The Funeral

A funeral is a time of difficult emotions and the many tasks involved can seem overwhelming. These check lists can help to organize some of the items that you will need to address, both before and after the funeral.

• Send thank you notes for those who sent flowers and donations or showed a special kindness. Send a personal note thanking the clergy for spiritual help.
• File life insurance claims - Please call us if you need assistance with this. A family service counselor is always available to help you.
• Make sure that your own life insurance policies are up to date and do not have the deceased as your beneficiary. Please call us at the funeral home if you would like assistance with this.
• Order a cemetery monument. If you already had a monument, make sure that the death date has been ordered.
• If the deceased was your spouse, you should receive a death benefit of $255 from social security. If the deceased was not married or was widowed, there will be no benefit from social security.
• If the deceased was a veteran, you may qualify for veteran's benefits.
• Meet with the deceased's attorney to discuss the necessary legal processes.
• Notify the deceased's accountant or tax advisor.
• Notify the deceased's bank. If you had joint accounts, you will need to removed the deceased name from the account.
• Notify the credit card companies of the deceased. Remember, some credit cards and/or other loans will have credit life insurance to pay off balances. Do not pay off these accounts before inquiring about the existence of credit life insurance coverage.
• Newspaper and Mail. The newspaper subscription will need to be discontinued if no one else resides at the home of the deceased and the Post Office may need to be contacted about a forwarding address for mail, if no one will be at the home to receive it.
• Update your will. If you lost your spouse, it is important that your own will is brought up to date. New beneficiaries will need to be designated. The professional services of your attorney should be utilized.