Preparation
The passing of a loved one is a difficult time. Unfortunately, during this emotional period, there are many decisions that must be made and matters that must be attended to. Below is a general guideline of many of the things you will need to consider or provide to us for your service. If you have any problems, our helpful staff will do our best assist you.
Particularly if you are struggling with overwhelming grief, we encourage that you contact a friend or family member to help with the following contacts:
- Doctor
- Coroner
- Funeral Home *
- Clergy
- Relatives and friends
- Pallbearers
- Insurance Agents
- Banks
- Unions and Fraternal Organizations
- Organists
Prior to the service, you will need to make decisions with respect to the following:
- Casket
- Cemetery property
- Clothing
- Vault or outer container
- Flowers
- Music
- Thank you notes
- Time and place for funeral
- Time and place for visitation
- Transportation
- Type of funeral service
We will need personal information about the departed. Before meeting with our staff, you should obtain as much of the following information as possible:
- Age
- Birth date
- Birthplace
- Cause of Death (if known)
- Education - College Degrees
- Father's name
- Mother's name
- Marital status
- Memberships held
- Military Service
- Obituary information
- Occupation
- Social Security Number
- Time and place of services
- List of survivors in immediate family
- Veteran's Discharge or Claim Number
Here is a link to a funeral planning checklist template
* O'Connor-Leetz's services include coordinating arrangements for the cemetery or memorial park, preparation of Social Security forms and retirement of the number, and providing you with copies of death certificates.
Certified Death Certificates are most often used for official matters such as providing notice to financial institutions (banks, credit card companies, insurance companies), and used for legal proceedings such as probating an estate or changing title on homes, vehicles, etc. We can help you obtain certified copies of the death certificates as part of our service to you. As the owner and funeral director, Tom Leetz, is also an attorney, we can also lend assistance with estate matters such as opening an estate in probate, updating wills, selling a home, or even offer guidance with estate-related financial matters.