What to Do When a Death Occurs or Is Near: Guidance from Dengel & Son

When a death has occurred or appears near, Dengel & Son directs families to two immediate actions: call the funeral home at any hour, and use the "What to do when death occurs" resource on its site for step-by-step guidance. The funeral home states it is available 24/7 by phone, with separate numbers for its Ottawa, Paola, and Louisburg locations. If you are planning ahead rather than responding to an imminent death, the same site routes you to pre-planning and appointment options instead.

If a death has occurred or is near

The site's homepage presents "A Death Has Occurred or Is Near" as one of two main paths ("How May We Help You?"), alongside "I'm Planning for the Future." Choosing the first path is the intended starting point for immediate needs.

Call first

Dengel & Son lists three phone numbers and states the line is answered 24/7:

Calling the location closest to you, or the one handling the arrangements, is the fastest way to reach staff. The site does not describe an online form for reporting a death, so the phone remains the primary contact route for urgent situations.

Use the "What to do when death occurs" resource

The site's Resources section includes a page titled "What to do when death occurs." This is the reference to read when you need to know what happens in the first hours — what the funeral home needs from you, what decisions can wait, and what documents or information to gather. Because the site presents it as a resource rather than a checklist embedded in the homepage, treat it as the place to look for procedural detail rather than expecting those steps on the landing page.

What you can do online

The site offers "Request an Appointment" and "Request a Planning Guide" as online request options. These are requests, not instant confirmations — submitting one starts contact rather than completing an arrangement. For a death that has already occurred, calling is more direct than waiting on a form response.

If you are planning ahead

The second homepage path, "I'm Planning for the Future," leads to pre-planning content, including "Planning for the Future," "Talk of A Lifetime," and the planning guide request. Dengel & Son also lists a recurring event: a Preplanning Workshop on September 29, with an RSVP link on the site. Pre-planning lets you record preferences and discuss options before a death occurs, which is the situation this path is built for.

Services you may be choosing between

The site's menu lists these service categories:

• Our Crematory — the funeral home operates its own crematory
• Burial Services
• Cremation
• Simple Cremation Pricing — a pricing page specifically for simple cremation

The site also links to a general "Services & Pricing" page. If cost is a deciding factor, the simple cremation pricing page is the most specific published entry point; other service pricing is reached through the broader services and pricing link. The site does not publish a full price list in the material available here, so confirm current figures directly with the location you contact.

Other resources worth knowing about

The Resources section also includes Veteran Resources, Grief Support, Community Resources, an Arrangement Checklist, a Verse Library, and recent articles. An Arrangement Checklist is useful if you want to prepare information before your first meeting. Veteran Resources matter if the deceased served and you want to check eligibility for military-related benefits — the site points to that information but does not detail eligibility here.

Practical sequence

1. Call the relevant Dengel & Son location — the line is described as available 24/7.
2. Read "What to do when death occurs" for the steps and information the funeral home will need.
3. Use the Arrangement Checklist to gather details before meeting with staff.
4. If nothing is urgent, use "Request an Appointment" or "Request a Planning Guide," or RSVP for the preplanning workshop.

One caution: the site's online options are request forms, and the pricing pages are entry points rather than complete published price lists. Treat anything involving cost or scheduling as something to confirm by phone with the specific location.