Funeral planning can get overwhelming, but you’re not alone. Our staff is here to support you and help you through your grief journey while honoring your loved one. To help you get started, below is some helpful information. But please feel free to contact us with any questions.
Within Hours
If a loved one passes away at home or outside of a healthcare facility, you’ll need to contact emergency personnel before we can take them into our care. Additionally, if they were under medical supervision, notify their physician.
If your loved one passes away in a healthcare facility, the staff will handle notifying the proper authorities and, if available, will contact your chosen funeral home. Emergency and medical personnel will assist you in obtaining a medical certificate and any other required documents.
If you are unsure of what steps to take, please feel free to give us a call.
Within a Few Days
Informing close friends and family of your loved one’s passing can be done through phone calls or by sharing their death notice. This can be a challenging task, so consider asking a trusted family member or friend for help if needed.
Next, review any preplanned funeral wishes your loved one may have had, and meet with a funeral director to begin planning their service. If there are no prearranged plans, start by making some key decisions, such as:
- Choosing between burial or cremation
- Selecting a casket or urn
- Deciding on a final resting place, whether in a grave, mausoleum, or through scattering
- Determining service types, such as a viewing, funeral, graveside memorial, etc.
- Planning any religious services with clergy or spiritual leaders
This is just the beginning, so don’t feel pressured to have everything figured out right away. We are here to help and support you through this process. Please contact us with any questions or for more information.
When We Meet
When you meet with our staff to start planning the funeral, we'll provide you with our general price list to give you an overview of our service costs. We’ll also take the time to learn about your loved one, their life, and how best to honor their memory through a meaningful service.
Using this information, we will help you create a personalized service that reflects your loved one’s life and passions. Feel free to share your preferences, stories, and any special details that will make the ceremony unique.
This process may also involve:
- Preparing and filing the death certificate
- Drafting an obituary
- Scheduling the funeral, including date, time, and location
- Selecting a casket, urn, and other products
- Choosing pallbearers
- Arranging transportation
To make this process as simple and stress-free as possible, please bring the following information:
- Date and place of birth
- Full legal name and home address
- Social Security number
- Parents' names (including mother’s maiden name)
- Highest education and occupation
- Veteran discharge papers (DD-214), if applicable
- Burial location information, if applicable
- Clergy contact details, if applicable
- Insurance policy information for funeral expenses
- Names and relationships of survivors
- Recent photograph and clothing for the service
Benefits of Preplanning
Lets Your Wishes Be Known
The death of a loved one often brings about unwarranted stress and turmoil among families. One family member wants one thing, while another family member wants something different. By planning ahead, you help prevent those disagreements by letting your family know what your wishes are and how you want your funeral service to be carried out and your business handled.
Peace of Mind
Our staff guarantees we will carry out the arrangements you want, just as you directed. Once the plans have been arranged, you and your family can rest easy knowing at the time of death, those uncomfortable decisions have been made. In a time when a family should be able to easily grieve, preplanning allows for that to happen.
Flexible Funding Options
When you preplan your funeral arrangements, there are more options when it comes to funding the funeral. A preneed insurance policy, life insurance policy or other payment options can all be arranged before the time of death. At the time of death, services must be paid in full, so having options ahead of time can also reduce other stress related to losing someone.
Relieves The Burden From Family
Following the death of a loved one, there are more than 150 decisions that have to be made within the first day or two following the death. Those stressful decisions on top of the stress of grieving a loss can be eliminated by arranging your final wishes ahead of time. If those decisions are made, your loved ones aren’t left wondering what you would have wanted and how they should proceed with funeral plans. With those decisions out of the way, your loved one can begin the healing process sooner.
Common Questions about Preplanning
