One of my daughters sent me a story entitled, “A Different Way to Die: the Story of a Natural Burial.”
It was originally published on Grist.
Though I had heard of this, I did not know much about it.
The story was about a man in Washington State who decided he
wanted to have a natural burial. He
loved nature and lived on 6 acres of mostly wild land. Traditional burial involves embalming – the
use of chemicals- and a wooden or metal casket which is then placed into a
plastic lined concrete vault and then buried in the ground. Jewish burials do not use embalming methods. Another option is cremation. Although steps are taken to reduce air
pollution, soot, carbon monoxide and trace minerals are released into the air.
He and his family chose a natural burial: one in which he would be wrapped in a shroud (fabric)
and placed in the ground. While this
seems simple enough, the process can be complicated. The family had to find a cemetery that
specializes in green/natural burials.
The cemetery director told the family that since the gentleman wanted to
die at home, the family would have to contact a doctor to sign a death
certificate and then take it to the medical examiner. They would also have to get dry ice to keep
the body cool until such time as they could take the body to the cemetery.
If this interests you, look up GreenBurialCouncil.org for a
list of cemeteries that can accommodate green burials. In many states it is illegal to bury a body
anywhere except in a cemetery. In some
states it is required that a funeral director must be hired to facilitate the paperwork
and burial.
Bottom line—talk with your family about what you want;
preplan; prepay; do whatever is necessary to insure that your wishes will be
carried out.
What thoughts do my readers have about this
post? Please share…..
