124 Tasks that Must be Done on the Most Difficult Day of Your Life
A. Secure Vital Statistics (required for documents)
1. Full legal name, complete address, telephone number
2. Social Security Number
3. Religious name (if any)
4. Date of Birth
5. Place of Birth
6. Marital status
7. Name of spouse (if married)
8. Spouse’s maiden name (if wife)
9. Citizenship (American, Canadian, Mexican, etc.)
10. Father’s name
11. Father’s birthplace
12. Mother’s name and maiden name
13. Mother’s birthplace
14. Number and full names and addresses of all children, grandchildren, etc.
15. Veteran’s serial/service number (if ever in military)
16. Date and place of service
17. Date of discharge
18. How long at current residence/former residence(s)
19. Education attainment
20. Occupation, job title, nature of work and employment history
21. Location of work place, address, telephone number
22. Family origin
B. Pay some or all of the following
23. Estate/inheritance taxes
24. Funeral expenses
25. Purchase of family burial estate, mausoleum, or cremation niche
26. Permanent memorization
27. Monument/marker engraving
28. Funeral director
29. Clergy
30. Organist and vocalist
31. Florist
32. Obituary
33. Clothing
34. Long distance telephone
35. Food
36. Transportation
37. Doctors
38. Nurses
39. Ambulance
40. Hospital/nursing home
41. Medication and drugs
42. Current and urgent bills
C. Collect documents and paperwork
43. Will (check for special wishes)
44. Prepare legal papers, permits, etc.
45. Birth certificate/legal proof of age
46. Citizenship papers
47. Social Security card or number
48. Marriage license
49. Veteran’s discharge certificate
50. Insurance claims (life, health, accident, property, auto)
51. Disability claims
52. Bank books and list of accounts
53. Other financial records
54. Property deeds
55. Cemetery deed or proof of ownership
56. Auto titles or bill of sale
57. Income tax returns, receipts and cancelled checks
D. Decide and arrange within a few hours
58. Make cemetery arrangements
59. Secure internment space and get exact location of burial and disposition
60. Arrange for opening and closing of the grave/mausoleum/niche
61. Secure endowment care
62. Arrange gravesite committal service
63. Secure use of cemetery chapel for committal prayers
64. Decide on embalming and other preparation of deceased
65. Choose restorative art
66. Select a funeral home
67. Location of funeral service
68. Choose service type (religious/fraternal/military, etc.)
69. time and place for visitation and services
70. Arrange for special religious services
71. Provide information for eulogy
72. Select casket (open or closed)
73. Select outer burial container and/or vault
74. Select urn/niche space (if cremation)
75. Provide vital statistics about deceased to newspaper
76. Choose clothing for deceased
77. Pick out jewelry and glasses for deceased
78. Select cosmetology and hairdressing for deceased
79. Selection of scriptures and readings
80. Schedule clergy to officiate
81. Choose grave marker
82. Select memorial marker
83. Select charitable contributions for memorials in memory of the deceased
84. Choose register book, memorial prayer cards
85. Select pallbearers
86. Floral arrangements and transportation
Before and after the service
87. Select music
88. Schedule organist, pianist, vocalist
89. Arrange for funeral coach
90. Arrange for limousine for family and pallbearers
91. Arrange for funeral car for family members
92. Select clothing for you and children
93. Decide who will look after children and/or pets
94. Clean loved one’s home
95. Locate extra chairs
96. Transportation for family and guests
97. Review and sign all paperwork
98. Answering innumerable telephone calls, emails, letters, etc.
99. Set meetings with funeral director, lawyers, clergy
100. Arrange transportation and lodging for out of town guests
101. Acknowledge those who helped in a special way
102. Decide how many certified copies of death certificate to order
103. Provide food for family and out of town guests
104. Gather items for memento display or memorial board
105. Decide on memorial video production, pictures, music, etc.
106. Arrange for writing Thank You notes
E. Plan to notify as soon as possible
107. All family members
108. All relatives
109. All friends
110. Minister and church
111. Funeral director
112. Pallbearers
113. Cemetery
114. Doctor
115. Employer of deceased
116. Employers of relatives not going to work
117. Organist, pianist, vocalist
118. Newspaper regarding notices
119. Social Security Administration
120. Veterans Administration
121. Insurance agents
122. Religious, fraternal, civic organizations and unions
123. Attorney, accountant, financial planners and executor of estate
124. Credit card companies