When Death Occurs

1. Make an appointment with Kornegay & Moseley Funeral Home and Cremation Service by calling one of our locations. The funeral home will help coordinate arrangements with the cemetery. Please provide the following vital statistics which are required in order to complete State vital statistic requirements.

• Birth Date
  
• Birthplace
  
• Father’s name
  
• Mother’s name
  
• Social Security Number
  
• Veteran’s Discharge or Claim Number
  
• Education
  
• Marital Status
  

2. Contact your clergy. Decide on time and place of funeral or memorial service. This can be done at the funeral home.

3. Our funeral home will assist you in determining the number of copies of the death certificate(s) you will require and can order them for you.

4. Make a list of immediate family, close friends and employer or business colleagues. Notify each by phone.

5. Decide on appropriate memorial(s) to which gifts may be made (church, hospice, library, charity or school).

6. Gather obituary information, including age, place of birth, cause of death, occupation, college degrees, memberships held, military service, outstanding work, list of survivors in immediate family and give time and place of services. Our funeral home will help you write an article and submit to newspapers (newspapers will accept pictures(s) and they will be returned intact).

7. If social Security checks are automatic deposit, notify the bank of the death.

8. Coordinate the supplying of food for the next several days.

9. Consider special needs of the household, such as cleaning, etc., which might be done by friends.

10. Arrange for child care, if necessary.

11. Arrange hospitality for visiting relatives and friends.

12. Select pallbearers and notify the funeral home. (Avoid anyone with heart or back difficulties or make them honorary pallbearers.

13. Plan for disposition of flowers after the funeral (church, hospital or rest home).

14. Prepare a list of distant persons to be notified by letter and/or printed notice, and decide which to send to each.

15. Prepare list of persons to receive acknowledgements of flowers, calls, etc. Send appropriate acknowledgments (can be written note, printed acknowledgments, or some of each). Include “thank you’s” to those who have given their time as well.

16. Notify insurance companies.

17. Locate the will and notify lawyer and executor.

18. Check carefully all life and casualty insurance and death benefits, including Social Security, credit union, trade union, fraternal, and military. Check also on income for survivors from these sources.

19. Check promptly on all debts and installment payments, including credit cards. Some may carry insurance clauses that will cancel them. If there is to be a delay in meeting payments, consult with creditors and ask for more time before the payments are due.

20. If deceased was living alone, notify utilities and landlord and tell post office where to send mail.

21. Funeral Director will prepare Social Security Form SSA 721. Check with Social Security to see that number is retired.