Whether you are pre-planning a funeral or planning after a death in the family has occurred, this is information you will need to provide for a death certificate. If you don’t have easy access this information, the process will be much more stressful. It’s better to pre-plan and pull the facts together before you need it!
Legal Name: first, middle, last
A.K.A.: other names the person was also known as
Sex: male or female
Date of Birth: month, day, and year
Birthplace: city, state, and country of birth
Date of Death: month, day, year, and time
Place of Death: name and type of place, such as a hospital, nursing home, etc.
Race: White, Black, Native American (and tribe), Hispanic (from where), etc.
Citizenship: citizen of what country
Social Security Number: an especially important piece of information
Marital Status: married, never married, widowed, divorced
Spouse: if spouse is the wife, her maiden or birth name, and date of birth
Residence: last address where the deceased resided, including county and state
Father and Mother: provide the maiden or birth name for the mother
Usual Occupation: the kind of work, business, or industry of the deceased
Armed Forces Service: yes or no
Veterans Information: Social Security or serial number, wars fought, branch of service, highest rank, enlistment and discharge date/location, disability and pension information, discharge papers
Attending Physician: name and contact information
Disposition: burial, cremation, donation, entombment, removal from state (distant burial)
Cemetery or Crematory: if such services have already been selected
Plot Location: again, if already selected
Other information provided by others that may appear on the death certificate include:
Manner of Death: natural, accident, homicide, suicide, undetermined, pending investigation
Cause of Death: such as diseases, injuries or complications that directly caused the death
Contributing Factors: other significant conditions related to the death, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and/or other diseases or conditions
In addition, for funeral services, Muslims or Jews may need to provide the person’s name in Arabic or Hebrew, as well as the translated names of their parents. It’s better to find this out while the person is still alive to tell you!