The first days, weeks, and even months after losing your spouse is a time of extreme grief. One of the affects of this trauma is brain fog. This is NORMAL. But it comes at a time when you suddenly have a list of things that must be accomplished. If this is the first time you have lost a spouse, you probably don’t even know what should be on your list.

I’ve put together a list of lists. These are websites that have helpful lists of things that you should be thinking about after the loss of a spouse. It’s possible not everything will pertain to you, so pick out the things from each list that you want to include on your own personal list. Different states have different laws about probate and other issues, so you may need to search for more information in that area. Google is a great help!

Marcie Lyons – 10 Things You Need to Do as Soon as You Are a Widow

Kiplinger – A To-Do List for the Surviving Spouse

Today – 10 things I wish someone had told me about becoming a widow

Focus on the Family – WIDOWED: WHAT TO DO WHEN

Funeralwise – WHAT TO SAY IN A THANK YOU NOTE

Everplans – State-By-State Probate Laws

Wealthcare 4 Widows: Tools + Resources

How to memorialize a Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/help/1111566045566400

Please note: If you are listed as a legacy contact on that person’s profile, you can still manage their page after it is switched. If you’re not, but you have the password, be sure to add it before asking for the page to be memorialized.

Save Voicemails: I was able to download voicemails from my husband and save them to a file on my phone. I have an iphone, and it was pretty easy:

Go to the voicemail message and open it. Click on the share button. Save to files.

I’m sure other phones also have ways to download. Check YouTube or Google for your phone.

Save your spouse’s phone number: I gave my husband’s brand new iPhone to my mom after he passed. But I still wanted to be able to monitor calls to his number for awhile. I was able to port his number to Google Voice, and then monitor the calls and texts to his phone using an app on my phone. It is only a $20 one-time fee for this service.

Please note, this service does not transfer any voicemails or texts. You must do that before you port the number.

Port Your Google Voice Number