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FUNERAL SERVICE OPTIONS deceased to assist with those arrangements. If no pre-planning has been done, necessary

Funeral directors are here to help and advise arrangements need to be made for the funeral
you and will work very hard to relieve the service. These include:
• Memorial Benches: benches that either you are in a heightened emotional state, even
simply memoralize a loved one scattered the most basic decisions can seem staggering. stress and logistics in funeral planning.
or buried in a cremation garden, or actu The following is a rough guideline of what Meeting a funeral director • Scheduling the location, date and time of
ally contain the remains within. needs to be done within the first 24 hours after You should meet with a funeral director within the visitation and funeral service.
death. • Selecting burial or cremation
24 hours of a death to begin to make final • Choosing funeral products
Headstones When death occurs at home or a place arrangements for your loved one. Deciding on • Arranging a cemetery plot
these final arrangements may seem like a very
Preparing an obituary notice
•
Some cemeteries allow upright headstones, of business daunting task, especially when you are in a • Scheduling transportation arrangements
called “monuments,” to be used with ground If the person was not under hospice care, the heightened emotional state, but funeral home
burials. Headstones that are flat against the police will have to be notified immediately. staff have years of experience dealing with A funeral director will guide you through all
ground are called “markers.” In some cemeter- The police will be dispatched to the home and these issues, and strive to ensure everything these steps, using your wants, need and desires
ies, or sections of cemeteries, only flat markers place the call to the coroner/medical examiner. goes as smoothly as possible. as a foundation to create a memorable funeral
are used to preserve the natural appearance of From there the coroner/medical examiner will for your loved one. From here the funeral
the landscape. take the body and determine whether further Making arrangements services can be personalized. Did your loved
action is necessary. The coroner/medical exam- First the funeral director will gather informa- one have a favorite sports team? What was their
iner must release the body before a funeral tion required for the death certificate. This favorite type of music? What activity was your
Funeral Service Options home can do anything. If the person was under includes: loved one known best for? Recalling fond
hospice care, contact the hospice representative memories assists with the grieving process and
Family and friends getting together to honor a if they were not present and they will notify • Full Name and Address will help honor the life of your loved one.
loved one’s life is one of the most important family members what the proper procedures are • Marital Status
steps in the grieving and healing process. You to follow. • Race/Ethnicity
may opt to have a traditional religious or mili- • Date and City of Birth
tary service, or, as more and more people are When a death occurs at a hospi- • Highest Level of Education
doing, you can choose to have a non-traditional tal/nursing home/hospice facility • Father’s Name, Mother’s Name
‘life celebration’ The staff of a care facility such as a hospital or • Name of Spouse
a nursing home will notify you and the neces- • Occupation and Employer
Decisions need to be made about the location sary authorities immediately after a death has
the funeral, the choice of casket or urn and who occurred. If a funeral home has been provided
the pallbearers should be. Another decision to by the hospital or nursing home they will be
make is who will be officiating the service. You notified at the time of death. If you are present
can choose to have a minister (or other at the hospital when the funeral director
religious leader) or a celebrant officiate the arrives, they may ask a few questions about the
service. The difference between a minister and deceased’s wishes and set up a time to come
a celebrant is non-denominational. Whatever into the funeral home to make arrangements.
you choose, some sort of service is expected However, if you are not present, a funeral
from family and friends of the deceased. We are director will contact you by telephone to
here to help create a unique and memorable discuss these arrangements.
service that people will remember fondly for
years to come. Informing a funeral director
Once everything has been cleared with the
proper authorities, the next call you place
When Death Occurs should be to a licensed funeral director. Funeral

directors are here to help you obtain a death
No matter if a death is sudden, or if it is some- certificate, transport the body, and in the event
thing that was a long time coming, the loss of a pre-planning was not done, select a casket/urn
loved one makes us feel emotional and over- and arrange the funeral/memorial service. The
whelmed. No amount of preparation can fully funeral director will also help you notify the
prepare you for the loss of a loved one. When employer and insurance company of the

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