What to Do When a Death Occurs

Please accept our sincere condolences if your family has just experienced a passing of a loved one.  Remember that you are not alone.

When a death occurs in your family, you will be faced with important tasks and decision-making during a very difficult time. You may not know what to do or where to begin making arrangements. Bearing the responsibility can be overwhelming.  Tri-State Cremation Society is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to assist you with basic details and guidance through our simplified online arrangement process. We have compiled the following list to help guide you through the steps you will need to take when a death has occurred whether you have preplanned or not with our Cremation Society.  If our website does not answer your questions, a funeral director is available 24 hours a day to assist you.

1. After a death has occurred, notify Tri-State Cremation Society by visiting our website at www.tristatecremations.com and/or calling 855-396-3700. The following are some questions that we may ask when you call:

   • Are you a member of the Tri-State Cremation Society (If so, what is the member name or number?)

   • What is the full name of the deceased?

   • What is the location of the deceased (Hospital, Nursing Facility or Residence)?

   • What is your name, address and telephone number?

   • What is the name, address and phone number of the next-of-kin?

   We will then guide you through the online eArrangement process if needed and/or determine a time to gather additional information over the phone.

   The following items will be needed if not secured already:

   • Social security number of the deceased
   • The deceased's birth date and city and state of birth
   • The deceased's parents' names, including mother's maiden name
   • Information about the deceased's education
   • Marital status of the deceased
   • Deceased's Armed Service dates of service and/or wars involved in (if applicable)
   • A recent photograph of the deceased for Identification purposes
   • Pre-arrangement paperwork (if applicable)
   • Cemetery lot information (if applicable)
2. All Tri-State Cremation Society packages include one death certificate that our staff will order for you.  If you need additional death certificates, we can assist you with obtaining them.
3. Make a list of family, friends and business colleagues, and notify each by phone. You may wish to use a "branching" system: make a few phone calls to other relatives or friends and ask each of them to make a phone call or two to specific people
4. Decide on an appropriate charity to which gifts may be made (church, hospice, library, organization, school) if you are choosing to do an obituary.
5. Gather obituary information, including a photo, age, place of birth, occupation, college degrees, memberships held, military service, outstanding work and a list of survivors in the immediate family. Include the time and place of any public ceremonies planned.
6. Arrange for family members and/or close friends to take turns answering the door or phone. Keeping a careful record of visitors and flower deliveries will make it easier to thank people later on
7. If Social Security checks are deposited automatically, notify the bank of the death
8. Coordinate the food supply in your home for the next several days
9. Delegate special needs of the household, such as cleaning, food preparation, etc., to friends and family who offer their help
10. Arrange for child care, if necessary
11. Arrange hospitality for visiting relatives and friends
12. Prepare a list of distant friends and relatives to be notified by letter and/or printed notice
13. Prepare a list of people to receive acknowledgments of flowers, calls, etc. Send appropriate acknowledgments, which may be a written note, printed acknowledgments, or both. Include "thank yous" to those who have given their time, as well
14. Notify insurance companies of the death.  Our staff can assist with the insurance claim(s) for an additional fee
15. Locate the will and notify the lawyer and executor
16. Carefully check all life and casualty insurance and death benefits, including Social Security, credit union, trade union, fraternal, and military. Check on possible income for survivors from these sources
17. 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
18. If the deceased was living alone, notify the utility companies and landlord and tell the post office where to send the mail