We make funeral planning seamless.
Ensure that no detail is overlooked.
The following checklist will help you make sure you’ve thought of everything when you begin creating your personal funeral plan. Remember, there’s no need to make all of the decisions right away. The purpose of pre-planning is to allow the time you need to carefully consider your options and make the choices that are right for you. For personalized assistance in creating your plan, please consult one of our experts to schedule a one-on-one meeting.
Information you'll need to assemble.
Vital Statistics
This includes your father’s name, your mother’s maiden name, your level of education, and your social security number.
Affiliations
This includes fraternal, service, or union membership, along with any special recognitions you might have.
Military Service
If you’re a veteran, you’ll also need to include:
- Military service
- Branch rank
- Date of enlistment
- Date of discharge
- Name(s) of war/conflict(s) toured
- Serial number
Ways in which you can plan ahead:
General
- Gather personal information for your obituary
- Choose a charity to direct donations to, if desired
- Choose a funeral home
- Make note of any special instructions you desire for your services and final disposition
The Funeral Service
- Choose burial or cremation
- Select a casket or cremation container
- Choose the location and type of service
- Decide whether you’d like to have a viewing or visitation
- Choose a floral arrangement
- Select which photographs and memorabilia you’d like to display
- Consider any customs, traditions, or religious rites that are important to you and your family
- Choose the clothing you’d like to be dressed in
- Select music and hymns, if desired
- Select a style for your stationery and memorial register book
- Arrange transportation for your physical remains and your family
- Brainstorm any additional ways you’d like to personalize the services or pay tribute to your accomplishments, hobbies, personality, and life story.
Participants
- Choose a clergy member or officiator to preside over the service
- Select any musicians whose talents you’d like to employ
- Select pallbearers
- Choose friends or family members to perform the eulogy, read scripture, or prepare a speech
Cemetery
- Choose a cemetery
- Select a burial or cremation plot, or a mausoleum, if appropriate
- Decide between above- and below-ground burial
- Select a memorial or grave marker and inscription
We're here to advise, assist, and guide you.
Using the above questions as a starting point, the compassionate professionals at Evan W. Smith Funeral Services will help you create a fitting and deeply personal memorial service for your loved one. Please reach out to us to learn more about our memorial service planning process.
Whether you need to plan a funeral for a death that has occurred or are seeking to preplan arrangements, our staff is always available to assist you. Please contact us anytime.
Recent Blog Posts
In our blog, we share resources and information that families in our community can use to cope with their loss or better understand their grief. We also write about the ways we have been involved in the community. Check out our latest posts.
Evan W. Smith Funeral Services
Please let us know how we can help you answer your Planning Checklist questions: