Would like to have info about building ones own casket. Where can one find out about state laws regarding burials? It seems like there should be a less expensive way to do it that still has some dignity, or at least isn't offensive. Not interested in cremation as it was apparently only a heathen practice in Bible times.

-- Cora Vee Caswell (coravee@locl.net), February 03, 2001

Answers

heathen?? guess that would depend on who was doing the talking. My ancestors always, burned the bodies,, to release the spirit. Beats having the worms and bugs all over you for eternity

-- Stan (sopal@net-port.com), February 03, 2001.

Stan and Cora,

I guess I am kind of a bridge between the two of you. I was thinking about both possibilities today! Not that we are unwell but it is important to both my husband and I that we remain at our farm. We also want to become a part of the land that has given us so much (does that make us heathen??}. I'd be interested in state-by-state burial requirements.I know lots of folks here in the Ozarks are buried at home. Kim

-- kim (fleece@eritter.net), February 03, 2001.

Cora ,paradoxicaly. look up the cremation society in your phone book.They were started as a means for people to have low cost funerals.They saw the need to inform people about funeral industry rip offs.(read the book "The American way of Death")They can give you tons of info on D.I.Y burials.Little tid bit for you all.Embalming is not required by law in most states.I plan to finaly get off my butt and build my own coffin this summer.If I had the money I'd build a rocket instead.To be launched into a decaying orbit.That way I could go out as a shooting star!Of course I'd want friends and family there for the launch followed by a traditional drunken Irish wake.

-- Greg (gsmith@tricountyi.net), February 03, 2001.

Rockler Woodworking and Hardware Catalog, Everthing you need to build your own casket. www.rockler.com or 4365 Willow Drive Medina, MN. 55340

-- Kevin in SC MO (rosewd@fidnet.com), February 03, 2001.

Our neighbors are Amish and they all make their own coffins and lay them out at home like in the old times and then take them to be buried without all the expensive vaults and stuff. It's all a big money making scheme thought up by the funeral directors. In Michigan most townships have a cemetery that the lots are either free or really cheap. We haven't looked into it yet, but I have heard you can even still set aside a plot for family burial. That's what we plan to do.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), February 03, 2001.

Warning: This post may bother the more sensitive or easily offended.

This might be something you are interested in: Natural Death Care, then click on Legalities and read the info. I believe most states allow refrigeration in lieu of embalming. From what I've read, Jewish burial laws disallow embalming and require burial within a day (?).

This is something that I've thought about too. My small hometown's cemetary requires a concrete vault. Not sure why, maybe to prevent collapse of the grave (especially as they drive their mowers over them -- eek!)? Many states apparently allow family burials on private land, but have different regulations.

My idea of a great burial (for myself) is a deep hole, wrapped in a blanket (or some such). Julie was reading a book about apple trees and told me that it was recounting that an apple tree planted above a grave had grown it's roots down into the skeleton, following the bones. I thought that was really a great way to "go" -- becoming part of the apple tree!

-- Joy Froelich (dragnfly@chorus.net), February 04, 2001.

In this country at least one can get a cardboard coffin especially for cremations. There is a decorative wooden outer that gets removed prior to the actual cremation.

I have heard of a family recently who did it all themselves including taking their dearly beloved departed to the burial ground on his old pick up truck complete with dogs in attendance. Struck as a rather nice idea when I read of it.

I am not sure but I think burial on private land is pretty much disallowed here, maybe on the bigger farms that have had their own family cemetaries for generations.

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), February 04, 2001.

Funeral laws in most states are written by a Board of Funeral Directors with the thought they should self-regulate. Somewhat the fox guarding the hen house. There are outlets called Casket Stores, which sell caskets for a fracton of the cost of what funeral homes charge. In Tennessee, the Board when to court to stop them, but their initial favorable ruling was overturned by a federal judge on the grounds of unwarranted restraint of trade.

In Tennessee you can create your own private cemetery by having the area desired surveyed and then a permanent right-of-way, or whatever, put on the description in the deed. I have acquired a couple of these as I have bought adjoining properties. Technically I own around and under them as I cannot stop a burial in them. A lot of the old cemeteries have disappeared with time.

I will be cremated with my ashes scattered over my farm by plane. I asked one of my sisters to stir in a can of good beer first. She asked if she could process it beforehand. Told her I wouldn't know the difference.

Both of my parents were cremated. Dad's ashes were scattered in the Gulf of Mexico as he loved being on it. Mom's were sent to Minn. where they were interred between the graves of her parents. At the time of Dad's death, it wasn't approved by the Catholic Church, but it is now. The new thinking is if God could create Adam from ashes, he can resurrect from ashes. Doesn't the funeral include ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

I agree the funeral industry is one of America's biggest ripoffs.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), February 04, 2001.

