End of life arrangements...

[Tactically Fat]

I know you're probably kidding, but there are some very strict rules in Indiana WRT burial. In Indiana, it's not even legal to spread cremated ashes, they must be kept in an urn, or buried in a marked burial plot... I'm going to have a secret will/directive that tells my kids to screw the law, they can load me up in some 12 ga shells and dust some clays with my remains...

I've told my wife that I want her to get with my "gun" friends and I also want to be reloaded into ammo - and then a big ol fun shoot somewhere. But it's probably easier to do with shotgun shells. I should take up clay shooting so I have an excuse for that particular wish.

And if we'd had to cremate my FiL due to $ concerns... We were going to spread him around a little at a time, too.

Something else to keep in mind: SOME counties in IN do NOT have "morgues". They'll either use hospital facilities or they'll use funeral home facilities for "storage". I now know that Wells, Co, Indiana does not have a morgue of it's own.

A memorial service at a funeral home / rental casket / funeral-home handled cremation will still be about $8k.

I don't know what it would have been to have a cremation service come and get him, do their thing, and then have a "party" somewhere else. I imagine there'd be some kind of costs involved for the funeral home's work/storage. I'd think that $2k max would probably do it as far as a no-service / cremation only option.

 

[Bfish]

My grandfather recently passed away, however when he was alive he went and got everything lined out years ago. At his passing my grandma and mom didn't have to do much other than pick a day for a memorial service and call a bunch of family and friends. I can appreciate this post for sure!

 

[lovemachine]

My wife and I are in the middle of having a Will done. Reason being, the Adoption Agency insists on it. But this thread makes me glad we are doing it anyway.

 

[lovemachine]

As for spreading your ashes, I'd check with your church beliefs first. In the Catholic church, spreading your ashes is a big "NO-NO".

 

[GregD]

As for spreading your ashes, I'd check with your church beliefs first. In the Catholic church, spreading your ashes is a big "NO-NO".

So what are you to do with the ashes?

 

[lovemachine]

So what are you to do with the ashes?

Keep them in an urn. You can display them, or bury them. Just don’t spread them.

 

[GregD]

Keep them in an urn. You can display them, or bury them. Just don’t spread them.

I didn't know that . . thank you.

 

[femurphy77]

Keep them in an urn. You can display them, or bury them. Just don’t spread them.

Just be careful. . . . . .

[video=youtube;0mZ8VNkSPaU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mZ8VNkSPaU[/video]

 

[Tactically Fat]

As for spreading your ashes, I'd check with your church beliefs first. In the Catholic church, spreading your ashes is a big "NO-NO".

I know you weren't talking to me specifically about this (and I'm not talking to you specifically in return!!!!)... But as far as I'm concerned - a church that tells me that I can't spread ashes (presuming legal in Indiana - which it isn't...ahem) can just go pound...ash. Apparently the RCC doesn't believe in a God powerful enough to resurrect a body (See here: https://www.neverthirsty.org/bible-...-testament-saints-resurrected-at-the-rapture/ for some more reading on the 4 major resurrections talked about in the Bible) unless all the parts/pieces/ash are contained all together.

However, I personally believe in the Holy Creator God who IS powerful enough to resurrect a body no matter where those atoms and molecules may be. We could also talk about how good the chances are that some atoms/molecules that were formerly making up someone else in history - are now making up some small parts of US. Then there's organ donation...

More on the discussion of the RCC disallowing scattering... What about all the 2017-ish years of history upon which there have been countless millions of people dead and buried...where there is zero body remaining? Guess that sucks for them, huh? I mean, their remains aren't all together awaiting a resurrection!

But, what do I know. I'm just a Protestant.

 

[lovemachine]

I didn't know that . . thank you.

The church says that when Jesus Christ comes back to earth, the dead will rise. Heaven will be on earth, and everyone will be judged.

You want to make sure you’re intact when you’re brought back

 

[lovemachine]

I know you weren't talking to me specifically about this (and I'm not talking to you specifically in return!!!!)... But as far as I'm concerned - a church that tells me that I can't spread ashes (presuming legal in Indiana - which it isn't...ahem) can just go pound...ash. Apparently the RCC doesn't believe in a God powerful enough to resurrect a body (See here: https://www.neverthirsty.org/bible-...-testament-saints-resurrected-at-the-rapture/ for some more reading on the 4 major resurrections talked about in the Bible) unless all the parts/pieces/ash are contained all together.

However, I personally believe in the Holy Creator God who IS powerful enough to resurrect a body no matter where those atoms and molecules may be.

More on the discussion of the RCC disallowing scattering... What about all the 2017-ish years of history upon which there have been countless millions of people dead and buried...where there is zero body remaining? Guess that sucks for them, huh? I mean, their remains aren't all together awaiting a resurrection!

But, what do I know. I'm just a Protestant.

You and I both know that I’m not smart enough to understand this stuff

I don’t agree with everything that the Catholic Church teaches/says. But I follow it anyway, because what if they’re right? I ain’t taking no chances!

 

[GregD]

You and I both know that I’m not smart enough to understand this stuff

I don’t agree with everything that the Catholic Church teaches/says. But I follow it anyway, because what if they’re right? I ain’t taking no chances!

That is a very good plan!

 

[rhino]

When my mother died she had a lengthy letter which spelled out everything... even her obituary written in advance, and the name and number of her hairdresser she wanted to come to the funeral home to do her hair one last time. She had the whole funeral planned out, including who would do the eulogies, and her pallbearers. Her dress was pre-selected and hanging in a separate place in the closet. And it's not that she was in ill health and ready to go... she just didn't want to leave us kids with any burdens or worries about the "right decision to make."

