Information
Needed for Planning or Pre-planning a Funeral Funeral
arrangements are a deeply personal choice. Pre-planning provides you with the
time needed to make practical, detailed decisions that reflect your standards,
lifestyle, taste and budget. The written expression of your thinking as to the
type of service, burial location and other details are very important, along
with your written record of vital statistics. By recording your wishes, your family will know what
you want. All of your information will be readily available to them. It will be
so much easier for your family whenever the time comes. The following is the
information that is needed for the death certificate and obituary. Our
suggestion is to print it out, record the information and share it with your
family, or contact us and we will send you a hard copy of this form. For a printable version of this form Click Here. General
Information: (skip items that are not applicable) Full Name Address City Township/County State Zip Code Social Security Number Phone Cell Phone E-mail Family
Information: Birth Date and Place Marital Status /Date of
Marriage/Place Spouse's Name including
Maiden Name (date if deceased) Father's Full Name Mother's Full Name including
her Maiden Name Education
History: Schools Attended Other Training, Degrees,
Year Attained Licenses Held Comments or Details Military
History: (A photocopy of the Honorable Discharge or a form DD 214 will be needed.
It will contain the following information). Branch of Service, Highest
Rank Attained Tours, Locations, Duties Date and place of enlistment
and discharge Comments, Other Details,
Military Honors Work History and
Career Details Occupation, Business or
Industry Company, Employer, Years of
Service Previous Employment,
Comments or Details Location History: Places You Have Lived Childhood City/State Organizations
and Affiliations: Church attended and
organizations within the church Professional Organizations Civic, Military, Club &
Fraternal Memberships (Offices held) Hobbies &
Other Personal Interests: Favorite Pastimes/Hobbies Comments Survivors: Spouse Children (and Spouses) City & State Grandchildren Great-Grandchildren Great-Great-Grandchildren Brothers
& Sisters (and Spouses) City & State Other relatives and friends Preceded by: Names of Family Who
Predeceased (including spouses) Funeral
Arrangements: Time and Place of Funeral Service. Place of Visitation, Family
Service/Prayer Service/Rosary Clergy Other Service or Mass
Participants Cemetery information Monument /Marker Preference Special
Instructions or Wishes: Casket Preference Vault Preference Pallbearers Names Photo for Newspapers and Memorial
folder Photos (and items that
reflect interests) for Display Clothing/Jewelry to be worn Glasses Musicians Musical Selections Favorite Scriptures Favorite Flowers/Colors Special Events and Memories Luncheon Following Services Other Other Useful
Information for the Family: Number of certified copies of death certificate needed Will Location Executor or Administrator/Location Attorney/Location Safety Deposit Box Location Location of Documents (Deeds,
Insurance Policies, Stocks, Military information) Real Estate Owned Notify the Following People Prefunding a Funeral Many people are considering
ways to prefund their funeral. Prefunding is an option that more people
are choosing because it allows you to consider cost-effective options at a time
when you are better prepared to make sound, fiscally responsible decisions. If you would like to do this
also, you may set aside money to pay for your funeral. There are a few ways to
do this. Your funeral funds can be protected by using an irrevocable trust in a
local bank or an irrevocable insurance policy. We can explain the options that
you have and help you to set up a funeral trust or insurance. Prefunding allows
for protection of funeral funds from nursing home costs. Unlike other
investments that you own, the money you place into a correctly structured final
expense plan will not count as an asset if you enter a nursing home or are in
need of medical assistance. The key is to have the
account properly set up. This will spare your family financial burden and protect your
assets. Your funds are held in your name in an account or policy designed for
providing funds for your funeral at the time of need.
We would be happy to help you with the financial aspects of preplanning. Preplanning allows you to
talk with your family in advance and make your plans together in a private and
relaxed setting. 
Many people elect to arrange all or part of their funerals before
the time of need. Most arrange only part of the arrangements, such as music, pallbearers, final resting
place, etc. Some only pre-arrange the financial portion of the funeral by pre-paying all or part of the
funeral. There are very strict laws about how the pre-paid monies are handled by funeral directors. These
laws change from year to year and from state to state. The people at Gieseke Funeral Chapel can explain the
current rules for pre-paying funerals over the telephone. No need to come in person.
We also have available free brochures
about pre-arranged funerals: "Reflections & Requests" and "Making Funeral Arrangements."
Also click for further information.
Last Grade Attended or Year of Graduation