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When Death Occurs

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Find out what to do when a death occurs - either at home or far away from home.

Whether death occurs at home or far away from home, contact Erlewein Mortuaries immediately at (317)467-4918 or (317)485-5138 to alert us of the death and to schedule an arrangement conference.  (See below for more information on death outside the U.S.)

Our staff will guide you through the many arrangements that must be made within a short time, including contacting the cemetery, placing obituary notices in the newspapers, ordering flowers, and contacting the clergy and musicians. We will also assist you with the many tasks that must be handled after the funeral.

You will want to bring the following items with you to the arrangement conference:

  • burial clothing, including underclothes and shoes. If you do not have appropriate clothing, you may choose burial clothing from our selection at the mortuary during the arrangement conference, or we will be happy to shop for you to find the appropriate attire.
  • photograph(s) of the deceased person. This will be used for the newspaper obituaries, memorial folders, and for preparation of the deceased person's body. The photo does not have to be an individual photo; it can be of more people than just the deceased person.
  • eyeglasses, jewelry, or other personal affects you would like your loved one to wear, including your loved one's favorite makeup or perfume/cologne.
  • cemetery deeds, if applicable.
  • life insurance policies, if applicable.

    • You will need to bring the following information about your loved one to the arrangement conference:

  • father's name
  • mother's name, including maiden name
  • date of birth
  • social security number
  • military service and veteran's discharge papers, if either deceased person or his/her spouse was a veteran
  • education information, including number of years attended and degrees conferred
  • marital status
  • physician's name
  • occupation and date of retirement, if applicable
  • organization/club memberships
  • names of survivors and their places of residence, including parents, spouse, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great great-grandchildren, and other significant survivors
  • names of family members preceding your loved one in death
  • name of clergy or person who will officiate funeral
  • names of newspapers you would like to be notified of the death
  • name of the organization to which you would like memorial contribution sent, if applicable

    • We can help arrange many of the other things you may want to consider, including:

  • Is there special music you would like to have during the visitation or funeral? This may be from a tape, CD, organist, soloist, or other musician.
  • Are there photographs - either framed or unframed - that you would like to have displayed during the visitation or funeral? We can prepare a Remembrance Video to display your photographs over a television monitor in the chapel or we can arrange your photographs on Memory Boards (unframed) or Memory/Collage Tables (framed).
  • Is there special memorabilia you would like to have displayed during the visitation or funeral? We can arrange hobby, sports, craft, or other special items for visitors to remember your loved one.
  • Are there family members or friends that you would like to have an important part in the funeral? For example, some may read a poem, say a few words about your loved one, serve as a casket bearer, play special music or sing a song, or select flowers for the casket.

    • During the arrangement conference, the Funeral Director will provide you with a checklist of the tasks requiring your attention after the funeral, along with other helpful information.

    International Travel - Death Outside the U.S.

    If a family member dies while traveling outside the United States, the U.S. Embassy will assist you. Please call us immediately when a death occurs abroad. Our staff will help ensure the return of your loved to the United States.

    We will make all of the necessary arrangements to convey your loved one to a local funeral home for preparation and return home. To avoid unnecessary duplicate charges, please do not call another funeral home yourself. By allowing us to make all arrangements, we can help ensure your costs are kept as low as possible.

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