Jim Davis stands by the grave of his wife in the yard of their house in Stevenson, Ala., July 16, 2012. REUTERS/Tom Bassing
The problem I see...is that the property will eventually slip into someone else’s hands. This becomes an issue eventually for someone to deal with. I grew up in a rural area where there were two graves laid out on a property around 1900, with a big stone put up for the man and his wife. The field had gone through five owners, and by the 1980s...the eventual owner simply dragged off the tombstones and plowed over the field. There was something not right about this, but it was a done deal before anyone realized what he’d done. Either you put folks in a properly recognized graveyard, or you sprinkle their ashes in some river...but that’s about the only acceptable ways of handle this.
Does that headline evoke an ‘interesting’ mental picture for anyone else - or am I just having one of those ‘strange mental condition’ Sundays??
There are laws for this sort of thing. I know a rancher who buried his parents on his land but had to have a road built for access just as if it were a public cemetery. The land will be in the family for generations but still...
While a nice story the devil is in the family details - after he’s dead and planted beside his wife.
All it takes is one angry family member and the property could be forced into a sale - and then the family has to move both or let the new owner deal with it.
Time is the only solution to this problem and the city will be around much longer than the old man,
He didn’t plant a tree over her?
I don’t think you should be able to bury anyone without their consent, front yard or not.
Are necrophilia jokes out of play?
I got yelled at the other day for not treating a thread with the proper decorum...
Ala. man fights to keep wife buried in front yard
Exhausted man says “She keeps on digging herself out!”
I hope he wins. It isn’t any of the government’s business, and a legal check on zoning laws is certainly in order.
i don’t blame the guy. hell, if it wasn’t for politics, we would bury our loved ones ourselves, and it wouldn’t cost us 8,000 for a funeral.
‘course these laws were made in conjunction with payoffs to politicians. early settlers would bury the people where they died.
actually ecologically sound.
now we have to embalm, place in a metal casket, and even in a vault.
bad enough that a love one dies, then the government wants you to pay 6,000-8,000 just to bury. just adds to the grief.
blessings, bobo
A lot of bodies are buried in General Lee’s front yard.
A lot of bodies are buried in General Lee’s front yard.
http://www.lastrights.info/DIY.html
Out of morbid curiosity, I did some internet research (above link).
What is meant by the term “traditional burial”?
A traditional burial is one performed by family members and friends. Current burial practices involving the funeral home business are relatively new. The traditional burial goes back thousands of years to the present day. Because a traditional burial does not generate any profit, however, there is no massive marketing strategy to keep it in the public eye.
How-to:
1. Contact proper authorities
2. Death Certificate must be completed
3. Death Certificate must be registered
4. Transport the body to your home (if necessary)
Resist any pressure to release the body only to a funeral home if those are not your wishes. If an offer is made to transport the body for you, the point-to-point cost of that transportation – in writing – should be obtained before accepting. A family member’s personal van, large SUV, or pickup truck are all perfectly normal means for transport at a savings which can be thousands of dollars.
5. Make arrangements for cremation or burial
The body must be “buried, embalmed, or refrigerated” within 24 hours of death. Refrigeration is a way of keeping the body below 40 degrees F. Most funeral homes have coolers. Refrigeration is also done with dry ice, and often with gel packs and regular ice (in bags to keep the water from making a mess as it melts), or simply by turning the AC (home or auto) to the coldest setting
According to a local crematory, the only State restriction on scattering cremains is that if you are going to bury or scatter ashes on private property, you must have the permission of the property owner. With regards to scattering cremains on public lands, lakes, or streams, there are no restrictions in that regard, but we were advised to do it discreetly and privately.
Funeral Facts
•Caring for a deceased loved one oneself is legal in Pennsylvania, as it is in most states.
•Embalming is not essential. Dry ice works well for preservation during a three-day home ceremony.
•The modern practice of embalming began during the Civil War, for bodies shipped long distances. By 1920 almost all bodies in the U.S. were embalmed. The practice is still rare in other countries.
•In Pennsylvania, a family member can (1) act in lieu of a funeral director to orchestrate all arrangements and carry out all decisions; (2) fill out and file end-of-life documentation; (3) transport their deceased loved one to a home, place of ceremony, crematory or cemetery.
•Casket plans for building a homemade wooden casket: $15.95. A cardboard cremation casket may be purchased for $30-$50.
What’s the problem? My wife is buried in my back yard. Oh, wait a minute, no she’s not. Forget I even said that. She’s actually on an extended trip. Yeah, that’s the ticket. She’ll be back any day now. Really.
After living in Stevenson ('82-95), I am having a whole lot of trouble feeling anything but amused by this sentence. Stevenson isn't that big and people there do unusual things. A booming metropolis it is NOT.