Funeral Checklist

When planning a funeral, try not to do everything yourself. Call on a family member or friend to help you make the following arrangements.

Notify:

• Doctor
• Coroner
• Funeral home

They will help coordinate arrangements with cemetery or memorial park. They will prepare the Social Security Form and see that the number is retired. They will assist in determining the number of death certificates you will need and will order them.

• Clergy
• Relatives and Friends
• Pallbearers
• Insurance Agents
• Banks
• Unions and Fraternal Organizations
• Organists
• Items to Select
• Cemetery Property
• Funeral Service
• Casket
• Vault or Outer Container
• Clothing
• Flowers
• Music
• Thank You Announcements
• Transportation
• Time and Place for Funeral
• Time and Place for Visitation

Provide vital statistics info about the deceased:

• Birthdate
• Birthplace
• Father's Name
• Mother's Name (including maiden name)
• Social Security Number
• Veteran's Discharge or Claim Number
• Education
• Marital Status

Obituary information (for newspaper):

The funeral home will normally write the article and submit it to the newspaper)

• Age
• Place of Birth
• Cause of Death
• Occupation
• College Degrees
• Memberships held
• Military Service
• Outstanding work
• List of Survivors in Immediate Family
• Give Time and Place of Services
• Charities for Memorial Contributions
• Addresses of all people who must be notified
• Arrangements for out-of-town Visitors

Additional things you will want to do:

• Find someone to help answer sympathetic phone calls, cards and letters, as well as greet friends and relatives when they call.
• Decide appropriate memorial to which gifts may be made (church, hospice, etc.).
• Prepare list of distant persons to be notified by letter/or printed notice and decide which to send.
• Locate the will and notify lawyer and executor.
• Check carefully all life and casualty insurance and death benefits including social security, credit union, fraternal and military.
• Check promptly on all debts and instalment payments, including credit cards. (Some carry insurance clauses that cancel balances upon death).
• Notify utilities and landlord and tell post office where to send mail (if deceased was living alone).
• During the funeral arrangement conference, we will ask you how many certified copies of the death certificate are needed. As part of our services, we will obtain certified copies on your behalf. Although we try to obtain the certified copies prior to the completion of the funeral service, this is not always possible. In order to assist you in ascertaining the number of certified copies needed, below is a worksheet:

The State of Colorado makes a charge of $20.00 for the first certified copy and $13.00 for each additional certified copy per order.

• Each Life Insurance Company
• Motor Vehicles
• Pension, IRA or other retirement benefits
• Probate of Will
• Each bank where account maintained
• Final Tax Return
• Stocks and Bonds
• Your own files
• Real Property