Funeral Planning & What To Do When A Loved One Dies
The last thing most people want to think about is death, let alone plan for it, but making arrangements for your own funeral eases the burden on your loved ones when your time comes in more ways than one.
Pre-planning allows you to clear up any questions, problems and differences which would otherwise occur if your loved ones were forced to make your final arrangements without you. Making advanced arrangements for your own funeral ensures that it will be carried out according to your wishes and removes a difficult burden from your family and friends. Pre-arrangements also protect you from rising costs, saving money and preventing a future financial obligation for your family.
Planning ahead gives you control over your own funeral and memorials, saves money and makes it easier for those who you leave behind.
Pre-Planning
Advance planning allows you to make important decisions in a relaxed atmosphere. At the Kerr-Parzygnot Funeral Homes we make pre-planning easy. We will make an appointment either to visit you in the comfort of your home, or arrange a mutually convenient time for all parties to meet at one of our nearest funeral home locations to discuss all available options.
Benefits of Advance Planning your funeral with the Kerr-Parzygnot Family of Funeral Homes
Assurance
Assurance that informed, thoughtful decisions have been made about the funeral home provider, choice of service and costs.
Peace of Mind
The peace of mind that comes with knowing your wishes have been made known and the details taken care of.
Comfort of Knowing
The comfort of knowing your family will not have to make funeral arrangement decisions during the difficult time of their initial grief.
The National Funeral Directors Association recommends prearranging for everyone. They have developed the "Bill of Rights" for Funeral Preplanning.
The links above open in a new window and are provided as informational resources only. Learn more about what to expect when signing a preneed funeral contract.
What To Do When A Loved One Dies
Call to reach one of our representatives directly at 708-754-0016. They are standing by to assist you 24-7.
Unfortunately, many people wait until a loved one has passed away to call a funeral home. Our funeral representatives are professionals, experienced with this difficult process and can help you through it. To help you understand what to expect, we would like to share the steps in the process.
- When a loved one passes away at home, at a nursing home, at a hospital or is taken to the county coroner's office, you need to let them know which funeral home you have chosen. That facility will contact the funeral home to decide best arrangements for moving the body.
- If your loved one passes away in the middle of night call the funeral home no matter what time it is–we are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You will either get a funeral home representative or the answering service. If you reach our answering service, we will be paged, and a funeral home representative will return your call.
- Our normal business hours are Monday thru Friday 9:00AM to 4:30PM. Saturdays and Holidays are by appointment. Sundays we are closed except in the case of an emergency so that our staff can spend the day with their families.
- You will need to contact our funeral home to confirm that we have been notified and make an appointment to meet at the funeral home for arrangements. If arrangements were made, this meeting will still be held to ensure that the family of the deceased is aware of the plans that have been made.
- Once you have set a date and time for this appointment, the funeral home will have a list of items you will need to bring with you. They include:
- Information about the deceased: Full name, birth date, Social Security Number, father’s name, mother’s name and her maiden name.
- Burial clothing, and a current or recent picture of the deceased.
- If the deceased was a member of the United States military, we will need a copy of their military discharge papers. The left corner of the discharge papers must say DD214.
- When making arrangements for the funeral, you will be making decisions or finalizing previously made arrangements about direct cremation or burial, memorial service, visitation and funeral. This will also be an opportunity to ask the funeral director any questions and/ or voice any concerns you might have.
- The funeral representative will help you in choosing the items that fits your needs and wants, such as: casket, urn, vault, prayer cards and flowers.
- The funeral representative will outline the process of the visitation, funeral or memorial service–the clergy, music, pictures, food, death notices and the hours.
- Depending on your wishes, after the final burial, service or memorial the funeral representative will invite guests to a luncheon or just thank everyone for coming on behalf of the family.