Funeral homeAsk for recommendations
Contact several to compare services, costs
Get acquainted with the operator
Worksheet for each future funeral client
Vital statistics
Insurance
Family members names, phones and addresses
Outline preferences for burial, funeral
Type of service and outline of program
Flowers
Obituary information
Burial clothing
Type of burial
Casket preference
Vehicles
Cemetery plot and headstone
Arrangements for payment
BASIC FUNERAL PLANNING CHECKLIST
1. Ask friends and family members to recommend a funeral home, check your neighborhood to find those closest to your home. Contact several funeral homes, obtain basic information about prices and plans, get acquainted with the people who operate the homes.
2. Complete a worksheet at any funeral home, providing your vital statistics, including full name, birthplace, date of birth, marital status, date of marriage, father's name, mother's maiden name, social security number, occupation, military record including name of war, serial number, date of induction, date of discharge, branch of service, rank at discharge. Insurance information includes company, amount of insurance of policy and type of policy. List friends and neighbors who should be notified with their phone numbers, children with addresses and phone numbers, brothers and sisters and phone numbers.
3. Complete funeral service sheet, providing religious preference, where funeral should be held, whether viewing will be held and proximity to the service. Complete sheet that details your preferences for your funeral service: persons to conduct, pray, speak, and musical numbers to be offered.
4. List whether you want to be buried with glasses and jewelry and about what clothing you prefer, your preferences in flowers and what to include in the obituary.
5. Suggest mortuary you prefer and make interment requests, i.e., earth burial, above-ground mausoleum or cremation.
6. Make arrangements with funeral director for his services.
7. Select casket with the advice of mortuary personnel, including color, material, mattress.
8. Arrange for vehicles for service, including hearse and limousine for family members.
9. Select and purchase a cemetery plot where burial will take place.
10. Select headstone or monument for grave. (Individual or companion, bronze or granite.)