Planning Checklist
When a loved one dies, family members are faced with countless tasks to take care of in a short period of time. We are here to help.
Below is a list of decisions you and your loved ones must address. It can be helpful to handle some of these matters in advance. Each item with an asterisk can be taken care of before the time of death by preplanning with Krause.
Notify:
- doctor or coroner
- relatives
- friends
- funeral home
- lawyer
- employer
- cemetery/memorial location
- clergy
- co-workers
- musicians
- financial organizations
- insurance companies
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- volunteer, church, union, fraternal organizations
- newspapers
Accurate information of:
- birthplace*
- career*
- volunteer organizations*
- social security number*
- date and place of birth, citizenship*
- parents’ full names and maiden names*
- relatives’ maiden and married names*
- close friends’ names*
Location of:
- birth certificate*
- marriage license*
- veteran’s discharge papers*
- death certificate
- insurance policies*
- bank/credit card accounts*
- investment accounts*
- deeds to property*
- will*
- authorizing agent form*
Funding of:
- professional services*
- merchandise*
- cemetery*
- musicians*
- flowers*
- transportation*
- reception*
- honorariums*
Choice of:
- clothing, undergarments, shoes*
- jewelry*
- final placement of jewelry*
- burial or cremation*
- open or closed casket*
- casket or urn and keepsake selection*
- cemetery or memorial location*
- cemetery plot, vault, or mausoleum*
- monument or marker and wording*
- type of service (religious, fraternal, secular, or other)*
- clergy involvement*
- traditional or motorcycle hearse*
- service bulletins
- pallbearers*
- therapy dog involvement*
- eulogy deliverers
- seating arrangements
- obituary wording and publications
- special readings, biblical passages*
- music*
- flowers*
- candles*
- pictures and other memorabilia*
- video slideshow*
- broadcasting of funeral on the web*
- charity to receive memorial gifts*
- register book
- memorial, acknowledgement, prayer, and/or “thank you” cards
- keepsake gifts
- release: environmentally safe balloons, butterflies, or doves*
- child care
- pet care
- out of town guest arrangements
Location, date, time and agenda of:
- private family viewing
- special children’s visitation
- visitation
- funeral/memorial
- burial
- Post-funeral gathering and menu