Planning the Funeral/Memorial Service
When planning a funeral, try not to do everything yourself. Call on a family member or friend to help you make the following arrangements.
Notify:
- Doctor
- Coroner or Medical Examiner
-
Funeral home
They will help coordinate arrangements with cemetery or memorial park.
They will prepare the Social Security Form and see that the number is retired.
They will assist in determining the number of death certificates you will need
and will order them.
- Clergy
- Relatives and friends
- Pallbearers
- Insurance Agents
- Banks
- Unions and Fraternal Organizations
Select:
- Cemetery
- Funeral service
- Casket
- Vault or other container
- Clothing
- Flowers
- Music
- Thank you announcements
- Transportation
- Time and place for funeral
- Time and place for visitation
Provide:
Vital statistics about the deceased:
- Birth date
- Birth place
- Father's name
- Mother's name
- Social Security Number
- Veteran's Discharge or Claim Number
- Education
- Marital status
Obituary information
The funeral home will normally write the article and submit it to the newspaper.
- Age
- Place of birth
- Cause of death
- Occupation
- College Degrees
- Memberships held
- Military service
- Outstanding work
- List of survivors in immediate family
- Give time and place of services
- Charities for memorial contributions
- Addresses of all people who must be notified
- Arrangements for out-of-town visitors
In addition you will want to:
- Find someone to help answer sympathetic phone calls, cards and letters, as well as greet friends and relatives when they call.
- Decide appropriate memorial to which gifts may be made (church, hospice, etc.).
- Locate the Will and notify his/her lawyer and executor.
- Check carefully all life and casualty insurance and death benefits including social security, credit union, fraternal and military.
- Check promptly on all debts and installment payments, including credit cards. Some carry insurance clauses that cancel balances upon death.
- Notify utility companies, the landlord, and tell the post office where to send mail (if deceased was living alone).