Where to Begin

First Steps

When a loved one dies at home or in a place that isn’t a healthcare facility, you’ll need to contact emergency personnel before they can be taken into our care. If your loved one was under medical care, it’s a good idea to call their physician as well.

If your loved one dies in a healthcare facility, they will typically notify the proper authorities, including the funeral home you have chosen to care for your loved one if they know that information.

This part of the process is often the most emotional, and we are here to help and support you. If you’re not sure what to do, call us at any time.

Next Steps

You’ll want to notify close friends and relatives, both through personal phone calls as well as your loved one’s obituary notice. If this process is too painful for you, it’s absolutely okay to ask a trusted family member or friend to help you.

This also is the time to review any of your loved one’s preplanned funeral wishes and meet with one of our funeral directors to begin planning their service. If your loved one did not preplan their funeral, you might want to start thinking about a few of the big choices you will need to make, such as:

• Burial or cremation
• If burial, the type of casket
• If burial, the location of their final resting place in a grave or mausoleum
• If cremation, do you want to have a public viewing and traditional funeral service
• If cremation, the type of urn
• If cremation, the location of their final resting place through burial or scattering
• Any religious services you will need, such as your pastor, priest, or a funeral celebrant
• The types of services you want, such as a viewing, funeral, memorial, graveside, etc.

These questions are just a starting point. When you meet with our funeral directors, we will guide you through this planning process. Don’t hesitate to contact us to gain a better understanding of your options. We're here to make this process easier for you.

What to Expect When We Meet

When you meet with our funeral directors to discuss your arrangements, we'll first provide you with a general price list to give you a basic idea of what our service costs.

We'll then ask you about your loved one to gain an understanding of the person the services will honor. Use this time to discuss your ideas and preferences, share your loved one's story, revisit memories, and highlight their accomplishments. Our professionals will use this information to guide you in the creation of a personalized, meaningful celebration of your loved one's life.

This process may include:

• Preparing and filing the official death certificate
• Scheduling the services and events (including the location, date, and time)
• Selecting a casket, urn, or other merchandise you may need
• Drafting and finalizing an obituary
• Arranging necessary transportation
• Selecting pallbearers

We'd like to make this process as smooth and stress-free for you as we can, so remember to bring the following information about your loved one with you as well:

• Full legal name and home address
• Social security number
• Date of birth
• Place of birth
• Father's name
• Mother's name and her maiden name
• Veteran's discharge papers (DD-214), if applicable
• Highest education level achieved
• Occupation
• Information about the burial location, if applicable
• Clergy name and phone number, if applicable
• Names and relationships of survivors
• Insurance policy information if using to pay for funeral expenses

Please also bring a recent photograph and any clothing you'd like us to use when dressing them for the service.

There is also an option to begin to fill out this information online through our Immediate Need form.