Frequently Asked Questions
- Make your decision after meeting the funeral service professional.
- Did the deceased express his/her wishes about the type of funeral service they desired?
- If the funeral is going to involve a burial…what cemetery is the burial going to take place? If it is going to be a cremation…what is the surviving family going to do with the cremains (ashes)?
- Discuss payment options with the funeral home and have a budget to work within before you make any decisions.
- Plan a meaningful ceremony for your loved one and designate a priest, minister or preacher to officiate.
- Designate a location for the viewing or memorial. It can be held in our funeral home, any church, nursing home or household.
When Death Occurs
When Death occurs in your family, you will be faced with many important decisions. Preplanning can alleviate many of these tasks by taking care of them before the death occurs. For more information on prearrangements just click on the pre-planning tab. McCafferty Funeral & Cremation Inc. is here to guide you through the entire process 24hrs a day 365 days a year. Call, 215-531-5014 and inform our staff of the death, at which time we will ask you to think about a few things…such as:
- What type of funeral service did you wish to have for your loved one?
- What location do you wish to have the service?
- Has the Funeral been pre-arranged?
- What clergy do you wish to be involved in the service? Have they been contacted?
Once we have established where the death has occurred, we will set up a time with your family for the arrangement conference. It may be the same day as the death, but it is ok to want some time to gather your thoughts and come in the next day. At the arrangement conference we will need the following items and information:
- Clothing for the deceased
- Picture of the deceased
- Cemetery lot information
- Insurance Policy if applicable
- Pre-planning information if applicable
- DD 214 if the deceased was a veteran or spouse of a veteran
- Social Security # for the deceased
- The deceased’s date, city and state of birth
- Information about the deceased’s education level
- Marital Status of deceased
- Deceased’s Parents names including mother’s maiden name.
Also, there are several other things to think about and take care of regarding the services. If there are going to be obituaries printed we would need all of the background information about the deceased. If pictures are going to be displayed or a life tribute DVD playing during services, designated a family member or friend to help you facilitate that. If the deceased was receiving social security, the Social Security Administration needs to be contacted 1-800-772-1213. Notify the insurance company of the death. If you are paying the funeral bill with insurance, we will handle that call for you. Think about what flower shop you want to use. To make things easier on you, our firm will order flowers and coordinate the delivery. Please see send flowers tab for other options. Also, you will need to select pallbearers to carry the casket and honor the deceased, typically 6 pallbearers are required.