Preplanning Checklist

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Ways to Plan Ahead

General
  • Gather personal information for your obituary.
  • Choose a charity to direct donations to, if desired.
  • Choose a funeral home.
  • Make note of any instructions for your services and final disposition.
Funeral Service
  • Choose Burial or Cremation.
  • Select a Casket or Cremation.
  • Choose locations and types of services.
  • Choose floral arrangements.
  • Select which photographs and memorabilia you’d like to display.
  • Consider any customs, traditions, or religious rites that are important to you and your family.
  • Choose the clothing you’d like to be dressed in.
  • Select music and hymns, if desired.
  • Choose a theme for decorations and stationery at your services.
  • Arrange transportation for your physical remains and your family.
Participants
  • Choose a clergy member or officiator to preside over the service.
  • Select any musicians whose talents you’d like to employ.
  • Select pallbearers.
  • Choose friends or family members to perform the eulogy, read scripture, or prepare a speech.

Information You’ll Need

Personal Information
  • Your father’s name
  • Your mother’s maiden name
  • Your level of education
  • Your social security number
Affiliations
  • Fraternal organizations
  • Service organizations
  • Union memberships
  • Any special recognitions you have
Military Service Information
  • Military service
  • Branch rank
  • Date of enlistment
  • Date of discharge
  • Name(s) of war/conflict(s) toured
  • Serial number
Final Disposition
  • Choose a cemetery.
  • Select a burial plot or mausoleum.
  • Select a memorial or grave marker and inscription.
  • Decide who will keep your urn.
  • Decide who will scatter your ashes and where.

Remember…

There’s no need to make all the decisions right away. For personalized assistance in creating your plan, contact one of our experts to schedule a one-on-one meeting.

What Additional Things Should I Consider?

Types of Services and Locations

There are many types of services, Celebration of Life, Memorial, Mass, etc. Once you know what type of service you want, you can begin thinking about where you would like your service to be held. Some services are held at churches, event centers, parks, backyards, etc.

Choose a clergy member or officiator to preside over the service.

Cremation or Burial

What type of service do you want? Do you want to have a burial or a cremation? Did you know that you can have a full service funeral with both cremation and burial services. Click here to learn more about our Burial and Cremation Services (Link to packages) 

Burial Information Expand/Button: 

Burial creates a permanent resting place for your loved one and gives family and future generations a place to pay their respects.

Choosing a Cemetery
When choosing a burial service, the first thing you need to consider is the cemetery in which you want to be laid to rest. Each cemetery has different requirements regarding what is needed by the family in order to be buried. If you have not already purchased a burial plot, most cemeteries require you to do so. There may be additional fees associated with opening and closing of the burial plot for the service.  

Is Embalming Required?

One of the first things to understand about the burial process is that embalming is not required. Except in rare circumstances, embalming is not required by law. However, most funeral homes do not permit public viewing without embalming. If you decide not to not use embalming, we can usually offer a private viewing prior to cremation. This type of viewing would include minimal preparation and exclude embalming. 

Choosing a Casket.

There are so many caskets to choose from. They very in size, material, and design. We offer many budget friendly caskets as well as custom options. Our Funeral Directors can walk you through choosing a casket that 

Enter pallbearer information here. 

Choose the clothing you’d like to be dressed in.
Select pallbearers. 

Link to Products and Resources. 

Cremation Information Expand/Button: 

Cremation provides you and your family with so many ways and options to honor your loved one, whether you intend to display your loved ones at home, in a cemetery columbarium, or scatter their ashes somewhere meaningful.

Link to Products and Resources. 

What steps should I take when it comes to my Obituary?

The General steps you need to take. . . 

  • Gather personal information for your obituary: List what would be needed for the obituary, link back to how to write an obituary link.
  • Choose a Funeral Home.


Link how to write an obituary link here. 

Floral Arrangements:

  • Choose Floral Arrangements

Anything Else I Should Consider?

  • Select What photographs and memorabilia you’d like to display
  • Consider any customs, traditions, or religious rites that are important to you and your family.
  • Select music and hymns, if desired.
  • Select any musicians whose talents you’d like to employ.
  • Choose a theme for decorations and stationery at your services. 2
  • Make note of any instructions for your services and final disposition.
    (Want help with this? Don’t know where to start? Redirect to pre-planning link)
  • Choose a charity to direct donations to, if desired. 
  • Choose friends or family members to perform the eulogy, read scripture, or prepare a speech.