When someone you love passes away, there couldn’t be a more stressful and challenging time to gather your thoughts and collect all the necessary information required at the time of death in order to make funeral arrangements. Fortunately, you are not alone in this process and whatever we can do to shoulder the burden for you, we will. One such way is by using the
planning guide
we offer as a prearrangement tool.To help eliminate confusion, we have developed a planning guide entitled the Biographical Record Guide, where you can collect and make such pertinent personal details readily available at the time of death. Also included in this guide are places to record religious and memorial service wishes, cemetery and burial particulars, and a section that provides insights into resolving financial matters and collecting benefits due you.
The Biographical Record Guide is available at no cost or obligation from any of our locations, or you can simply download the PDF version by clicking here. The following is a sample of the information it helps you plan for in advance.
Biological & Personal Details
- Full name of the deceased, date and city of birth
- Deceased’s marital status and address
- Names of surviving family and next of kin, their addresses and phone numbers
- Deceased’s occupation, education and/or military service
- Deceased’s church, lodge and club associations
Funeral Service Instructions
- Place of service
- Name of clergy
- Name of organist and/or vocalist
- Special music or hymns
- Favorite Bible passages, quotations, poetry, etc.
- Items and photos to personalize service
- Flower requests
- Memorial donations
- Casket- or pallbearers
- Name and location cemetery, contact name and gravesite
- Participation organizations (Fraternal/Military Rites)
- Clothing to be worn by the deceased
Financial Matters
- Social Security Benefits
- Insurance Benefits
- Bank, Retirement & Investment Accounts
- Veteran’s Benefits
- Wills & Estate Taxes
- Protecting Important Documents
“I became a
funeral director
, because helping people is something I’ve always wanted to do.”