Pre-Planning
Wilkinson and Wiseman can assist your family with the pre-planning of arrangements. With licensed agents on staff, we can help you arrange and provide funding for your service. Pre-planning eases the financial burden to your family and lets you make your wishes known.
After a death, there is a need for a lot of information about the person who died. This is, of course, a difficult time to try to gather up this kind of information. So obviously, any information you can collect in advance will make things easier. We have listed below some of the information you might like to gather as well as some of the things which need to happen soon after a death.
Vital Statistics
(Required for burial permits, etc.)
Name of deceased
Home address
Telephone number
How long in this State
Name of business
Address
Telephone number
Occupation
Title
Social Security number
Location of Social Security card
War Veterans serial number
Location of Veterans discharge certificate
Date of birth
Location of birth certificate
Place of birth
U.S. citizen?
Location of citizenship papers (if applicable)
Father's name
Father's birthplace
Mother's maiden name
Mother's birthplace
Religious name (if any)
Spouse's name
Location of marriage license
Children's names
Children's addresses
Financial Information
(Required to establish rights for insurance, pensions, Social Security,
ownership, relationships, etc.)
Location of will
Location of life insurance policies
Location of health insurance policies
Location of accident insurance policies
Location of property insurance policies
Location of bank books
Location of deeds to property
Location of bill of sale for car
Location of income tax returns
Location of receipts
Location of cancelled checks
Location of cemetery or memorial park certificate of ownership
Decisions about the Funeral
(Things which need to be considered within a few hours)
Location of the cemetery.
Cemetery space to open
Memorial type and inscription
Casket type
Clothing for deceased
Type of vault
Type of service (religious, military, fraternal)
Special selection from scriptures
Clergy to officiate
Which funeral director
Place where the service will be held
Time for the funeral service
Name of charitable organization to which donations are suggested
in memory of the deceased
Information for eulogy
Names of pall-bearers
Flowers
Music
Clothing for you
Clothing for children
Preparation of home including food for family and guests
Extra chairs
Transportation for family and guests
Planned funeral car list
Checking and signing papers for burial permit
Providing vital statistics about deceased to newspapers
Arranging for meeting relatives at airports, etc.
Providing lodging for out-of-town visitors
Looking after minor children.
People you should meet with or speak to
Funeral director
Cemetery representative
Clergy
Friends and relatives
Notify As Soon As Possible
The funeral director
Hospice
Doctor or doctors
Cemetery or memorial park
All relatives
All friends
Employer of deceased
Employers of relatives not going to work
Casket-bearers
Insurance agents
Religious organizations
Fraternal organizations
Civic organizations
Unions
Newspapers regarding notices
Attorney
Accountant
Executor of estate
Arrange payment for
Cemetery
Memorials
Funeral director
Interment service
Clergy
Florist
Clothing
Transportation
Telephone
Food
Doctors
Nurses
Hospitals
Ambulance
Medicines and drugs
Mortgage or rent
Taxes
Installment payments
Other current and urgent bills
Things to do later
Answer letters
Answer telephone calls
Acknowledge flowers and donations