A checklist for planning ahead

1. Prepare

The decisions only you can make. Start here, and take as long as you like.

1. Decide between burial and cremation
   The single choice that shapes most of what follows. Either one still leaves room for a service, a visitation and a gathering afterward.
2. Choose the kind of service you want
   A traditional funeral, a memorial service, a graveside gathering or a celebration of life. There is no wrong answer here.
3. Write down the people who should be told
   Names and numbers for family, close friends, your church, clubs, former colleagues. This is the list your family will be most grateful for.
4. Gather the facts for the death certificate
   Full legal name, date and place of birth, Social Security number, parents' names, and military service if it applies.
5. Note anything personal you want included
   Readings, hymns, music, flowers, who should speak, what you would rather not have. Small details make a service feel like a person.
6. Pick out a recent photograph
   One you actually like. It will be used for the obituary and at the service.

2. Arrange and delegate

The practical side, and the people who will handle it.

1. Name who will carry out your wishes
   Say plainly who is responsible, and make sure that person knows you have chosen them.
2. Tell someone where these plans are kept
   The most common gap we see. A plan nobody can find does not help anyone.
3. Locate your important documents
   Will, insurance policies, deeds, titles, military discharge papers. Note where each one lives.
4. List accounts and subscriptions to close
   Utilities, phone, streaming services, memberships, anything that renews on its own.
5. Consider a cemetery plot or niche
   If you want a permanent place, deciding now spares your family a decision under pressure.
6. Talk it through with your family
   Not a single conversation so much as a door left open. Tell them why you are doing it.

3. Settle the costs

Optional, but it is the part that protects your family financially.

1. Ask for an itemized price list
   You are entitled to one and we are glad to hand it over. Take it home and read it without us in the room.
2. Decide whether to pre-fund
   Pre-funding locks in today's prices on guaranteed items. Your money sits in a state-approved funding option until it is needed.
3. Check what your insurance already covers
   Some policies include a funeral benefit. It is worth knowing before you fund anything twice.
4. Look into veterans benefits
   If you served, there may be burial allowances, a headstone and military honors available at no cost to your family.
5. Account for a cemetery or monument
   These are usually billed separately from funeral services. Ask so nothing surprises anyone later.
6. Review the plan every few years
   Wishes change, families move, prices shift. A short check-in keeps everything current.

We will walk through it with you

Bring what you have, even if it is only half finished. We will help you fill in the rest and keep your wishes on file so your family only has to make one call.