Where to Begin
Planning a funeral can be overwhelming, but you are not alone in this. We’re here to support you throughout this journey and make this process one of love, healing, and life celebration. Below is some information to help you get started, but you can contact us at any time if you need help.
Within Hours
When a loved one dies at home or in a place 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 (hospice), it’s a good idea to call the hospice nurse right away. He or she will make other necessary contacts, including calling the funeral home.
If your loved one dies in a healthcare facility, they will notify the proper authorities, including the funeral home you have chosen to care for your loved one if they know that information.
Funeral home personnel will assist you in the gathering of necessary information and filing a medical certificate of death as well as any other necessary paperwork.
This part of the process is often the most emotional, and we are here to help and support you. If you’re not sure what to do, call us any time.
Within the First Few Hours Following the Death
After talking to a funeral director, you’ll want to notify close friends and relatives, both through personal phone calls as well as your loved one’s public death notice. If this process is too painful for you, it’s absolutely okay to ask a trusted family member or friend to help you make telephone notifications.
This also is the time to review any of your loved one’s preplanned funeral wishes and meet with a funeral director to begin planning the funeral or memorial service. If your loved one did not preplan their funeral, you might want to start thinking about a few of the big choices you will need to make, such as:
- Burial or cremation
- If burial, which cemetery, what lot or grave space?
- If cremation, the type of cremation service you would like, such as viewing, funeral service followed by cremation.
- If cremation, the location of their final resting place by way of burial or scattering of the cremated remains.
- Any religious services you will need, such as clergy or spiritual leaders
These questions are just a starting point, and you don't need to know the answers right away. Don’t hesitate to contact us to gain a better understanding of your options. We're here to make this process easier for you.
What to Expect When We Meet
When you meet with a member of our staff to discuss your arrangements, we'll first provide you with a general price list to give you a basic idea of what our services cost.
We'll then ask you about your loved one to gain an understanding of the person the services will honor. Use this time to communicate your ideas and preferences, share your loved one's life story, revisit memories, and highlight their accomplishments. Our professionals will use this information to guide you in the creation of a personalized, meaningful celebration of your loved one's life.
This process may include:
- Completing and filing the official death certificate (The funeral director is responsible for this function.).
- Scheduling the services and related events (including the location, date, and time)
- Selecting a casket, burial vault, urn, or other products you may need
- Drafting an obituary. Names and relationship to the deceased of all survivors (Include spouses and city of residence.
- Arranging necessary transportation
- Selecting pallbearers
- Selecting family floral pieces for visitation and services funeral/memorial.
We'd like to make this process as smooth and stress-free for you as we can, so remember to bring the following information about your loved one with you as well:
- Full legal name and home address
- Social security number
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Father's name
- Mother's full (maiden) name
- Veteran's discharge papers (DD-214), if applicable
- Highest education attained.
- Occupation (Most recent employment and past employment history)
- Information about the cemetery property you may own or wish to use, if applicable
- Clergy or Celebrant’s name and phone number if applicable
- Names and relationships of survivors (Include spouses and city of residence, please)
- Insurance policy information if using to pay for funeral expenses
- Please also bring a recent photograph and any clothing you'd like us to use when dressing them for the service.