Green Cemetaries
Mothers surgery went well and she is recouperating nicely in the Hospital. She is on a morphene pump, so she doesn't remember when the last time someone has visited. Yesterday evening I asked her if she had any recent visitors and she said "I don't know" and my sister had been there a few hours before. She does giggle at almost anything you say, and have lots of comments though. The good thing is she is healing and in NO PAIN!
The issues with her health recently have gotten me to thinking about funeral arrangements and such however. We already know what we are going to do with Mom, she will be cremated and her ashes will be mixed with my dads. We will put half of the combined ashes in the urn with half of dads. The rest will be mixed and sprinkled in important places to them in 3 different states as per their wishes.
Actually none of us want prefer to be cremated, but we prefer cremation to being embalmed and put in a copper, steel or bronze casket in a concrete vault. We would have the option of a Jewish buriel in a wooden coffin with a wooden vault. Arkansas law does not currently require a buriel vault or embalment so it should be possible to be buried in a green manner. The issue is that there are no funeral homes or public cemetaries that allow green buriel as far as I know.
We would prefer to have all been buried only in a shroud so that we might be able to decompose naturally and nurture a tree or something. At this time there are only a 6 green cemetaries in the USA. As I have connections to East Texas and one of the 6 is near Lake Livingston, I may choose to be buried there, but it is too late for Mom & Dad. Maybe there will be one in Arkansas log before I die.
It really bothers me how so many Funeral Homes really push embalming, expensive caskets and concrete vaults, and many will not offer lesser expensive or environmentally friendly options. Most cemetaries also require expensive vaults. When I am called in a death, I prefer to go with the family to the funeral home to help with arrangements. Often the funeral directors and salespersons are less likely to push the more expensive options with a pastor or other clergy person present. I have been known to give funeral home personell real dirty looks when they start pushing the more expensive options and I have noticed that those dirty looks have saved some people a lot of money.
I have no issue with people that want a $20,000 casket and a fancy marker and mummification if that is there wish and they are willing to spend their resources in such a manner. I feel that people should be allowed to be disposed of in any manner they wish as long as it poses no threat to public health.
For more information on Green Cemetaries check out:
http://www.forestofmemories.org/index.html
Mothers surgery went well and she is recouperating nicely in the Hospital. She is on a morphene pump, so she doesn't remember when the last time someone has visited. Yesterday evening I asked her if she had any recent visitors and she said "I don't know" and my sister had been there a few hours before. She does giggle at almost anything you say, and have lots of comments though. The good thing is she is healing and in NO PAIN!
The issues with her health recently have gotten me to thinking about funeral arrangements and such however. We already know what we are going to do with Mom, she will be cremated and her ashes will be mixed with my dads. We will put half of the combined ashes in the urn with half of dads. The rest will be mixed and sprinkled in important places to them in 3 different states as per their wishes.
Actually none of us want prefer to be cremated, but we prefer cremation to being embalmed and put in a copper, steel or bronze casket in a concrete vault. We would have the option of a Jewish buriel in a wooden coffin with a wooden vault. Arkansas law does not currently require a buriel vault or embalment so it should be possible to be buried in a green manner. The issue is that there are no funeral homes or public cemetaries that allow green buriel as far as I know.
We would prefer to have all been buried only in a shroud so that we might be able to decompose naturally and nurture a tree or something. At this time there are only a 6 green cemetaries in the USA. As I have connections to East Texas and one of the 6 is near Lake Livingston, I may choose to be buried there, but it is too late for Mom & Dad. Maybe there will be one in Arkansas log before I die.
It really bothers me how so many Funeral Homes really push embalming, expensive caskets and concrete vaults, and many will not offer lesser expensive or environmentally friendly options. Most cemetaries also require expensive vaults. When I am called in a death, I prefer to go with the family to the funeral home to help with arrangements. Often the funeral directors and salespersons are less likely to push the more expensive options with a pastor or other clergy person present. I have been known to give funeral home personell real dirty looks when they start pushing the more expensive options and I have noticed that those dirty looks have saved some people a lot of money.
I have no issue with people that want a $20,000 casket and a fancy marker and mummification if that is there wish and they are willing to spend their resources in such a manner. I feel that people should be allowed to be disposed of in any manner they wish as long as it poses no threat to public health.
For more information on Green Cemetaries check out:
http://www.forestofmemories.org/index.html
posted by Conrad at 11:03 AM
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