Too Poor To Bury The Dead

[LadyKay]

The bodies are piling up in the morgue freezers. Families do not have the money to bury their love ones.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/01/news/economy/_morgue/index.htm

[KatRN05]

I saw a story about this on Channel 4. It's pretty sad but I'm not surprised.

[pomba gira]

That is very sad. Even sadder are the numerous comments from people who want to blame, judge, and espouse their own political views instead of offering any kind of solution or even simple human compassion.

[Slogo]

tragic

[Tacohitts]

Alot of the comments disgusted me,as well as the apathy in most of the people(morons) posting them.

What a shame

[jynxxxedangel]

What I don't understand, is why it costs so much to just dig a hole, and plant someone in it?

Perhaps this will cause people in the mortuary/cemetery business to feel the pinch, and lower the costs of their services.

[KatRN05]

The funeral/mortuary business should feel the pinch. Honestly, charging $5,000 for a casket is crazy.

[pomba gira]

What I don't understand, is why it costs so much to just dig a hole, and plant someone in it?

Perhaps this will cause people in the mortuary/cemetery business to feel the pinch, and lower the costs of their services.

The funeral/mortuary business should feel the pinch. Honestly, charging $5,000 for a casket is crazy.

The funeral industry is such a racket... they figure people won't want to haggle when they are distraught with grief... or will be guilty over how they neglected the deceased in life... so they can pretty much charge whatever outrageous fees they want. Everything connected with funerals... I couldn't believe how much my MaMa paid for my stepdad's casket spray. It was WAY more than if you'd just bought, say, ten bouquets & put them together. And they imply that certain things, like embalming, are required by law when they really are just matters of custom and convenience.

Now, my funeral will be legitimately expensive... I want to be propped up in front of my computer... kind'a like the Steelers uber-fan guy LOL

[IsleofRhodesEnt]

not to sound like a dick.....but there is always fire....

[Onyx]

not to sound like a dick.....but there is always fire....

I was thinking the same thing. I always thought cremation was pretty economical, though never had to deal with paying for a funeral personally as of yet.

When I checked out the article though, cremation is what they mention there that the families can't pay for.

""Lifelong Detroit residents Darrell and Cheryl Vickers understand this firsthand. On a chilly September morning they had to visit the freezer to identify the body of Darrell's aunt, Nancy Graham -- and say their goodbyes.

The couple, already financially strained, don't have the $695 needed to cremate her. Other family members, mostly in Florida, don't have the means to contribute, either. In fact, when Darrell's grandmother passed recently, his father paid for the cremation on a credit card -- at 21% interest.

So the Vickers had to leave their aunt behind. Body number 67.""

Seems to me it's going to cost more in the long run to keep these people frozen. I'm going to do my best to prepay my own funeral, don't want to leave someone else with the bills. (That is if I can ever even dig myself out of this mess the recession has made of my own finances).

Sad situation, very depressing that we can't even afford to die!

[IsleofRhodesEnt]

then I'm gonna say it now...when I go...and if anyone here remembers....take my sorry carcass out to the UP, set me on some sticks, pour gas on my body...and light my fat ass!!!

[candyman]

This really does suck.

My Uncle works for a funeral home and I asked him why it is so expensive. Don't blame the damn funeral home. They have to follow very tight rules which regulate what materials they can use and what process they can use. There is no option for a hole in the ground without a vault, which is very expensive. The casket, if not used in cremation, must meet certain specifications that judge the quality of material, quality of assembly, and apperance. The funeral home did not ask for this...the people in charge of sanitation wanted this.

The funeral industry is feeling the pinch. However, the can't let the pinch get to the bodies otherwise you really will be able to tell that the person is dead...and not just from the smell...unless every funeral home wants to get busted like the places in Minnesota. You put a body in the ground with improper embalming, sub-par casket, or no vault and your ass is screwed if anyone finds out.

Not saying I like it but that is how it is. That is why I am going to die at sea...I get a blanket and a heavy object which probably doesn't cost more that $30 total.

[Rev.Reverence]

Candy...I think, that you did not understand the earlier rant...

Much like the rest of our greedy society, these mortician types are often employing the high pressure sales tactics of a used car salesman...see, there are NO LAWS requiring that you must embalm, in any state...in a special circumstance, they may require it, say for shipping.....also, when you said, "The casket, if not used in cremation, must meet certain specifications that judge the quality of material, quality of assembly, and appearance."....that is bullshit

Does the law say that I must be embalmed?

No state requires routine embalming and some don't require it at all. It is not required for cremation if performed immediately. If a funeral salesperson tells you that it is the law, ask what special circumstances exist that require it. Insisting that embalming is required where it is not is against the law.

The following chart lists state embalming laws. Note the four categories:

* Waiting Period: Numbers state the hours that a corpse must be embalmed or refrigerated.

* Disease: Embalming may be required for certain communicable or contagious diseases. The letters RQD means that when the patient has died of infectious illness, a doctor must be consulted to determine whether the corpse should be embalmed or not. (Embalming may actually further the spread of some diseases. Hawaii has laws against embalming under certain circumstances.) Which diseases are covered by these laws varies from state to state. Check with your local public health department for specifics if you live in one of these states.

* Interstate Transport. Some states require that embalming be performed on bodies being shipped out of state.

* Common Carrier. Some states require that embalming be performed before a body can be shipped on a common carrier such as an airline, a trucking line, or a ship.

link

link for below

Question: Why buy a casket from a casket store, and how does this work?

Answer: To save money - a lot of it. And the merchandise is delivered to a funeral home or the address of your choice. The casket is often the single most expensive part of a traditional funeral. Why pay a big price tag, when you can get a casket identical to those offered at a funeral home for far less??

Questions Why are there such huge amounts that vary in the cost of the funeral service and supplies? Answer: There are three large conglomerates that have purchased a lot of independently owned funeral homes. (Possibly four - Service Corporation, Stewart Enterprises, