wonderful discussion last night on options of burial. really opened my eyes to realize the options are not binary: traditional vs cremation. I started some research and came up with a website and NY Times article; there is so much more! the website is www.greenburial.org and the article was in the Times:
Thinking About Having a ‘Green’ Funeral? Here’s What to Know
A typical American funeral usually involves a few hallmarks we’ve come to expect. But how necessary are those embellishments?
Very Interestimg! I talked to person in charge of workshops at local nature center and suggested green burials as a topic. She looked a little startled at the topic, but I think will look into aquamation.
On a more personal level, my family, fantasy football team is Potash!
I looked a little more into whole body donation. One thing I found that is applicable to all us Illinoisians- Why do I need to call a funeral director if I am not having a funeral service?
In Illinois, the only person legally allowed to remove a dead human body from the place of death is a licensed funeral director. Additionally, a funeral director is a professional who has been trained in and understands the process and documentation required after a death takes place. For instance, the funeral director will do the following for the family: s/he transports the body directly to our facility with the required Donor Enrollment form and Authority to Cremate form; s/he secures the permits and other documentation required; s/he informs Social Security of the death; and s/he creates the death certificate for the family.
The funeral home does not handle the cremation of the donor as the AGA does that at no cost to the family.
I would have to pay for body transport to research facility and if it is not accepted, pay for plan B.
Thank you, Marilynn! This looks super interesting. I don’t think I speak for myself when I say that I’d love to hear more about this experience some time
It looks, and sounds like, I missed another excellent Circle gathering. In reading through the resources, I feel called to share what one of my friends is doing. His name is Deon Strommer, and I met him through my membership with DMORT. I worked under his direction in the morgue in Puerto Rico after hurricanes Irma/Maria. Although I wasn't present, I heard that he was in charge of running several of the decedent management sites (refrigerated trucks) for DMORT in NY City last year, and he mentions this in his talk. He lives in Oregon and has a family owned and operated mortuary service where he has offered the services of alkaline hydrolysis or aquamation since 2018.
The intro of this video is interesting, but he is introduced at about 7:30 into the video. I hope you all love this and find it helpful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOl3vD-q-DI
Thanks for posting the articles and website, Barbara! There are many resources out there. After the discussion yesterday, it struck me that it can be liberating to have so many options, and also there might be an element of the burden of choice, too? Here is a link to the article that was sent out before last night's discussion about Burial options. Some choices are familiar and traditional, others might seem creative, and others might even feel offensive! Which ones stand out to you? A question that keeps coming up for me: what do your top choices tell you about your self, values, beliefs, priorities?
https://www.lexikin.com/funerals/burial-alternatives/
Thanks, Barbara. Lots of avenues to pursue here. I'm not committing to anything yet as looks like the industry is growing.