When Death Occurs

Contact The Proper Authorities

Before any arrangements can be made, a legal pronouncement of death is required. If your loved one passes in a hospital or nursing facility, the staff will handle this. If they pass at home, call local emergency officials right away so they can be transported and legally declared. Those under hospice care can be declared by hospice staff. This step has to happen before any arrangements or legal affairs can move forward.

Begin To Make Arrangements

Once your loved one has been declared, you can begin making arrangements. If they preplanned with us, we'll already have their wishes on file, so start there. If not, give us a call at (830) 282-1711, and we'll walk you through the next steps.

Because we specialize in direct cremation, the process is simpler than a traditional funeral: no casket selection, no decisions about pallbearers or a service program. We'll handle the transfer, the paperwork, and the cremation itself. If you'd like to hold a memorial or add personal touches, that's entirely optional and on your own timeline, we're glad to help with that too, whenever you're ready.



If your loved one was active or retired military, let us know, we can help you contact the Veterans Administration about any death benefits or service options they may be entitled to.

Information We May Need

Once we're in touch, we'll ask for some information needed for the death certificate and to move forward with arrangements:

• Full name and address
• Marital status
• Race/ethnicity
• Date and city of birth
• Highest level of education
• Father's name, mother's maiden name
• Name of spouse
• Occupation and employer

Documents We May Need

We'll also need a few documents to complete the necessary paperwork:

• Account statements
• Beneficiary designations
• Life insurance policies
• Military discharge papers (Form DD 214)
• Social Security number

Taking Care Of Personal Property

There are a few practical things to attend to during this time. Secure your loved one's home and vehicle. If they had a pet, arrange for a family member or friend to care for it. Forward their mail to whoever is handling the estate, an empty home with mail piling up can attract unwanted attention. Contact their employer to let them know, and cancel any upcoming appointments on their behalf.