Location Information

When a death occurs in your family...

• Contact the funeral home. It's normal to want some time to say your last farewells. Tell the funeral director what time he should arrive to gather your loved one.
• Contact your clergy for spiritual support and to arrange details of the time and place of the funeral or memorial service.
• Advise the funeral home whether you want burial or cremation. Your funeral director will work out details with the cemetery you choose or the crematory.
• Make a list of family members, friends, employers, and others you feel need to be notified. Ask others in your family to help contacting those on the list.
• Ask family members to also help answering phone calls and visitors who may came to the house to pay their respects. You may want to record each encounter in a guest book.
• You will be asked for some vital statistics including:
  • Birth Date
  • Birthplace
  • Names of father and mother
  • Social Security number
  • Veteran's discharge or claim number
  • Marital Status
  • Education history
• Any or all of the information may be needed to comply with state laws regarding death certificates. The funeral home can help you determine how many copies of the death certificate you will need and can order them for you.
• Obtain other essential information for the obituary:
• Age
• Place of birth
• Cause of death
• Occupation
• Civic or church involvement
• Education background
• A list of survivors
• Time and place of visitation, services, and burial as appropriate.
• Decide who will write the obituary, eulogy, and who the pallbearers will be.
• Arrange care for the household including meals, child care, and cleaning.

After the funeral...

• Obtain the will and contact the executor and the deceased's attorney.
• Notify appropriate insurance agencies. Determine all death benefits including Social Security, fraternal and union plans, and military programs. Check whether any offer financial help for survivors. If Social security checks were automatically deposited, contact the bank. Your funeral director will prepare Social Security form SSA-721, notifying Social Security of the death. If there is a surviving spouse or dependent children, please call 1-800-772-1213 for the one time death benefit of $255 and for any further eligible monthly benefits.
• Determine outstanding debts, installment payments, credit card balances, etc. Some creditors may have provided insurance riders to absolve the debt. Contact creditors if there is any anticipated delay in payment. Most creditors will work with you.
• Contact the utility departments (electricity, phone, gas, water, cable) to discontinue service if the deceased was living alone.
• Decide to whom you will send acknowledgement and thank you notes.
• Allow yourself time to grieve.