Planning your own funeral?

[Carolla]

Speaking of headstones - my father-in-law was a stone carver - spent much of his career carving beautiful granite headstones. But when he died, the local Catholic cemetery had changed its policy to permitting only bronze plaques in the ground - so that's what he got. Seemed a shame really.

 

[Lastpointe]

Ah that is sad

my maternal grandparents are buried in a section like that. All the graves have flat markers. I think in the late 50s it was an effort to make cemetaries look more park like. Not that you wanted people playing soccer there though so seem funny

my other grandparents have a site from 1926 when my grandfather died very young. And it is a classic old spot with massive trees

 

[Mendalla]

There was a cemetery near my place that we used to use as a shortcut when walking or biking to various places. One guy we played games with actually lived right next door to it. I always found the headstones and mausoleums part of the charm of the place.

 

[ninj]

Since Mom died young, Dad already had a plot and headstone with space to add him so it was a bit of a no-brainer. It's in the same cemetery as his parents and Mom's brother. The last was a bit of a coincidence. My uncle died before any of the others (I don't think he even made it to 50) and was buried in his wife's family's plot, which happens to be near where Grandma and Grandpa are buried.

Frankly, I'd prefer to be cremated and scattered rather than taking up space after I'm gone, but I am hearing that environmentally speaking, there's some better options coming down the pipe (like composting ).

I read you can be interred with mycelium and become mushrooms. I like that idea.

 

[KayTheCurler]

The flat plaques save money on maintenance as they can be mowed over. Families may start out with good intentions but often fail to do the upkeep needed around headstones.

 

[EasternOrthodox]

Your funeral arrangements may be a morbid topic. Do you have any plans made for your funeral? Things like, where will it be held, in a church, funeral home, somewhere else? Will there be music? Your favourite hymns or songs? Is there anything you would like to have done at your funeral? Have you thought about this?

The Orthodox Church has a standard liturgy for funerals. I don’t think you can change anything. It’s like a old fashioned Catholic Requiem Mass.

 

[EasternOrthodox]

What I find equally important is to have a living will and a will and to give away the stuff you want to see go to certain people. For my son, I have on my to do list to assemble information about German history and his German family , as we see them too seldom for him to actually know who is who.

I’ve got a will, including the living will. Oddly enough, my daughter (one the executors) said it doesn’t make much difference. She’s a surgeon so she must know. Apparently the living will practise is now standard, regardless of what the person wanted.

 

[EasternOrthodox]

The Orthodox Church generally prefers burial. I should ask about that. It must be more expensive. Mind you, my daughter could afford it I’m sure.

I forgot to leave money for the church in the will. I must change that.

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

I read you can be interred with mycelium and become mushrooms. I like that idea.

Magic ones?

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

I do too. I wanna be a (magic) mushroom.

 

[ninj]

Magic ones?

Kind of yuk. I'm sure it would be nice to be a psychedelic mushroom though.

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

Kind of yuk. I'm sure it would be nice to be a psychedelic mushroom though.

Yeah. I’m not sure I’d want to eat a mushroom grown from dead people. Magic or not. That’s definitely yuk. Pretty looking toadstools in the forest? That’d be okay.

 

[Mendalla]

Pretty looking toadstools in the forest? That’d be okay.

Just pick the right ones, else loop back to the original topic of this thread.

 

[Pinga]

My parents had plots near her parents about 3hr away. They gave one plot to her sister to be buried in, as we had moved, then, they gave the other plot to the local Masons for anyone who needed a burial location.

Thankful that they did.

 

[Kimmio Laughterlove]

Just pick the right ones, else loop back to the original topic of this thread.

Circle of Life.

 

[EasternOrthodox]

I do too. I wanna be a (magic) mushroom.

That has a certain appeal!

The Orthodox sing especially the hymn “Memory Eternal.”

You can hear it in the funeral scene in the movie Dr. Zhivago. I could probably find it on YouTube.

 

[EasternOrthodox]

I have no idea if this will work. Funeral scene from Dr. Zhicago. Especially sad as he’s a young boy burying his mother, as was not uncommon in earlier days. The songs are all sung in a minor key.

 

[Pinga]

On a separate note, i have a friend who is a certified Thanantologist.

I think that we spend more time thinking about birth's and allthe processes than we do deaths.
That may be a good thing.
I wonder if it will change as we, as a population, age.

 

[ninj]

I have no idea if this will work. Funeral scene from Dr. Zhicago. Especially sad as he’s a young boy burying his mother, as was not uncommon in earlier days. The songs are all sung in a minor key.

So beautiful, heart wrenching and somber.

 

[ninj]

On a separate note, i have a friend who is a certified Thanantologist.

I think that we spend more time thinking about birth's and allthe processes than we do deaths.
That may be a good thing.
I wonder if it will change as we, as a population, age.

I believe that there may be some superstition around thinking or speaking of death. Like it's contagious. Do we become less afraid as we age?