Cremation or burial?

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/green-composting-death-environment-washington-state-afterlife-a8712406.html

This initiative caught my eye.
Hoping that it catches on ...and in time for me to take advantage of it!

What do others think?

Yes, we have a valid will, stating burial for me certainly. DH said the same originally, but has perhaps changed his mind to cremation and his ashes spread at sea. Better check that while we are both fit and well!

Decided long ago, that if one of us dies abroad then burial takes place there, as neither of us see the point of paying transport home. I have stipulated a requiem mass in my parish church irrespective of where I die and am buried.

If a cardboard coffin is not legal where you are, you could ask for a Jewish coffin. They are made of unvarnished (unpainted) boards as everyone is equal in death and don't have any religious symbols on them.

Do check the legal aspects of your wishes. Here in Denmark it is illegal to be buried or cremated without a coffin, and you need special permission, which is rarely granted, to be buried on your own ground. I should think a grave in the garden would make selling a property nearly impossible.

I know we all have to die, but I would not be comfortable with a human being buried in my garden! Cats and dogs, yes, but somebodies DH or DW or baby, no.

Talking recently about funeral arrangements my daughter asked me:
"Dad, would you rather be buried or cremated?"
I replied, "I don't know, surprise me"

Thank you Bob Hope.

My late grandma was a devoted Catholic . She always said she wanted to be buried. That was until she became quite poorly at the age of 99 and announced that she did not want to be buried after all but wanted to be cremated. She said she no longer believed in the vanity of a headstone and wanted to be remembered just for who she was (pretty amazing in my eyes) . She had passed on her change of mind to her priest so I was in no doubt . We still went ahead with the full Catholic service and her coffin lay in the church over night.

For me, as quickly and as cheaply as possible please. No frills at all .

Will glass coffins be a success?
Remains to be seen!

Cremation every time! Like the magician's trick; a puff of smoke and you're gone, but for real!

I want to be buried in a natural burial ground, ideally with a tree planted if it is not too crowded. I would like this to be a small family ceremony.
Funerals are for the bereaved family, and if they want to, I would hope they would also opt for a service of thanksgiving in church, with friends present and wonderful music.
I need to write this down in a letter of wishes, to go with my will. In the UK, requests about funerals are not binding on the executor, whose priority is to execute the financial side . An expensive funeral will leave less for the beneficiaries,

You can also get 20% off writing a Will with Co-Op Legal Services, taking it down to £118.80 (for a single Will). Here's the link: www.rememberacharity.org.uk/making-a-will/start-will-online/

My mum always said that she wanted to be stuffed and put in the corner so she could keep an eye on us all,it didn’t happen lol.
My fil donated his body to medical science but my husband felt as there was never a service and didn’t know what had happened to him that it was hard to come to terms with it.
I have a prepaid funeral plan, my husband got too ill to be able to discuss it almost overnight and it was awful when he died,emotionally and financially, even the cheapest funeral, no cars and as only the children and I and his cousin we were able to use the smaller chapel and that was over £2500, don’t want my children to have that worry when I go,hopefully not just yet though

I have buried my Dad's ashes in a Natural Burial Ground which is like a nature reserve, it's beautiful. My Mum will be joining him when her time comes. They always loved being outside and their garden so it seems right. And I have somewhere lovely to go and visit if I want to.

Yes, we are allowed a cardboard coffin in UK. I have a friend who is a priest who conducted a funeral service where the coffin was cardboard. It was a burial and the weather was awful - torrential rain, and the funeral directors were really concerned about the chances of the coffin falling apart before it was lowered into the grave. My friend said that he ‘hurried the burial a little’.

I like SillyNanny’s plan. Cremation is catastrophic for the environment and we will run out of space for burials, even woodland burials. In the U.K. I know two people who have buried their loved ones on their own land. Apparently this is legal, although I guess you’d have to check for watercourses and so on. Personally, I would like to be recycled in some way. Perhaps I could be composted.

