General info

• Gather personal information for your obituary. You may also want to select a photo to be used for your obituary.
• Make arrangements with your chosen funeral home to communicate your wishes. We encourage you to schedule a meeting with funeral home staff to discuss your plan and what services they offer.
• Document any special instructions you desire for your services and final disposition.
• Choose a charity to direct donations to if desired or note if you prefer memorial donations be given to your family or next-of-kin.

Method of disposition and funeral service

• Choose a method of final disposition (cremation, aquamation, traditional burial or green burial).
• Select a casket or cremation container.
• Choose the location of your service or memorial gathering, and what type of service or celebration of life you’d like to have. If you do not wish to have a service and prefer immediate burial or direct cremation, Roberts Family Funeral Home will guide you through those decisions and what happens through the process every step of the way.
• Decide whether you’d like to have a viewing or visitation.
• Choose floral arrangements or other decorative items.
• 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 (applicable to all persons, regardless of whether they choose to be buried or cremated).
• Select music and hymns, if desired.
• Select a style for your stationery and memorial register book.
• 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, celebrant, or officiator to preside over the service.
• Select any musicians whose talents you’d like to employ.
• If choosing traditional or green burial, select pallbearers.
• Choose friends or family members to perform the eulogy, read scripture, or prepare a speech.

Permanent Memorialization

• Choose a cemetery or other place for permanent memorialization, such as Better Place Forests or Loving Earth Memorial Gardens.
• 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.

Information you'll need as part of pre-planning:

Vital Statistics

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• Your father’s name
• Your mother’s maiden name
• Your highest level of education completed
• Your social security number
• Your date of birth
• Your birthplace
• Your primary occupation

Affiliations

• Fraternal organizations
• Service organizations
• Union memberships
• Any special recognitions you have

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