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
When a loved one dies at home or somewhere that isn’t a healthcare facility, you’ll need to contact emergency personnel before they can be taken into our care. If your loved one was under medical care, you should call their physician as well.
If your loved one dies in a healthcare facility, they will notify the proper authorities, including your chosen funeral home if they have that information. Emergency and medical personnel involved will help you obtain a medical certificate and other necessary paperwork.
If you’re unsure of what to do, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.
Within a Few Days
You should inform close friends and relatives of your loved one’s passing through phone calls and your loved one’s death notice. This can be a difficult process, so you can reach out to a trusted family member or friend to help if you’d wish.
You also should review your loved one’s preplanned funeral wishes and meet with a funeral director to plan their service. If your loved one didn't preplan any funeral wishes, you can start by considering some of the larger choices you need to make, such as:
- What will the final deposition be, burial or cremation?
- Will there be a viewing of the deceased, publicly or privately, before the burial or cremation?
- What kind of ceremony, such as a visitation/wake, religious or non-religious funeral, or graveside service, will be held?
- For a burial, what will be the locations of the deseased's final resting place, and has the grave plot already been purchased?
- For a cremation, what will be the final deposition of the deseased? Will the cremated remains be buried, scattered, kept in an urn of keepsake jewlery at home, or a combination of options?
This is just a starting point, so don't feel like you need to know all the answers right now. We want to make this process as easy and meaningful as possible, so please contact us with any questions or for more information about your funeral service options.
When We Meet
When you meet with one of our staff members to begin planning the funeral, we'll show you our general price list to give you a basic idea of our service costs. Then, we’ll talk with you about your loved one to get a better understanding of the person and services to honor their life.
Our staff will use this information to help you create a personalized, meaningful service to celebrate your loved one. You can share your funeral preferences and ideas, stories about your loved one, their passions, and any other insights into your loved one’s life.
This process also may include:
- Preparing and filing the official death certificate
- Drafting an obituary
- Scheduling the funeral services and events, including the date, time, and location
- Selecting a casket, urn, and any other products
- Choosing pallbearers
- Arranging transportation
We want to make this process as simple and stress-free as possible, so please bring the following information about your loved one:
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Full legal name and home address
- Social security number
- Father's name
- Mother's maiden name
- Highest education
- Occupation
- Veteran's discharge papers (DD-214), if applicable
- Information about the burial location, if applicable
- Clergy name and phone number, if applicable
- Insurance policy information if using to pay for funeral expenses
- Names and relationships of survivors
- A recent photograph of your loved one and any clothing you want used when dressing them for the service
