Natural Burial

seven-day-weekend

Hope this isn't too morbid for people, if so, just skip it.

My husband and I want natural burials. There is a new natural burial site on the outskirts of our city. I have details and costs and we looked at it the other day.

In a couple of weeks we are meeting the manager to choose our plots and fill in the paperwork.

We are paying for an oak tree to be planted on the plot once we are interred.

All we have to do now is organise a funeral director who can cater for a natural burial (no embalming and cardboard coffin or shroud). We will pay for that in advance too.

We will tell our son what we have planned and leave the details with our wills.

I will update when there is more to say.

Hope this is of interest to someone.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_burial

lessonlearned

What a lovely idea and how thoughtful of you to help your son in this way.

I am always so impressed with how you have taken such care in planning for the time when you won't be there to watch over him.

The more I think about it the more I am taken with the way David Bowie organised his own low key cremation. Well he always was a class act.

When my mother died my father had no idea about her wishes.....they had never discussed it, even though she knew she was dying, he just didn't want to know. So when the inevitable happened he didn't know what to do.

Fortunately she had been able to confide in my sister and I so we were able to fulfill her wishes. Dad had his own ideas and they were so contrary to my mums instructions that it caused some friction between us. But my sister and I stood firm and insisted that he respect mums wishes.

I think It's much easier and far kinder to our loved ones to either discuss these things or leave written instructions. It's a difficult time for them and our guidance can really help.

seven-day-weekend

Thank you lesson learned and how kind xxxxx

pollypenny

That's a good idea, SDW. I want cremation, as I think it's more practical. However, OH insists that he wants to be buried - no one in his or my family has been though. The thought upsets me, but he's adamant.

agrinnall

A neighbour was buried this way in a forest site in Scotland.

Personally I have just sent in the paperwork to donate my body to the local medical school's Human Anatomy Unit for medical students to practice their anatomical and surgical skills. There is a slight hitch in that if you are also on the organ donor register and they take anything other than corneas then the HAU won't take your body (presumably they want whole ones) so in that case I'll be leaving instructions for cremation.

DigForVictory

I'd like to be buried, with a very carefully considered list of additions to the coffin contents, on a much loved hill with full intent to disconcert a future archaeologist or property developer. I have a sideways sense of humour in life, why should I not enjoy setting up a sort of booby trap in afterlife?

However, it all costs money & nervous wear & tear on the family, so I wanted to follow the David Bowie model & have a massive afterparty instead.

Somewhat to my bemusement, my family are muttering that actually they prefer the burial. As a mass family and friends party is just more than they are willing to contemplate - even with me alive, driving them there & back & chattering to every friend & relation on site!

I shall go back to tossing ideas around with an archaeologist pal & hope my offspring eventually grow up to be slightly less antisocial animals.

warehouse

Having just helped to arrange my fathers funeral I was absolutely staggered at the cost. The best thing anyone can do is to ensure that the people left behind have a way of paying for everything.

kathrynha

My Grandparents had their ashes buried at a woodland site and it is lovely. We are allowed to plant native flowers there, but there is no other grave marking. All the names are engraved on some large standing stones on the site.

My parents have expressed their wishes for their funerals, and I know they want to be cremated, but they haven't said where they want their ashes.
They sorted out all the wills, power of attorney's, finances, etc though to make it as easy as possible for me as I'm now an only child, so would have to sort it all by myself

seven-day-weekend

kathrynha wrote: »

My Grandparents had their ashes buried at a woodland site and it is lovely. We are allowed to plant native flowers there, but there is no other grave marking. All the names are engraved on some large standing stones on the site.

My parents have expressed their wishes for their funerals, and I know they want to be cremated, but they haven't said where they want their ashes.
They sorted out all the wills, power of attorney's, finances, etc though to make it as easy as possible for me as I'm now an only child, so would have to sort it all by myself

The one where we will be is the same, you can pay for a tree(which we are doing) , or plant native flowers. You can also have a small plaque mounted on a wooden stump at ground level. If you wish, you can also have a bat or bird box erected.

http://www.thenaturalburialcompany.co.uk/why-choose-natural-burial/

kathrynha

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

The one where we will be is the same, you can pay for a tree(which we are doing) , or plant native flowers. You can also have a small plaque mounted on a wooden stump at ground level. If you wish, you can also have a bat or bird box erected.

http://www.thenaturalburialcompany.co.uk/why-choose-natural-burial/

The trees are already planted at my Grandparents, , but you got to chose which tree you were near.
I love the idea of having a bird or bat box erected

seven-day-weekend

kathrynha wrote: »

The trees are already planted at my Grandparents, , but you got to chose which tree you were near.
I love the idea of having a bird or bat box erected

Yes me too, might leave provision for that too