When you begin funeral planning, the amount of decisions can seem overwhelming — but don’t worry. We are here to help you tackle the choices one by one and make the process one of love, healing, and life celebration.
Within Hours
When a death occurs at home or in the workplace, you’ll need to contact emergency personnel or your loved one’s physician if he or she was under medical care. If no one else was present when the death occurred, you’ll also need to notify the police before the deceased is moved to a secondary location.
When a death occurs while your loved one is in a hospital, care facility or hospice program, the professional staff will notify you and contact the appropriate authorities. If you’ve already given them the name of a funeral home, the facility will contact them as well.
The professionals you’ve contacted will help you with obtaining a medical certificate and appropriate registration procedures. If you’re unsure of whom you should notify or what your next steps should be, please call us for assistance in determining the appropriate course of action for your situation.
Within the First Few Days
You’ll want to notify friends and relatives of the death. If it is too painful for you to do this yourself, it’s absolutely okay for a trusted friend to make the call in your place. Now is the time to review any of your loved one’s prearranged wishes, and meet with the professionals at your chosen funeral home to begin funeral planning. You’ll also write a death notice or obituary to notify the community of your loved one’s passing.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions, even if your concerns aren’t directly related to the funeral. We’re well-versed in all topics relating to the loss of a loved one, and we’d be honored to provide you with answers, advice, and guidance in your time of need.
A Network of Support
We encourage you to get in touch with relatives, neighbors, friends, clergy members or other spiritual advisors, and other trusted members of your community. They’re often more than happy to prepare food, look after children, help with arrangements, or simply offer a kind word and open arms.
Your initial call with our funeral director allows us to inquire about any prearrangements and gather the information we need to transport your loved one to the funeral home. At later meetings, you’ll be able to discuss your arrangements in greater detail. But we’re always available to answer questions, provide emotional support, a sympathetic ear, and careful guidance.
What If There Aren’t Any Prearrangements?
If your loved one has not specified any arrangements beforehand, there are some initial questions you will likely need to answer when you consult with your funeral home:
- Should I choose embalming?
- Do I need to purchase a casket?
- Will I care for my loved one’s physical remains through burial or cremation?
- What sort of funeral or memorial service should I plan?
- Are there any religious traditions or customs I need to plan for? Should I engage the services of a clergy member or spiritual leader?
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 and discuss what might be the most appropriate solution for your situation. We’re here to make this process easier for you.
Designing a Service
A service can take place in any setting — at your home, outdoors, or at our facilities, for example — and can incorporate music, poetry, or art in the celebration of your loved one’s life. There are endless possibilities, and we’re honored to go above and beyond to meet your personalized and specific requests.
Our staff is experienced in understanding and graciously accommodating the needs of all beliefs, faiths, lifestyles, and relationships. We’re here to answer your questions and guide you through the decisions you’ll need to make.
Caring for a Loved One’s Physical Remains
Deciding how you’d like to care for your loved one’s physical remains can be a difficult and emotional choice for you and your family. We will provide you with the necessary information to consider your options and make the right decision for your loved one and your family.
Once you’ve chosen between burial and cremation, there are a few additional decisions you’ll face:
- For burial, you’ll need to select a casket and a cemetery, and choose between a ground burial or entombment in a mausoleum.
- For cremation, you’ll need to select both a cremation container in which the cremation takes place and an urn, and choose whether to bury, entomb, or scatter the cremated remains, as well as where you’d like to do so. In addition, there are many other options such as turning your loved one’s ashes into beautiful memorial jewelry.
When You Meet With Us
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.
To help express your loved one’s personality and life story, feel free to bring along any personal items — like photos, videos, music, crafts, or treasured items — that might give us a better understanding of how you envision paying tribute to your loved one.
We’d like to make this process as stress-free for you as we can. If possible, please bring along the following information about your loved one to the arrangement meeting:
- Full legal name and home address
- Social security number
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Father’s name
- Mother’s maiden name
- Veteran’s discharge papers (DD-214), if applicable
- Highest education
- Occupation
- Chosen place of burial, if applicable
- Clergy name and phone number, if applicable
- Names and relationships of survivors
- Insurance policy information, if applicable
Please also bring a recent photograph and any clothing you’d like us to use when dressing them for the service.
