GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH
FOUNDATION NEWS
Caring for the Ministry of Grace: “Ecclesia Perpetua”
June 2011
Board of Directors
Carolyn Warloe
President
Tom Kiersky
Treasurer
Hal Dick
Secretary
Shelly Lundahl
Director
Kris Saathoff
Director
Anne Orwick
Director
Neil Christensen
Director
Molly Hallgrimson
Ex-Officio
Pastor Wendell
Hendershott
Ex-Officio
Joy Linn
Administrative Asst.

The Grace Lutheran
Church Foundation is
a professionally
managed corporate
nonprofit foundation
established by Grace
Lutheran Church,
Corvallis, Oregon.

What to Do After a
Loved One Dies

by Carolyn Warloe

Several years ago, at the request of the Church Council, the Foundation agreed to manage Memorial funds given to the church. We keep track of donations, send letters of acknowledgement, and contact family about their desires in how funds should be used. We receive the majority of our small donations as memorial gifts. Because of this we are in contact with families and spouses who have lost someone.

Recently, Hal Dick shared an article he had received from the Phi Psi Foundation about “What to do after a loved one dies.” Our initial thought was that this could be useful to people in the congregation who lose someone. As I thought about writing this article, I realized that it would also be a good checklist for me to ask my mother about items on the list. While I hope that my 96-year-old mother is still with us for years to come, knowing where things are located and what her desires are would make things easier when the time comes. A checklist for the first six months is on the second page of the newsletter. Click here for a pdf version of the article and checklist.

Immediate Considerations

Provide information for the death certificate.

Look for a letter of instructions indicating funeral wishes, contacts, and location of documents.

The Board of Directors acknowledges the generosity of
the following people for donations:
 
November 2010
Eldon & Carol Erickson, Corvallis, OR
In Memory of
Harold “Rudy” Rudolph
James & Kathleen Zuehl, Hudson, WI

December 2010
Anita McEldowney, Corvallis, OR

In Memory of Lorraine Nielson
Duane & Christine Morgan, Grants Pass, OR

January 2011
Anna Vigeland, Canby, OR

In Memory of Hans Neukomm
Ted and Swannie Carlson, Corvallis, OR
January 2011
In Memory of Hans Neukomm
Herb and Donna Hansen, Corvallis, OR
Jeff and Cathy Mueller, Corvallis, OR
Billie Larson, Corvallis, OR
Marion Zerull, Corvallis, OR
Ron and Kay Larson, Corvallis, OR
Gerald and June Reese, Brooten, MN
Shirley and Richard Blasjo, Saint Paul, MN
Marna and Terry Renshaw, Corvallis, OR
Dale and Mary Jane Weber, Corvallis, OR
George and Peggy Custer, Corvallis, OR
Robert and Myrta Dill, Philomath, OR
Anonymous
In Service to the Ministry of Christ’s Church

Grace Lutheran Church Foundation
Financial Report
January 1 – March 31, 2011

Contributions

Foundation Total Assets *

Expenses

$1,035.00

$560,878.53

$3,850.01

Projects Approved
Baptism 'donations' for children under
    age 16, $50 each
Kenya Mission (matching funds)
 $200.00

$6,500.00

Memorial Funds
Rectangular tables, 7
Wheelchair Accessible bathroom (Rudolph)
Sound system replacements (Skwark) 		$350.00
$850.00
$825.00
      Total Projects $8,725.00

* The Foundation’s total assets on January 1, 2011 were $541,926.38.

The Board of Directors acknowledges the generosity of
the following people for donations:
February 2011
Henry and Vivien Chrostowski, Corvallis, OR
Netsie Griffith & Wendell Hendershott, Corvallis, OR
Anonymous

In Memory of Hans Neukomm
Herb and Donna Hansen, Corvallis, OR
Millie Babb, Corvallis, OR
Zane and Mary Beth Wilson, Springfield, OR

March 2011
In Memory of Laverna Sykes
Millie Babb, Corvallis, OR

Check List – What to Do After a Loved One Dies
The First Month

Contact a qualified attorney to explain your loved one’s will.

Order 10 certified copies of the death certificate.

Contact your loved one’s current and past employers for potential group life, insurance, pension, and other benefits.

Contact mortgage and real estate companies, life and health insurance companies, and auto and home insurance companies for benefits.

Contact creditors for possible credit life insurance or accidental death benefit insurance.

Contact the Social Security Administration for survivor benefits.

Change medical and dental insurance.

Review your beneficiary options regarding IRAs, retirement accounts, and other investments.

Send medical claims to the insurance carriers. Cancel individual credit cards.

Review your taxes with an attorney or a certified public accountant.

Transfer assets into your name or a trust account.

The Second and Third Months

Establish a budget and emergency fund.

Change the billing name to your own name on joint credit cards, and change the title on jointly owned real estate, property, and vehicles.

Update your estate plan and revise trusts.

Review old checkbooks, tax returns, bank statements, and canceled checks for clues to additional assets, benefits, or obligations

The Fourth and Fifth Months

See a CPA about income tax returns, including any estate tax returns that must be filed.

Prepare and file all necessary tax returns.

Review next year’s personal income tax situation.

The Sixth Month and Beyond.

Develop a plan for your financial future. Make major decisions about investments and relocating your home after about a year.

Return to Newsletter Home