When A Death Occurs
When a death occurs, the order in which things need to be done often depends on where the death occurred. But, one thing should always be remembered: your heightened emotional state upon the death of a loved one. That's why we suggest that you ask a friend for help - someone who is more able to think clearly, and give you the support you need.
At Home or at Work
When a death occurs at home or in the workplace, a family member or co-worker should contact emergency personnel and the person's physician if he or she was under a doctor's care. If the death occurs at home with family or friends present, and the person is under a physician's care, the family will want to call us directly.
However, if the death occurs in a residence and no one is there at the time of death, the police will need to be notified and respond to the residence before the deceased is removed from their home.
If in any case you are not sure of who to notify or what to do, you may call Adams Funeral Homes, and we'll assist you in notifying the proper agencies.
When the Death Occurs Out-of-State
When funeral arrangements must unexpectedly be made away from home, the attentive staff of Adams Funeral Home will assist you in any way that we can.
The very first thing to do is to call Adams Funeral Home at (856) 769-2220 day or night. It is not necessary for you to contact an out-of-state funeral home. We can do this for you. We will make the arrangements necessary to transport the deceased to the out-of-state funeral home for embalming, preparation, and return our funeral home. We will need some basic information from you, and we will ask you to call us upon your return to New Jersey to set a time for an arrangement conference.
While Under Supervised Care
When funeral arrangements must unexpectedly be made away from home, the attentive staff of Adams Funeral Home will assist you in any way that we can.
The very first thing to do is to call Adams Funeral Home at (856) 769-2220 day or night. It is not necessary for you to contact an out-of-state funeral home. We can do this for you. We will make the arrangements necessary to transport the deceased to the out-of-state funeral home for embalming, preparation, and return our funeral home. We will need some basic information from you, and we will ask you to call us upon your return to New Jersey to set a time for an arrangement conference.
Widening the Circle
Our staff members are experienced professionals who can provide much of the information you need, emotional support and compassionate guidance.
While you may ask the director any questions at this time, you will be able to discuss the arrangements in detail later when you meet in person. During this initial call, the funeral director will gather information to be able to transport your loved one to the funeral home.
The funeral director may ask you several questions, including whether your loved one made any pre-arrangements. The director will also schedule a date and time for you to meet at the funeral home and will let you know what you should bring with you. Others you will need to call are:
- Family members and friends
- Clergy or other spiritual advisors
Those Important Questions
If there is no pre-plan in place, there are several other questions that you may have to have answered in regards to the death of your loved one:
- Do I have to have embalming?
- Do I need to purchase a casket?
- What about cemetery arrangements?
- Does the family have to engage the services of a minister?
- What type of service should we have?
By contacting our staff, we'll be able to help answer your questions and assist in making the appropriate plans. You can reach us at .
However, as we’ve said before, one of the best ways to make sure that all of your questions and desires are taken care of is to make pre-arrangements. This is as simple as outlining your wishes to having all of the details written down and the financial arrangements prepaid. Please contact one of our staff at to learn more about pre-arrangement.
The "To-Do" List: What You Should Bring to the Arrangement Conference
We believe every service deserves to be truly memorable, and correct to the finest detail. You can rely on our family of professionals. We're here to help, but you can help us by gathering the following important information together to bring with you to the arrangement conference:
Vital Statistics Needed:
• Full legal name
• Full legal address
• Marital status
• Date and place of birth
• Last place of employment (name, town, state)
• Occupation
• Years of education
• Social security number
• Place of burial, entombment or cremation
• The name, address, and phone number of person in charge of these arrangements
• Parent's names (including mother's maiden name)
• Physician's name, phone number, and address if known
• Veteran's discharge papers
• Cemetery deed or grave location
Biographical Information Needed:
• Names, town and state of residence of survivors (Don't forget brothers, sisters, and possible close friends or partners)
• Chronological order of places of residence
• Memberships in clubs, organizations, volunteer work and positions held
• Religious affiliation, church memberships(s), and positions held within the church
• Military information
• Education/schooling (be specific with degrees, and years of graduation if possible)
• Alumni organizations
• Special hobbies, interests and awards received
• Personal remarks about the deceased
• Work history (positions held, years of service, awards, etc…)
• Charitable donations that will be made in the name of the deceased
Funeral Information Needed:
• Where and when do you want visiting hours or a gathering?
• Where and when should the ceremony be held?
• Should there be any special services by civic and volunteer group?
• Name of clergy, church, and religious affiliation
• Who are to be pallbearers?
• What newspapers should we be contacting (local, state, national)?
• Is monument work to be done?
• How many certified copies of the death certificate will you need?
Clothing and Other Items Needed:
• Color picture of the decedent (It will be returned to you in original condition)
• Clothing, including underclothing (What would you like to see your loved one wearing?)
• Shoes are optional
• Jewelry, glasses, personal effects (rosaries, icons, prayer books, medals, etc…)
• What personal effects should be returned to the family, and what should stay with the deceased?
A staff member of Adams Funeral Homes will be honored to explain all of the options available to you.