It did make dealing with the trauma of her sudden and unexpected death much easier.

Your mother was very, very considerate!

Get life insurance locked in while you're young and healthy. When I was 38 I got afib and would be screwed trying to get it now

My parents got me a couple of whole life policies when I was in grade school that I keep today. They're not enough for a family to keep living for a year, but they should be plenty for resolving any posthumous expenses.

The life insurance landscape is changing as well. A few years, the idea of my getting life insurance outside of a policy available through work was laughable. Not that long ago, term life insurance offers started coming without a height and weight on the application. This week I got two whole life policy applications that similarly had no height/weight check with guaranteed acceptance. The premiums are based on age (and probably sex and location as well) and for the whole life you can lock them in pretty cheap if you are young. The amounts are small ($10,000 for the largest), but it's better than nothing.

 

[Thor]

The church says that when Jesus Christ comes back to earth, the dead will rise. Heaven will be on earth, and everyone will be judged.

You want to make sure you’re intact when you’re brought back

So...how does that work with embalming? If the morgue replaces your joints with pvc pipe and sells them? Given the modern state of mortuary practice you're just as well being turned to ash...or dumped in a hole in the back yard. What's left in a modern grave is less than the mummies had; certainly your blood and internals will all be elsewhere...not stored in a jar near you.

 

[CountryBoy19]

Keep them in an urn. You can display them, or bury them. Just don’t spread them.

I don't think so...

A formal instruction, approved by Pope Francis, even forbids Catholics from keeping ashes in an urn at home, other than in “grave and exceptional cases”.

That being said, having grown up in the Catholic church and now participating in a non-denominational church, I don't agree with everything the Catholic church says or does. There are some contradictions in scripture depending on how you interpret things. I think the Catholic church bases a LOT of it's interpretations in unique ways that don't align with other scriptures, which creates numerous contradictions. The root of the 'don't scatter the ashes" is because the Catholic Church teaches that your physical body will rise up the day before judgement, and if your ashes are scattered it will somehow make it impossible for it to rise up.

Assuming that belief is true (I don't believe for one second that our physical bodies will rise up from the grave), they're saying that ashes that are scattered will somehow be prevented from rising up, but bodies that are centuries old, and 100% decayed into elemental basics will not be prevented from rising up? Lets be realistic here. Our bodies are nothing more than elements and/or molecules once our life leaves them. Once broken down those elements can be moved by nature, by leaching through soil, by nutrient uptake of plants, by natural erosion. What will happen to the bodies who's elemental remnants were scattered by natural means? Will they be prevented from rising up? Anybody that thinks that every single part of their body will stay put for millennia after they are laid to rest is delusional. Someday a tree's roots will grow into the soil, take up the nutrients left by your decomposed body, and turn them into leaves that will blow in the wind, or wood that will be burned in a fire, or used to make a boat that will sail the world, and sink to the bottom of the "insert sea here". Will God make exceptions to the "rising up" part for those cases but not the deliberate scattering cases?

I'm a non-denominational Christian, I believe that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, the life, and is the ONLY way to heaven. My body, upon my spirit leaving it, is nothing more than the rest of my earthly possessions I've left behind.

I don't mean to make this into a religious thread, or get off-topic. Lets try to at least keep this discussion focused on the disposal/laying-to-rest of bodies so we don't get further off-topic. TF, thanks for the post, this is a brutal reminder that far too many will not heed... even those that KNOW they need to do something will do nothing (like my parents that we discussed in our email last week).

 

[Thor]

I know you weren't talking to me specifically about this (and I'm not talking to you specifically in return!!!!)... But as far as I'm concerned - a church that tells me that I can't spread ashes (presuming legal in Indiana - which it isn't...ahem) can just go pound...ash. Apparently the RCC doesn't believe in a God powerful enough to resurrect a body (See here: https://www.neverthirsty.org/bible-...-testament-saints-resurrected-at-the-rapture/ for some more reading on the 4 major resurrections talked about in the Bible) unless all the parts/pieces/ash are contained all together.

However, I personally believe in the Holy Creator God who IS powerful enough to resurrect a body no matter where those atoms and molecules may be. We could also talk about how good the chances are that some atoms/molecules that were formerly making up someone else in history - are now making up some small parts of US. Then there's organ donation...

More on the discussion of the RCC disallowing scattering... What about all the 2017-ish years of history upon which there have been countless millions of people dead and buried...where there is zero body remaining? Guess that sucks for them, huh? I mean, their remains aren't all together awaiting a resurrection!

But, what do I know. I'm just a Protestant.

Well there's that...faith. At which point it doesn't matter what you do with the mortal remains.

 

[Tactically Fat]

Well there's that...faith. At which point it doesn't matter what you do with the mortal remains.

Yep.

My wife and I have both expressed the desire to be cremated - and to do things as CHEAPLY as possible.

 

[Alpo]

I'm thinking about a Viking-type funeral in Norway.

But that would be expensive. So maybe a Huck Finn raft on the White River?

My only instructions in my will: Make sure I'm really dead.

 

[hoosierdoc]

As for spreading your ashes, I'd check with your church beliefs first. In the Catholic church, spreading your ashes is a big "NO-NO".

Really? Why? Ashes to ashes, dust to dust and such

also, if you look at many Catholic Churches they now have burial crypts for ashes on their property. The first I learned of it was a few years ago. I heard a priest describe it to someone else and comment "and let me tell you, we are making a MINT on it" . Today is the first I learned about the ban on ash storage. Now it all makes sense.

indulgences and selling you a place for your ashes. Same stuff, different century (spoken as a Lutheran )

 

[spencer rifle]

We're getting a new body anyway, so what do we need the old one for?