Was reading an article the other day on green (or eco-)cemeteries (Eco-cemetery - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) and realized I don't have a plan for when the inevitable happens.

What are your thoughts/plans on burials and services?

I have always leaned toward cremation because I don't want to take up any more space than I have to...but haven't given it anymore thought than that.....family is scattered to the winds (no pun intended), so there isn't really a notion of a home location and/or a family plot.....

I would like to be just left deep in the woods to decompose naturally but unfortunately thats not an option.I hate the thought of my soul being trapped in a coffin for eternity and am not too fond of cremation either.

Hubby and I both plan on being cremated. If he passes away first, I am going to keep his ashes and then have mind combined with his. After that the kids can do with the ashes what they wish.

We have also decided we do not want views or the typical type of funeral. We want either memorial services or a more laid back gathering.

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Sell crazy some place else, we are all stocked up here.

This is kinda what I'm thinking too.....the whole wake thing just gives me the heevie-jeevies. But I wonder if it is somehow important to the grieving process. I think not, but then I'm not a psychiatrist.

cj/

well speaking from experience here.

My husband died 2 years ago from a stroke...the strange reaction from friend and family was unbelieveable....

the minister from our church did not call....because they did not believe in cremation

one friend did not send a card to me because I did not have a funeral..

We had ask that donation be to the church....one friend said since we had no funeral why give money to the church...

I met one friend at the grocery the day after my husband died...I needed milk...and she was shocked that I was out so soon....

My husband and I wanted cremation and no service or viewing......but no one seemed to understand...that was our choice...


good luck

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They said the world is going to end this year... ... They can barely predict the weather

I read a book a few years ago (stupid mistake, I was just bored while waiting HOURS at MIDNIGHT for my son to get his Harry Potter book!) about how bodies are embalmed and then the worst part - how they are prepared for viewing. That was it for me! I decided to be cremated and my son will scatter my ashes at a park where I walk every day. I really don't want any service, but I will leave that up to my son if he wants just an informal Memorial.

Dollydeal, you could always donate your body to this place:
Forensic Anthropology Center at the University of Tennessee

They do exactly what you want. They leave you outside to decompose and study the effect of weather and so on on the rate of decomposition. You're not exactly left in peace, I guess, but you do get to decompose outside a coffin.

I am so sorry that you were treated that way, by "friends" even. I think it is a personal choice about services and cremations.

My Uncle died. (we are going to a memorial service in a matter of moments for him). He died in OK and was cremated and sent back here to be buried with his mother. He did not want any kind of service. He is already in the ground. Close family are going to pay respect and say a few things about him. That's it, no minister, no nothing.


I always send cards at least, regardless of cremation, funeral, or no service at all. It is my way of showing someone that I care about them.

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Well, I'm against creation because of my deep fear of fire. I have a terrible fear that I won't really be dead, and I'll get burned up. I know, silly-- but no way, no how do I want to be cremated. Scott and I have talked about where we want to be buried. It's a catch-22, because my family is in FL, his in NH, and we currently live in NC.

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Forgiveness is love in its most noble form. -Anonymous

Thats GREAT!Thanks for the link.I will definately look into it.I hope they are still around when I go.

If I could be buried in an old pine box with just a sheet wrapped around me, I would. These days coffins are like tupperware (they keep you fresh for 100 yrs) LOL I will not be put into tupperware!!! So I guess it's cremation for me Don't want an urn either, just put me in an old shoebox and throw me somewhere or hell, even flush me, doesn't matter to me. LOL

As Jews we don't embalm, and the tradition is to be buried in a plain pine box so that the body may return to its natural state in the earth. Ashes to ashes....etc.

That being said, it totally creeps me out! DH and I have discussed it and we both are going to be cremated. Now, I'm sure that will totally freak out my family, but the thought of being put in the ground....well....no thanks.

My sister has donated her body to the University Of Miami for when that time comes, I'm supposed to makes sure that happens. That is, if I don't go first!

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This space for rent

My Mom's family has plots in a very rural farming community about an hour from here. I would like to be buried there someday along with my great grandparents, grandparents etc. Although I don't know if I am 'entitled' to a spot- will have to check it out someday with one of the last remaining cousins.

My Mom died 5 yrs ago and wanted to be cremated with no services- which is what we did. I kind of had a hard time with the concept, and my kids really did. Also per r wishes, she had her ashes divided up among friends and family to distribute in their favorite place. Somehow, my sister and I did not end up with any of the ashes.

I want to be cremated and my ashes scattered from the top of a mountain in the ADirondack Park in upstate NY.

