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  |  When Death Occurs
- First, make an appointment with Powles Funeral Home by calling (704)
279-7241. The funeral home will help coordinate arrangements with the
cemetery. The following is some information that we will need in order to complete the 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
- Contact your clergy. Decide on a time and place for the funeral or memorial service. This can be done at the funeral home.
- The funeral home will assist you in determining the number of copies of the death certificates you will need and will order them for you.
- Make a list of immediate family, close friends and business colleagues. Notify each by phone.
- Decide on appropriate memorial to which gifts may be made (church, hospice, library, charity or school).
- Gather obituary information, including age, place of birth, cause of death, occupation, college degrees, memberships held, military service, outstanding work and a list of survivors in the immediate family. Include the time and place of services. The funeral home will normally write the obituary and submit it to the newspaper(s) (Note: photos submitted to the newspaper will be returned intact).
- Arrange for members of the family or close friends to take turns answering the door or phone, keeping a careful record of visitors.
- If Social Security checks are deposited automatically, notify the bank of the death.
- Coordinate the food supply for the next several days.
- Consider special needs of the household, such as cleaning, etc., which friends can help you with.
- Arrange for child care, if necessary.
- Arrange hospitality for visiting relatives and friends.
- Select pallbearers and notify the funeral home. (Avoid anyone with heart or back difficulties, or make them honorary pallbearers).
- Plan for disposition of flowers after the funeral (church, hospital or rest home)
- Prepare a list of distant friends and relatives to be notified by letter and/or printed notice, and decide which to send to each.
- Prepare a list of people to receive acknowledgments of flowers, calls, etc. Send appropriate acknowledgments (these can be a written note, printed acknowledgments, or some of each). Include "thank you's" to those who have given their time as well.
- Notify insurance companies.
- Locate the will and notify the lawyer and executor.
- Check carefully all life and casualty insurance and death benefits, including Social Security, credit union, trade union, fraternal, and military. Check on income for survivors from these sources.
- 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.
- If deceased was living alone, notify the utility companies and landlord and tell post office where to send the mail.
- Your Funeral Director will prepare the necessary Social Security forms.
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