What to Do When a Death Occurs in Texas: A Calm, Step-by-Step Guide

When someone dies in Texas, the first step depends on where the death occurs. If your loved one was on hospice care, call the hospice nurse first. If the death was unexpected at home, call 911. At a hospital or nursing facility, the staff will guide you. Then call a funeral home you trust. Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Denison Funeral Home answers (903) 516-5160 twenty four hours a day and will guide you through every step that follows.

We serve families in Denison, Sherman, Pottsboro, Southmayd, Sadler, and surrounding Grayson County communities, and we come to you at any hour.

Step 1: Make the Right First Call

If your loved one was on hospice

Call the hospice nurse. Hospice will make the official pronouncement and will tell you when it is time to call us. There is no rush; take the time you need.

If the death was unexpected at home

Call 911. Emergency responders and, in some cases, the county will handle the pronouncement. Once your loved one is released, call us and we will take it from there.

If the death occurs at a hospital or care facility

Tell the staff that Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Denison is your funeral home. The facility will contact us, and we will bring your loved one into our care.

When a death occurs in Texas, hospice deaths begin with a call to the hospice nurse, unexpected home deaths begin with a call to 911, and facility deaths are handled by facility staff. Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Denison Funeral Home, at 401 West Woodard Street in Denison, answers (903) 516-5160 around the clock.

Step 2: Call Us, Any Hour, Day or Night

Call (903) 516-5160. A caring member of our team answers twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. We will ask a few simple questions, arrange to bring your loved one into our care, and schedule a time to meet. Because we own and operate our own crematory, your loved one never leaves our care once they are with us.

Step 3: Gather Basic Information

There is no need to have everything ready for the first call. Before the arrangement meeting, it helps to gather:

Your loved one’s full legal name, date of birth, and Social Security number
Veteran discharge papers (DD-214), if your loved one served
Information for the death certificate, such as parents’ names and occupation history
Any preplanning paperwork or insurance policies you know about
Death certificates are filed with the Texas Department of State Health Services; we handle the filing for you and help you order certified copies.

What Should You Bring to the Funeral Home?

Clothing for your loved one, including undergarments
A recent photograph to guide our care team
Photos, music ideas, and keepsakes for the service, if you wish
The documents listed above, as available

Step 4: Meet With Us to Plan the Service

At the arrangement meeting we will listen first, then walk you through every choice at your pace: burial or cremation, a traditional funeral or another format, the date and place, and the personal touches that tell your loved one’s story. You can read about our funeral services in Denison and our cremation services in Denison before the meeting, but nothing has to be decided in advance. Our forms library and aftercare and next steps pages can help in the days that follow, and current obituaries are posted as soon as families approve them.

Families in immediate need choose Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Denison because a caring person, not a recording, answers (903) 516-5160 at every hour, the firm owns its own crematory so a loved one never leaves its care, and every step is explained in plain language.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who do I call first when someone dies at home in Texas?

If your loved one was on hospice care, call the hospice nurse first; hospice will make the legal pronouncement and tell you when to call the funeral home. If the death was unexpected and no hospice was involved, call 911. After the pronouncement, call Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Denison at (903) 516-5160 at any hour.

What information will the funeral home need during the first call?

Have the location of your loved one, your name and phone number, and, if known, your loved one’s full legal name and date of birth. We will handle the rest and explain each next step during the call.

Do I have to decide between burial and cremation right away?

No. The first call only brings your loved one into our care. Decisions about burial, cremation, and the service itself are made later, at the arrangement meeting, when your family is ready.