Part 2: Gathering Information For Your Cremation Checklist

You have taken the time and decided on the important decisions in planning your cremation. The second part is preparing the information to simplify the cremation arrangements for your family.

There are a few items you want to be sure are included:

• Create a contact list of people who need to be notified upon your death
• Do you know where you prefer your obituary and memorial information to appear (i.e. a certain newspaper, an online obituary website, etc.)?
• You want to identify the name of the executor of your will. You want to choose someone who can accurately distribute your possessions with little family interference. Most people choose a family member like a husband, wife, or child. Others choose a trusted friend. The Huffington Post wrote an excellent article to help you when choosing your executor.
• The location of your will and other important documents such as insurance cards are located
• A list of safe deposit boxes, checking and saving accounts, and other important assets. This list also includes retirement/401K accounts, insurance policies, credit cards and any other accounts who would need to be notified in the event of your death.
• A contact sheet for people and companies related to your estate, such as utilities, telephone, internet, and subscriptions that need to be cancelled.

Part 3: Preparing Your End-of-Life Documents

The last section of your checklist is preparing the documents. Your family needs this, ideally before your death. You can simplify this paperwork by doing the following:

• Writing an obituary, or at the very least writing notes that you want to be included. There are several resources to help you create an obituary such as obituaryguide.com
• Refreshing your will to include any recent changes.
• Create a written cremation plan that goes over your end-of-life wishes.

After you have prepared the details of your cremation, gather all your documents into a safe place. Let your family and your personal representative know in the event of your death. Always create a copy in a trusted second place such as a family or friend’s place.

View our cremation planning checklist infographic for a full list of these items. Give your family peace of mind by taking these moments to follow our cremation checklist. For more information, call Smart Cremation at (503) 402-2578.