Grieving can be a difficult process. Know that during this time, we will do everything we can to make your decisions as informed and easy as possible. If you need assistance deciding how to proceed, or with payment options please speak with one of our Cremation Service Professionals.
Within Hours
If your loved one dies in a healthcare facility, they will notify the proper authorities, including your chosen funeral home if they have that information.
Similarly, should you loved one pass at home and is under Hospice care, you should contact your Hospice service and they will make the appropriate notifications.
When a loved one dies outside of a healthcare facility and is not under Hospice care, you’ll need to contact emergency personnel (911). A law enforcement officer will come complete a report, contact the relevant authorities, and then contact your chosen funeral care provider.
In some instances, such as accidents and unattended deaths, or when an individual was not under the care of a physician the Commonwealth’s Medical Examiner may become involved. Should this happen there may be a delay before we are able to proceed with cremation while the state completes their obligations.
If you’re unsure of what to do, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.
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:
- The kind of urn
- The location of their final resting place, whether that be at your home, scattered at a special location, or interred at a memorial property
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.
When We Talk
When you talk with one of our staff members to begin planning the cremation, we'll discuss our general price list 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.
This process also may include:
- Preparing and filing the official death certificate
- Drafting an obituary
- Scheduling the services and events, including the date, time, and location
- Selecting a rental casket, urn, or any other necessary products
- Choosing pallbearers, if needed
- Arranging transportation
We want to make this process as simple and stress-free as possible, so please bring the following information about your loved one:
- Date of birth
- Place of birth
- Full legal name and home address
- Social security number
- Father's name
- Mother's maiden name
- Highest education
- Occupation
- Veteran's discharge papers (DD-214), if applicable
- Information about the burial location, if applicable
- Clergy name and phone number, if applicable
- Insurance policy information if using to pay for cremation expenses
- Names and relationships of survivors