There is a lot that goes into planning a funeral, but making those arrangements beforehand gives you time to consider all of your options and make sure that you’re covering all of the necessary details. The following checklist will help you to make sure you’ve thought of everything when you begin creating your personalized plan.

Vital Statistics

• This includes your father’s name, your mother’s maiden name, your level of education, date of birth and your social security number.
  

Affiliations

• This includes fraternal, community service, or union membership, along with any special recognitions you might have. 
  
• Listing services and programs that you have participated with at your local church.
  

If you’re a veteran, you’ll also need to include:

• Military service  (DD214 will be needed to ensure military honors)
  
• Branch rank
  
• Date of enlistment
  
• Date of discharge
  
• Name(s) of war/conflict(s) toured
  
• Serial number
  

General

• Gather personal information for your obituary – Include a digital photo that can be placed on file. 
  
• Make note of any special instructions you desire for your services and final disposition