Stop Junk Mail Addressed to Decedents

Receiving solicitations for a loved one who has passed away can be painful. To assist families, the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) created the “Deceased Do Not Contact List” (DDNC) for the sole purpose of removing names and addresses from their marketing lists.

When a family registers a name with DDNC, the person’s name, address, phone number and e-mail address is placed on a special do not contact file. All DMA members are required to eliminate these individuals from their prospecting campaigns. The list is also available to non-members of the DMA so that all marketers may take advantage of this service to eliminate names.

Within 3 months of adding the deceased’s name to this list, the amount of advertising mail received should decrease.

Families can register their loved one’s name by clicking on this link: Register on DMA.org.

Writing Thank You Notes After the Funeral...

Writing thank you notes after the funeral of a loved one can be a hard task to tackle.  Mentally and emotionally it may feel almost impossible for most of us.  You can always consider enlisting the help of family members or close friends.  You can even divide the list of thank you’s to share the weight so that no one person has to do it all.

It is best to send thank you notes to those who: 

• sent sympathy flowers to the house or funeral service 
• made donations in honor of the deceased 
• brought food in to the family at home or for the after funeral dinner 
• gave a gift of any kind 
• and anyone else that helped out the family during this time of bereavement

The content of a thank you note does not have to be long and wordy. No one is going to be judging your grammar. It can be short and sweet and consist of just three to four short sentences, you might want to include:

• a greeting–something simple and straight forward 
• an acknowledgement–recognize the specific gift or thoughtful action they have given you 
• a personal tidbit– something that fits the relationship that you have with that person 
• a word of thanks/appreciation– (this one needs no explanation) 
• a closing– how personal your closing is depends on the bond that you share with this person

The main thing is to let them know you are thankful, it does not need to be fancy or elaborate. Just be yourself. You can never go wrong being honest and sincere.

What Happens During a Direct Cremation?

Direct cremation is a popular choice for final arrangements at our funeral home.  Currently, our direct cremation price is $585.00 - NO hidden fees.  CLICK HERE for more info on our direct cremation package.  

So, what exactly happens during a direct cremation?  Here are the steps involved in this package:

1. We will transfer the deceased to our facility from the place of death.
2. We will place the deceased in refrigeration until we obtain the cremation permit.
3. We will file the death certificate with the state of Arizona, notify the Social Security Administration, and obtain a cremation permit from the county where the death occurred.
4. We will transfer the deceased to the crematory and complete the cremation.
5. The cremated remains will be returned to the family in a black plastic temporary urn. CLICK HERE for information on the black plastic temporary urn.
6. We can post an online obituary for your loved one on our website at no additional charge. It will stay on our website indefinitely.  To see some examples, please CLICK HERE.

It typically takes between 5 and 7 business days to complete the cremation. Certified copies of the death certificate are usually available approx. 10 business days from the date of death.  If you have any more questions on direct cremation, please contact us at 480-985-4900 or info@ssmortuaryaz.com.