When Death Occurs

Obviously deaths occur any time of the day and any day of the year.  Our phones at Penwell Turner Funeral Home are always answered anytime, day or night.  The order in which things need to be done often depends on where the death occurred. We, as your friends, neighbors, and trained professionals, will be with you every step of the way. Rely on us to give an answer to your unanswered questions.

Unexpected Death

When a death occurs at home or in the workplace, a family member or co-worker should contact emergency personnel. If the death occurs at home with family or friends present, the local emergency squad should be contacted for immediate assistance.  They are trained to follow proper procedures for contacting the necessary people.  You will have to inform them that you would like the Penwell Turner Funeral Home to care for your loved one and your family.  They will notify us.  If you are not sure of who to notify or what to do, you may call the Penwell Turner Funeral Home, and we will assist you in notifying the proper authorities.

While In A Hospital/Nursing Home Facility

When the death occurs in a care facility, such as a hospital or nursing home, the professional staff will notify you if you are not present at the time the death occurs. Typically you would inform the facility in advance that you would like the Penwell Turner Funeral Home to care for your loved one.  Each hospital has its own procedures; they will take responsibility for informing us when we are permitted to come take your loved one into our care. The funeral director will contact you immediately following their notification to help you proceed. You may wish to contact the funeral home so you have the reassurance you need that all is taken care of properly.  Some people feel comfortable waiting for our arrival, while others feel comfortable going home and waiting for us to call them when we return to the funeral home with their family member.

Hospice Death

If a loved one was in the care of a hospice program, a hospice representative will give family members instructions and procedures to follow.  When a death occurs at home and the deceased was a patient with hospice, the first step is to call the hospice nurse so he/she can come to the house.  Once you inform hospice to call the Penwell Turner Funeral Home, they will take responsibility for calling to inform us of the death.  It is important to remember to call hospice first, as they are responsible for coming to the home to pronounce the death. If the death occurs at a hospice facility, the procedure for contacting us is similar to that of a hospital/nursing home facility.

Out of Town/State

In the case that your loved one’s death occurs out of town or state, it is important to call Penwell Turner Funeral Home first and allow us to help you make appropriate arrangements to have your loved one returned to our care.  Do not call a funeral home in the town where the death occurs, as we will take care of those arrangements for you.  It can be stressful when death occurs away from home, but understand that we are the professionals who can help you make sure everything is completed properly.

We Are Here To Help

Understand that you are always able to contact us in a time of need.  Our staff members are experienced professionals who can provide the information you need, emotional support and compassionate guidance.  We are here to help.  After we have your loved one in our care, we will be in contact to set up a time to sit down together to make plans to respectfully honor your loved one.  You will be able to discuss the arrangements in detail when you meet with us in person.  We will let you know what you should bring with you. Be conscious to leave a phone line open before you have had a chance to talk with Penwell Turner Funeral Home as that is our only way of contacting you once the death has occurred.

By contacting Penwell Turner Funeral Home, we will be able to help answer all of your questions and assist in making the appropriate plans. You can reach us at 419-342-2551.  However, 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 what you would like, to having all of the details written down and the financial arrangements prepaid. Please contact us at 419-342-2551 to learn more about pre-arrangement or visit the Plan Ahead section of our website.

What to Expect When You Arrive at the Funeral Home

We will guide you through the entire arrangement process, explaining how you can create a personal celebration of your loved one’s life that will be memorable. We want to hear your ideas and desires, and use them as the foundation for the arrangement process.

This process includes:

  • Being greeted by our staff and lead info a comfy homelike setting to talk about your loved one
  • Giving appropriate information for preparing an obituary notice
  • Providing necessary information for the death certificate
  • Scheduling the location, date, and time of the services or events
  • Selecting a casket, burial vault, urn, or other items
  • Preparing and filing the official death certificate
  • Discuss what is appropriate clothing for the deceased to wear for the viewing
  • Selecting pallbearers
  • Leaving with an organized plan of what is expected to be done on your behalf and on our behalf

You may also sign necessary authorizations or make arrangements to have them signed by the appropriate family members.  We will assist you in planning a loving tribute that captures the spirit of the person whose life you wish to honor.   We will discuss personalization with you during your arrangement conference, and explain all of the options available to you.

The following checklist will help you remember what information about the decedent and items will be needed when meeting with us:

  • Recent Photograph
  • Full legal name
  • Home address
  • Social Security number
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Father’s name
  • Mother’s maiden name
  • Veteran’s discharge papers (DD-214)
  • Highest education
  • Occupation
  • Place of burial
  • Clothing
  • Clergy name and phone number
  • Survivors (name and relationship)
  • Life insurance policies