Posted on 12/26/2011 11:52:08 AM PST by Dallas59
You and your family did exactly what I WANT for mine. I want laughter (and believe me, through the years I have given plenty of ammo). I want a celebration of my life, not a sadness of my death. I want friends to start out with, “I remember the time we_________” and then have some humorous story that follows. I would rather tears from laughter than tears from sadness.
Here is a price list for a very simple funeral in Central PA. Keep in mind, there are several hidden costs (usually involves the coffin, these vary greatly in price) and there are always cemetery expenses separate from the funeral home expenses:
http://www.lastrights.info/commercial.htm
especiallty fish, you would be spread out at least as much as any cremation, and all your atoms would be part of another animal after digestion
so, anyone for a new spiritual body?
You will be in my prayers.
Many thanks to my many critics on this thread, who forced me to do more research, in the interests of accuracy. I learned a lot in the last hour.
Amazingly, I discovered that you can carry out a do-it-yourself funeral in Pennsylvania. It is not against the law. Of course it would entail a certain sense of detachment and a good deal of emotional control. This is why we pay funeral directors a lot of money.
Here is the link:
http://www.lastrights.info/DIY.html
I know for a fact that Hospice does many of these final acts for the bereaved.
Interesting topic, maybe a good one for the New Year, when we start thinking about the future.
This appears to be an appropriate thread to share my friend Lou’s actual obituary as it was in our local newspaper. Lou was a retired professor at Bucknell University and had quite a sense of humor. Having had a tracheotomy from all his years of smoking, he went down hill fast. I saw him a few hours before he died, as he walked away from the counter in my store. He was unable to communicate, he walked away ten steps, turned, smiled and held his hands up as he shrugged his shoulders in a gesture of “I give up” and went home and died. But not before writing his own obituary. Here it is..exactly as it was published (it was also read by Click & Clack on Car Talk) His antagonistic sense of humor is obvious, even when facing death.
LEWISBURG - Louis J. Casimir Jr. bought the farm Thursday, Feb. 5, 2004, having lived more than twice as long as he had expected and probably three or four times as long as he deserved.
Although he was born into an impecunious family, in a backward and benighted part of the country at the beginning of the Great Depression, he never in his life suffered any real hardships.
Many of his childhood friends who weren’t killed or maimed in various wars became petty criminals, prostitutes, and/or Republicans.
He survived three years overseas in an infantry regiment in excellent health, then university for four years on the GI bill, and never thereafter had to do an honest day’s work.
He was loved by good women, had loyal friends, and all his children were healthy, handsome and bright.
For more than six decades, he smoked, drank and ate lots of animal fat, but never had a serious illness or injury.
His last wish was that everyone could be as lucky as he had been, even through his demise was probably iatrogenic.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 43 years, Judy.
He is survived by his brother Jack of Houston, Texas; and his children, Randall Kent of Brunswick, Ga., Louis John III (Trey) of Lewisburg, Thomas Bettis of Lewisburg and Edith Austin Wheat of Austin, Texas.
Lou was a daredevil: his last words were “Watch this!”
A memorial service and barbecue will be held on Labor Day at Lou’s place.
Donations may be made in Lou’s memory to the Union County Public Library, 205 Reitz Blvd., Lewisburg, PA 17837.
Funeral arrangements were by Shaw Funeral Home, Milton.
Editor’s note: This obituary was provided by the family.
I have a lovely stream at the end of my yard. The house and grounds will be in a trust for the children. I hope to be creamated and have the ashes spread near the stream. I hope to have a marker incorperated into the stone wall near there, in memoriam, with my name and dates and some nice words. It would fit in with the wall and over time, I would leave little.
Slowing sinking deeper and deeper underground.
Windblown dust is continually failling everywhere. Other the millienia all the falling detritus, the composing leaves, slowly accumulate. Old building foundations and crypts appear to sink.
This is why archeological sites are underground. The deeper they dig the older the bones they find.
My father's funeral, though, was especially beautiful. We invited the CNA's who had helped take care of him here at home (father had qualified for a Home Hospice program under the aegis of the regional Medical Center) and he'd had a lot of CNA's because he was 2 1/2 years "officially dying". I think all of the CNA's that we invited, came: really good gals who had done a lot for my father, and had become like part of our family.
There were two priests and a deacon, and the choir, just simple and dignified and tearful/joyful. Here in east Tennessee there are very few Catholics, less than 2% of the population: I'm pretty sure none of the dear CNA's or the few old acquaintances from the Senior Center were Catholics. So it might have been their only exposure to what a Catholic Funeral Mass looks or feels like.
I think everyone was touched. I certainly was, by everyone's extraordinary kindness.
Sorry to hear you are so ill, CC. This must be a very difficult topic for you.
I know that inurnments are done in the National Cemeteries, as my sister was inurned next to her husband at the one in Texas last year. Her Memorial Mass was held a month later, giving all the relatives time to make travel plans.
I don’t know about costs, but imagine it is a fraction of a burial in a private or church-related cemetery.
My sis and bro-in-law were very devout Catholics, and so I am sure this manner of burial is acceptable (even to the Pope!) They never missed Mass until they were no longer able to leave the house. There was always a Rosary or two or three every day; and countless novenas and devotions to Our Lady and the Sacred Heart.
I would consider it an honor to be buried with generations of those who served.
Your local Veteran’s Association should be able to answer all your questions about this.
Thanks for making me smile!
Funny thing, when Lou’s obituary came out, I shared it with a local Dr.. He read it through and all of a sudden it was as though he had seen a ghost as he turned white.
Ends up, he was Lou’s Dr. and did not take kindly to the iotrogenic comment! LOL....
It sounds beautiful. Really, it’s all a matter of preference, of the deceased and of the family.
My one sis-in-law was sent off with a Mass concelebrated by six priests and her husband, a Deacon! I loved every minute of it, and she would have, too, as she was the “Grace Kelly” of the family.
My other sis-in-law had a 20 mile motorcycle escort from the funeral home to the cemetery, courtesy of the Nassau County P.D. where her daughter is a beloved officer! They closed down several exits on the Southern State Parkway for quite awhile! All the motorists must have thought it was a special dignitary—well, she was to us!
How could I possibly top all that?
They are tears of love...
and they are going to come out for you...
Hah!
You are such a sweetie, savage woman!
Sounds like a plan...but not for a long, long time.
I had a brother who was cremated and placed in an urn,
and put in one of those small wall units.
Four years later when Mom died - she did not want cremation.
They took my brothers urn out of wall and he was placed
on a table next to Mom casket for the viewing. After the
viewing they placed the urn in my mother’s arms...I couldn’t
imagine any better place for him to be. They both were then
put into the wall unit. Where they rest in peace...
I had no idea that they could do such a nice thing.
Of course sibling rivalry - I’m jealous - cause I don’t know
where I’m going to go now...
“Is there a Ralph’s near here?”
Had to look up “iatrogenic”. (Love language and enjoy learning new words)
He was a heavy smoker with a trach and thought his demise was iatrogenic? Must be from near a river in Egypt called denial.
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