When a Death Occurs

When someone dies, the first hours can feel like a blur, and most families are not sure who to call or what has to happen right away. The short answer is that very little has to be decided immediately, and nothing has to be decided alone. Parker & Burns Funeral Home answers the phone at any hour, comes when you are ready for us, and walks your family through the next steps one at a time. This page explains what to expect so the first call feels a little less uncertain.

Who to Call First

Where the death happens determines the first call. If your loved one was under hospice care at home, call the hospice nurse first; they will come, make the pronouncement, and notify us. If the death was unexpected or unattended, call 911, and be aware that the Jasper County coroner may need to be involved before anyone can be moved. If your loved one was in a hospital, nursing home, or care facility, the staff there handles the pronouncement and will call us once your family gives them our name. In every case, once those steps are done, call us and we will take it from there.

Take whatever time you need before we arrive. Families often want to sit with their loved one, call a pastor, or wait for a son or daughter to drive in, and that is entirely appropriate. When you are ready, we bring your loved one into our care. You do not need to choose a casket, a date, or a service type that night. We will simply ask a few basic questions, let you rest, and set a time in the next day or so to sit down and make arrangements together.

For the arrangement conference, it helps to bring your loved one's full legal name, date and place of birth, Social Security number, parents' names including mother's maiden name, education and occupation, and marital and military history. Bring the clothing you would like them dressed in, a recent photograph for the obituary and any tribute video, and the DD-214 if they served. If your family already has a cemetery plot, insurance policy, or prearranged plan with us or anyone else, bring that paperwork too. If something is missing, we will work around it. Nothing on this list should keep you from coming in.