Hi all, when my dear husband died 3 years ago I arranged his funeral with the Co op. In accordance with the customs of his family (he was Indian) we agreed to have a cremation. The coffin was delivered to the Catholic Church of which we were members to be there overnight. The family visited the church in the evening and talked about his life etc. while sitting with the coffin. Next day we had the funeral service at the church, with the family sharing their memories and eulogies with the congregation. It was nice that the church was full. After the service the coffin was taken a couple of miles to the crematorium where we had another little service just for us, his family. I had chosen Elvis music, the religious songs such as "Oh Lord my God,,," Then we headed back to church and everybody had a nice buffet in the church hall. This funeral plus flowers, burial plot for his ashes, an engraved plaque, etc. was not cheap. It set me back nearly £8000. I don't know how much it would have been just for the cremation. But as my husband had been a faithful Catholic and took part in various church activities and was popular there, I felt the church service was necessary. I will go to the crematorium on Valentines Day. I miss him,

This is the link.

www.ageuk.org.uk/get-involved/donate/leave-legacy/free-wills-month/

We need to update ours too. I did read somewhere that some solicitors are participating in a free will writing service in March. I will see what I can find out about it.

My son knows what i want, a wicker or cardboard coffin, cremation then my ashes treated & put on a coral reef to help the reefs to repair the growth that has been lost. I love the sea so this will be ideal. Also told him if he doesnt do it i'll come back & haunt him Lol!!

I'm the opposite of youAbsent I dont believe the body is important at all when we die.I dont visit graves or lay flowers because the person I knew and loved left when their heart stopped beating .We stipulated our bodies going for scientific research and a private cremation afterwards .Our children know thats what we want and will do as we wish.

They can have a memorial party if they want ,thats up to them and funerals are for the living not the dead ,so its their choice.I dont want headstones or plaques for people to weep over I prefer them to remember me how they knew me not go and talk to a piece of ground .Odd I know but then my opinions often are to others

Interestingly, there was a thread on Mumsnet awhile ago on which a crematorium worker answered questions (It's in the AMA section). It was really interesting and informative - not least the fact that she recommended the cheapest coffin - and not wicker - as they burn more quickly and hotter, and so give a better 'result'... Not everyone's cup of tea as light reading, but I found it fascinating and reassuring.

We are in a quandary now as we were part way through drafting new wills to avoid the dreaded French inheritance laws but not sure now due to B****t.

It's such a loving thing to do - to write wills and keep them up to date. I cannot understand people who put off doing it and then their families are left to clear up the mess (sometimes leading to major falling out amongst members). Can I also plead with us all to do a Funeral Plan. Having had to do this for both my parents, who died within a short time of each other, it was heartbreaking. It would have been SO much easier on all of us if they'd written out what they wanted (down to the music and the readings). It's such a struggle to make these decisions when your heart is sore and other families members have different ideas to yours. Totally unnecessary (and cruel) to leave families to deal with this in the midst of their grief.

I have a letter with my wishes written down. I did joke with my children after attending a funeral saying I had just possibly spent some of their inheritance as I wanted a wicker coffin. It’s been altered over the years, originally done when children were small, as I’m a single mum and wanted them to have a voice. Having lost my partner at 32 he was 34 and he had no plans written down, I felt it was important. Also got my mum to stipulate her wishes, She has remarried since my dad died and I would want her ashes to be reunited with my dad, but obviously my lovely step dad may have other thoughts, if still with us. Grief is not the time to have those conversations. She does want to be with my dad. My family are ones that tend graves where as Step dads don’t, so I needed to clarify her wishes.

Funny this should come up as we have an appointment early afternoon to discuss making new wills and a few other things to put our affairs in order. Also this is going to be the year we finally sort out the loft and photos. We have both talked about what we would do if the other went first and both of us want simply no fuss cremations

I'm looking into forensic science body donation if not then a simple cremation is my choice but a huge party for the living with drink a plenty to see me off doing what I enjoyed in my youth dancing, singing and drinking (hope the mourners are up to it)

I'll go with whatever the family decides! I would like a wicker type casket though and a celebration of life with bright colours rather than a 'black' funeral dirge

I am with Missadventure we have decided to redraft our wills and include our wish for no funeral service at all of any kind. Simplicity are advertising the kind of arrangements we want but other funeral directors are now offering this option. We would like to be cremated as soon as possible without anyone in attendance death and anyone who wants to can remember us in their own way hopefully with a champagne toast. We want to spare our family and friends the emotional turmoil and domestic turmoil of arranging and attending a funeral. Its also unnecessarily expensive.

I'll go for the no coffin, no service, cheapy cremation.