However, if my family wants to bury the ashes so there's a place to go where "I" am, I would understand. I would prefer that it be in a cemetary in the Adirondacks, however. I don't really mind being buried where much of my family is in NJ. What I do not want under any circumstances is not to be cremated and/or to be buried in Virginia where we currently live.

This is exactly what we have planned, too.

Cremation with no previous viewing -- just a memorial service.

I just went yesterday to prepare for Dad, it was actually not as bad as I thought it was going to be. He wants to be with his grandparents so I have them looking into if there's room there for him. I was thinking I would like to be in the same cemetary, we have a lot of family history there and for the last 250 years in the area, so I feel like i belong here.

SOme people wanted us to do a memorial, but we have decided just a viewing and burial to get some quick closure.

I wish things would have been planned more and prepared more for this, so I didn't have all of these responsibilities, so anything you can do, do it ahead of time.

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"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though he knows that you are slightly cracked." ~ Bernard Meltzer

I would like to be cremated and since I am Catholic the urn will have to be buried. I hope my tombstone reads something like this-the usual name, loving mother of two sons, etc... and then SHE SHOPPED UNTIL SHE DROPPED. Seriously! I'd like that!! I don't like the idea of slowly decomposing. I lost my dad when I was 15 and that idea of picturing that happening to him has always creeped me out.

we don't have any "green" areas around us for burial. I told my DH "whatever is cheapest". Seriously, I figure getting cremated is cheaper than a burial since you don't have to buy a plot. Just toss me over the ocean or whatever. I could maybe be good fertilizer

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I am with dollydeal I dont want to be in a coffin either & I sure dont want to be burned so what choice do I have

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mom of 3 greats girls

For both dh and moi-self, we will donate any usuable organs and skin/parts for donor needs and med schools, wherever we may be at that time.. Any leftovers will be cremated and divided twixt all our kids , whomever may want our ashes.
I am hoping that at least one of the kids will mix *my* ashes with those of dh as well as those of what remains of my fav cat. (have kept her ashes for 6+ years, am planning on shortly incorporating some of then in my garden this summer ;-) Before we had 6 kids, we always had 5-6 stray cats, and this particular cat had not even one bad habit, a true gem amongst felines.
We just can not fathom burying any useful parts we leave behind that mat help save lives, and as Cheapos of the nth degree, don't wanna stick our kids with huge funeral expenses.
As well, we want our cadavers to be used to teach future docs to suture, etc.
How much more green thinking can we get? ;-)
MZ

me too, so....... I have decided I am just not going to go.

Cremation here. I don't want to lie in the ground, and don't want loved ones to have a "sad" place to go to.

No viewing....can't stomach the thought of people hovering over me and saying "doesn't she look good??" They always seem to say that about dead people. I would like a memorial service, for my friends and family. IMO, that is what a funeral and memorial are for.....the living. The dead are dead, what do they care?

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Doing the right thing isn't always the same as doing the easy thing.

DH and I are both going to be cremated and we would like our ashes to be released off the back of a cruise ship in the caribbean. Cruising is one thing that dh and I are really passionate about. Even the worst cruises are some of the best vacations. So we'd love rest among all the ships passing..

I don't have many plans but ideas that I am making known. I had 2 weeks with my Mom after her terminal diagnosis to find out what she wanted. I want to avoid that for my son and my SO.

#1 cremate me and plop me somewhere. There is room near my Mom.

#2 Funeral or memorial service I dont care which but outside at a nice park. I'll try to pass on a really good day like in the Spring.

#3 going to the cemetary NO FUNERAL PROCESSION. I forbid it have the service at the park and then meet an hour later at the cemetary.

#4 you must have fun. What are the first 3 letters of FUNeral? Remember me happy and having fun.

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Laura
Please visit my blog
http://mylifeinlaurasworld.blogspot.com/

We have purchased burial plots in a small family cemetery. The cemetery is on a hill in the country. I don't know if I'll be cremated or buried. If I'm cremated, I want my ashes buried in the plot.

We haven't really thought about it. When my FIL passed away almost 10 years ago my MIL bought a "family" plot (didn't ask/tell us...ahh, the controlling MIL). They're double stacks so there's a place for DH & I and his brother and wife. I guess in the end I don't really care but the thought of eternity next to my MIL is not a happy one.

My mother passed away unexpectedly this past November and everything went by really quick. I forget what the actual total was but it was a ridiculous amount of money. Fortunately, my mother had a decent amount of money in the bank so we could pay for it. We have a small life insurance policy through DH's work on me and then also on the kids that should be enough to cover any funeral expenses.

I don't like the thought of being burned up but I'm not real keen on the thought of being dead either. LOL I figure it really doesn't matter so why not go the cheapest and easiest route.

peapie