There is a comprehensive book called "Caring for Your Own Dead" by Lisa Carlson that covers what is legal for a person to do themselves in state-by-state format. A book to buy and read WELL BEFORE someone has died, so that you may plan.

When my father was dying I made arrangements to have the simple wooden box he said he always wanted. I'm not much at fine woodworking and was tied up with his daily care, so I mail-ordered a hand-made maple casket. Even with shipping from Iowa (by truck)the total was just about $1000. It was beautiful and I can't tell you how much we all liked it. It had some straw ticking in muslin. We used an old quilt of his to cover him. Meant a lot to all of his children to be able to honor his wishes.

You can contact the same fine company ahead of time and they will make a rectangular or shaped coffin and outfit it to be used as bookshelves or wine rack or blanket chest until you may need it. I would recommend planning ahead, as shipping takes time and that isn't something you have when you have had someone die. Mr. Mulgrew has said he'd be willing to teach people how to make caskets for their community. He also has sold a pre-cut kit for you to make yourself and has plans for making one available in the past. Check out the article about him in the June/July 1998 Mother Earth News page 12.

Contact: MINERAL CROSSING CASKET COMPANY

708 92nd Street, Monmouth, Iowa 52309

or call: 319-673-7481

As I am a 'heathen' (irreligious, strange, uncivilized)planning to be cremated (I could just as easily be Hindu), I will do my best not to be offended by your remark Cora. Good luck with your plans.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), February 04, 2001.

Ole Jeep is now build'n those wood coffins. Personally, I don't want anything to do with'm. I'll stick to my console radios! He is using his own design as most of the plans we've seen are for gaudy, cheaply built and flimsy boxes. I don't think I'll be need'n one! I"m waiting for the UPPERTAKER and not the UNDERTAKER!! Glory to God! Matt.24:44

-- hoot (hoot@pcinetwork.com), February 04, 2001.

Great topic. I'd be perfectly happy to be tossed out in the fen behind our woods, dead & nekkid! I'm not the least bit squeamish about the idea of having wild creatures (bugs to birds) assist me in returning to the earth, while nourishing themselves in the process. But, since that'll never happen, second choice would be a very plain wooden coffin, buried in the pet cemetary here on the farm. (I spend just about every waking moment with the critters now, might as well spend eternity with 'em out back, too!) But again, assorted ordinances will probably dis-allow that option. I guess my third choice would be cremation...though I hear they even have laws now about where you can spread ashes, too! Getcha coming & going, don't they?? I love hearing about old-timey death & funeral traditions, such as the laying-out, covering mirrors, etc. Think I'll post that as another thread, if anyone has stories to share.

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), February 04, 2001.

I have always wanted to be buried in a wicker basket. I once saw a casket shaped one at a museum that was used in some country (forget where) for just that purpose. It just looked comfortable and easy to carry and bury. I guess I shouldn't worry though - I won't be the one digging the hole.

-- Linda Al-Sangar (alsangal@brentwood-tn.org), February 04, 2001.

My Amish friends in Pa employ Amish coffin makers..they make a simple, no frills wooden coffin..if the extended family has miles to travel, partial embalming is done. The coffin is set up in a side room of the house, and many chairs are set up in the living room/kitchen area where folks may sit and visit with one another. Only blood relatives are invited to go to the cemetary, and as folks line up behind the horse-drawn hearse with their buggies, one of the young folks marks each buggy with a number in chalk. When they get to 25, which is the county limit on an Amish funeral (it would take hours for a hundred buggies to wind down the streets to the cemetary), no one else may go.Regarding our thoughts on cremation: husband and I have believed for years that the funeral business is a total rip off...cremation is the way to go for us, after a home "funeral", and we will have our ashes scattered by relatives over a place we both love which will remain nameless because it is frowned upon by the Feds. When my beloved Grandmother died three years ago, she wanted her ashes scattered over Pearl Harbor where her first love had died so many years ago...how cool was that???? Cremation, IMHO, is not "heathen"..I love the idea of both my husband and I, joined forever in Heaven, as well as our ashes joined with the earth...makes me feel really good! God bless.

-- Lesley (martchas@bellsouth.net), February 04, 2001.

I don't know if this is the best place to say it, but THANK YOU for all the great responses to my query. I surely didn't mean any offense by what I said about cremation, I just meant that in ancient times it was used by those considered pagans by the Israelites, not that I am calling anyone a pagan who chooses that very practical route. Its just that I don't want to. In fact my best friend, just a few months ago... but that belongs in the catagory of a story, and it gets funny as it goes on so I will submit it to the stories. Thanks again!

