Funeral Checklists

Remember to have your loved one’s Social Security number on hand during your meeting.

Date and place of birth are important to know in order to be prepared.

Your loved one’s father’s name and mother’s maiden name are essentials.

The education level and the job that your loved one held, if any, is important.

These materials are important to obtain. We offer Veteran packages that you may be interested in.

If you would like to have a picture please bring that with you as well. Please list the names and relations of all persons you would like to have listed in the obituary as preceded in death or survived by. List any personal information about your loved on you would like to have in the obituary as well as any thank you statements you would like to have in the obituary. If you have an in lieu of please provide the name, address and other information needed to be placed in the obituary. Click here for a list of local organizations.

You may bring with you the clothing items you would like to have placed on your loved one to include full underclothing and sock. If you would like to have glasses placed on your loved on you may bring those as well. If you have jewelry to be placed on your loved one please talk to the funeral director about this before leaving that with the funeral home.

Snodgrass Funeral Home can provide you with any of these services you may need. Upon speaking with the Funeral Director let them know your need and preferences.

You may want to talk to the funeral director about any requests you may have for special music, pictures, video requests or other special arrangements such as Dove Release, Full Military Burial etc….

If you would like Snodgrass Funeral Home to take care of these arrangements for you please let the funeral director know at the time of your meeting as well as your preference of floral arrangements.

The Funeral Director will discuss with you the service arrangements and obtain the cemetery information from you.

At the arrangement conference, Snodgrass Funeral Home will help you to determine the number of Death Certificates you need. Additional copies can be obtained by contacting the Funeral Home.

Remember to mail out your thank you cards to those who have been there for you or shared their condolences. Mailing out thank you cards may be something that you intend to do but forget about during all of the chaos.

It is a good idea to use only your first initial and last name when listing your name in the phone book. This will help avert any unwanted or prank calls. Many, if not all, of these accounts should be placed in a joint account with another family member to help in processing future estates.

You should notify the Health Insurance Company to stop coverage of the deceased as of the date of death.

The insurance company will require a Certified Copy of the Death Certificate, the Insurance Policy, and a claim form to be completed and signed by the beneficiary. The claim form will be provided by the insurance company after they are notified of the death. Should you need assistance completing the form, please feel free to call the Funeral Home for assistance. You will also want to change those policies which the deceased was named beneficiary. Generally the owner of the policy must contact the insurance company to request a change of beneficiary form. This form is then completed and returned to the company. They will then return a rider which is attached to the policy showing the changes made. If you have an insurance agent locally, it is best to contact them for assistance.

It is recommended that each banking institution, that the deceased had account in, be notified of the death. A Certified Copy of the Death Certificate may be needed by each bank. On any outstanding loans, you will want to check to see if there was life insurance carried on them. If so, your banker will advise and assist you with the details. You will want to remove the deceased’s name from all joint accounts (checking, savings, safety deposit box and any other that your banker recommends) and sign a new signature card for these accounts. This is for your protection, should someone try to gain access to these accounts they could not sign the deceased’s name to them to remove any funds. It is also recommended that if these accounts were held jointly, you may want to continue them to be joint accounts by placing the name of a family member or trusted friend on them with you. Again, this is for your protection. Should you become unable to access these accounts the other individual named could for you.

You should notify the Automobile Insurance Agent of the change of coverage to any and all automobile policies under the deceased’s name. Your agent will advise you of the proper change needed depending on the ownership changes to the automobiles.

Cancel and Close all accounts and all cards held individually by the deceased. Cut these cards and either return them to the company or discard them. Remove the deceased’s name from all jointly held cards. This is for your protection. Apply for credit card life insurance coverage held on the accounts of the deceased.

Documents needed by the Attorney include the certified copies of the death certificates and the Will. Your attorney will advise you as to any other documentation needed.

The above named individual will advise you of any documentation needed. Refer to the “Final Tax Return” section.

Your stockbroker will advise you of how many Certified Death Certificates you will need as well as any further documentation needed.

A Certified Copy of the Death Certificate may be needed to apply for any benefits.

Often, these needs change after the death of a family member or other loved one. Good organization of your own insurance information can aid survivors at the time this information is needed.

You may need to file a “final return” for the deceased or estate income tax returns if the estate itself generates any income.

Social Security benefits include a one time benefit of $255.00 to the surviving spouse or dependent children. Check with your funeral director to determine what claims have already been filed for you.

Claim forms can be completed at a Veteran’s Administration Office, the funeral home or Veterans Service Commission. Contact your funeral director to see if this claim has already been filed for you.