneSedlock, Greg & LorettaSherley, ConstanceSmerchek, MelSpillar, Henry & DeloresStedge, Bruce E. & JoanneSteele, James A.Steinberg, R.E.Stotts, VirginiaStreet, John & MarthanneStrong, Orval & BettySwardstrom, John & BarbaraTeich, Donald R.Thompson, R.C.Turner, RonTuttle, BarbaraTwiss, Thomas E.Urelius, Rev. Emerson & Mrs. LoisVogt, MarjorieWalter, Margaret AnnWarren, William & Georgia LeeWebb, JenniferWest, MalcolmWeston, RalphWilliams, Bernard & LoisWilliams, DarrellWillmann, DaeseneWilson, John & JoyceWommack, Robert & MargaretWood, John & BettyWright, PalmerWyllys, Dr. Ronald E.Yeaman, John F.

2008 IN-KIND DONORS TO AMBIS

Ashburn, Arnold & ChaunceyBoas, KathyBurnette, HelenGibich, FrancesHawkins, George & CaroleWillmann, Daesene

AMBIS DONORS – 3rd & 4th Quarters of 2008Thanks to the generous contributions of AMBIS members, AMBIS raised $4,705 in its recent fund-raising appeal. This effort isessential to permit AMBIS to continue its vital work educating and helping Austin-area families. Thanks for your support!

Please Help Us Keep OurMailing List Current

To help us keep our mailing costs down, be sure to let AMBIS know if your address changes. If you move out of the area, we can help you transfer your membership. Send changes by email, call the AMBIS office at 512-480-0555, or send this form with the old address to AMBIS

My new or corrected address is:

Name

City, State, Zip

Phone

Email address

Austin Memorial & BurialInformation Society

A Funeral Consumers AllianceP. O. Box 4382

Austin, Texas 78765

RETURN SERVICEREQUESTED

Postmaster, please return newsletterwith addressee legible for remailing

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 236AUSTIN, TEXAS

✄----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------To mail an address correction, please clip and mail to AMBIS at P.O.Box 4382, Austin, TX 78765, or take to AMBIS office in the

Austin Groups for the Elderly Bldg. at 3710 Cedar St. (at 38th Street), Room 112. Email an address change to <mail@ambis.info>.

The following funeral homes offer to AMBIS members a 15% discount off the costs shown on their General Price Lists:

• King-Tears Funeral Home1300 E. 12th Street (512-476-9128)

• Harrell Funeral Home4435 Frontier Trail (512-443-1366)

• Wilke-Clay-Fish Funeral Home2620 S. Congress (512-442-1446)

• Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home3125 N. Lamar (512-452-8811)

When contacting one of these funeral homes, please provide proof of your AMBIS membership by showing a copy of this newsletter addressed to you or your new membership letter. Membership can be confirmed also by calling the AMBIS office at 512-480-0555.

AMBIS CONTRACTED FUNERAL HOMES

www.ambis.info

CREATIVE CHOICES is published quarterly by the AustinMemorial and Burial Information Society, a nonprofit,nonsectarian consumer and educational organization formedin 1964 to protect a consumer's right to choose a meaningful,dignified, and affordable funeral.

The ideas expressed in CREATIVE CHOICES are those ofthe authors and editor and not necessarily those of AMBIS.Address changes, editorial items, letters, and inquiries aboutthe benefits of membership should be sent to:

AMBIS, P.O. Box 4382, Austin, Texas 78765Office: AGE Bldg., 3710 Cedar Street, Rm. 112, AustinTelephone inquiries may be made to 512/480-0555E-mail may be sent to mail@ambis.info

GOVERNING COUNCIL:Ed Nichols, President (416-9775, Austin)Leo Osterhaus, Vice-president (836-8104, Austin)Ron Turner, Treasurer (892-5336, Austin)Helen Burnette, Secretary (454-0809, Austin)Melonie House, Outreach (301-7267, Austin)Daesene Willmann, Volunteers Coord. (459-6703, Austin)Rodger Ericson, Director, (497-0787, Austin)Frances Gibich, Director (258-5754, Austin)Gary Lichtenstein, Director (263-1821, Austin)Leon Lebowitz, Director (452-8601, Austin)

Editor, Lamar W. Hankins (512-396-0317, San Marcos)Editorial assistance provided by Dr. June Chase Hankins

CREATIVE CHOICES

Winter 2009