Cora-Vee in Indiana

-- Cora-Vee Caswell (coravee@locl.net), February 04, 2001.

Here's another source you might want to look at:

http://www.efmoody.com/miscellaneous/funeral.html

-- Joy F (CatFlunky@excite.com), February 04, 2001.

Here in Missouri you only need a vault if the Cemetery has a rule about it, it is not a state law Yet. Also in MO if a person is not embalmed he/she has to be buried within 24 hours or the coffin has to be sealed. I know of a family here that made there fathers coffin and the Funeral home didnt mind dale

-- dale (dgarr@fidnet.com), February 04, 2001.

I always thought It'd be kind of cool that (after the doctors have removed any usable parts of my body for transplants) to have my body embalmed with gasoline or alcohol or some other flammable liquid and then put my carcass on top of large pile of driftwood at Lincoln Beach, OR and have me go up in smoke!

I figure that since I wont need my body anymore my survivors can at least get some entertainment value out of it, I do NOT want my funeral to be a sober, sad occasion, all that does is further depress everybody.

Dave

-- Dave (Ak) (daveh@ecosse.net), February 04, 2001.

...and then again there are the Vikings...

-- action dude (theactiondude@yahoo.com), February 05, 2001.

Heck, call me a proud pagan! LOL!! I've told my hubby and parent's that what I'd really like is to be cremated and then have my family rent a copter, fly me over a heard of mustangs, and pour me out so I can catch like dust in their manes and ride forever! Legal??? Probably not, but would be nice. I have also signed my donor card and specified to my loved ones that I DO NOT want any expensive stuff. In my state you don't need embalming or a casket...just go to the supermarket and find me a big cardboard box.

-- elle (eagle-quest@juno.com), February 06, 2001.

Come on! I certainly respect everyone's after death wishes, so don't get me wrong. But funerals and rituals are really just helping the living to process your passing. You are dead, you don't know whether you're being scattered over the Gulf of Mexico or flushed down a NYC toilet! And it doesn't matter! It may matter to you in life, but it sure won't when you are dead. If it gives you some sort of peace in life to believe what will be done with your body after you're dead, then more power to you. And this idea of cremation being pagan, or that God somehow won't be able to resurrect you!! Please! So does that mean everyone who burned to death in accidents or whatever, is not going to have a resurrected body? What about the disciples bodies? Do you really think there is anything left after 2000 years? I'm all for home burials and not falling prey to the funeral scam parlors, but you won't be visiting your own grave, only your family. And if they couldn't do that, they'd reminisce over some personal belonging. I had a very good friend who is an avid duck hunter who has killed every specie of North American duck, hunted Alaska, every province in Canada, and Mexico. He wants his kids to put his ashes in a hollow decoy and take him out every time they hunt! It makes for a nice thought while you are alive, but you probably ain't gonna be aware of it, one way or another. These are the same kind of people who tell their wives not to get remarried, because they can't stand the idea of another man making love to her! Thanks for the laughs.

-- JC (survivors00@hotmail.com), February 08, 2001.

I had a friend who was an undertaker, and after what he told me there is no way that I want to be cremated. He said that the larger bones don't all burn up, and have to be put through a grinder. I don't know why, it just seems kind of disrespectful to the body to my thinking. I would not choose to cremate anybody I cared about. I'd kind of like to have a Jewish coffin, these are made of wood, no metal or hardware is allowed, in order for the body to return to the earth without any impediments.

Or, I wouldn't mind if my body was donated to science and used as a cadaver for medical students. At least it would contribute to someone's knowledge and enable them to learn so they could save lives. I could be wrong, but I don't think there's any cost involved to the family in donating the body.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@itss.net), February 08, 2001.

High there any reply's concerning the burial laws of New zealand would be much appreciated as I want to open a cemetary dedicated to the preservation of the native forests of me here wee country and burial grounds are a sacred and b people don't want to disturb graves good for the environment and good for people with a concience about the future generations atmosphere after all green house gas emmisions are on the rise and trees are our only defense against co2 sincerely loopy leon harris

-- leon harris (loopyleon@hotmail.com), August 21, 2001.

I will be cremated, my ashes divided between my husband and two children then scattered over their gardens and rotortilled in. Then they will have a great party with singing and laughing and telling all the dumb things I've done (and hopefully a few good things, too). No tears, lots of laughter. That's how I want to be remembered.

Wishing you enough.

-- Trevilians (aka Dianne in Mass) (Trevilians@mediaone.net), August 21, 2001.