Within Hours
When a loved one dies at home or somewhere that isn’t a healthcare facility, you’ll need to contact your hospice nurse or emergency personnel before he or she can be brought into our care. When you are ready, the nurse or officer will call the funeral home to provide the information we need to respond prompty.
If your loved one dies in a healthcare facility, they will first notify your family and give you a chance to come to the facility to say goodbye. Every facility has their own process, but most will not contact the funeral home until you tell them it is okay—to ensure you will have all the time you need.
Call the funeral home at any point in the process. You will always be answered by a live person and never an answering machine. We are available 24 hours a day to assist you with any urgent questions.
Within a Few Days
You should inform close friends and relatives of your loved one’s passing through phone calls and your loved one’s death notice. This can be a difficult process, so you can reach out to a trusted family member or friend to help if you’d wish.
You also should review your loved one’s preplanned funeral wishes and meet with a funeral director to plan their service. If your loved one didn't preplan any funeral wishes, you can start by considering some of the larger choices you need to make, such as:
- Burial or cremation
- Type of casket or urn
- Location of the final resting place for casket or urn
- Service types, such as a viewing, service, graveside memorial, etc.
- Traditions you wish to include: religious, military, or social clubs
This is just a starting point, so don't feel like you need to know all the answers right now. We want to make this process as easy and meaningful as possible, so please contact us with any questions or click the button to start the planning process.
When We Meet
When you meet with one of our staff members to begin planning the funeral, we'll show you our general price list and our Meaningful Tributes pricing guide to give you a basic idea of our service costs. Then, we’ll talk with you about your loved one to get a better understanding of the person and services to honor their life.
Our staff will use this information to help you create a personalized, meaningful service to celebrate your loved one. You can share your funeral preferences and ideas, stories about your loved one, their passions, and any other insights into your loved one’s life.
This process also may include:
- Drafting an obituary
- Preparing the official death certificate
- Scheduling the funeral services and events
- Selecting a casket, urn, and other products
- Paying for services
Please bring the following items:
- Photographs for obituary & tribute video
- Clothing: please select a long-sleeved outfit & regular undergarments
- Cemetery paperwork, if applicable
- Veteran discharge daper (DD-214), if applicable
- Life insurance policies, if using to pay for funeral expenses
Have the following information available:
- Date and place of birth
- Full legal name and home address
- Social security number
- Father's name and Mother's maiden name
- Highest education
- Occupation
- Names and relationships of survivors
- Important dates (i.e. marriage, work, school)
- Church or club memberships
- Charity for contributions (optional)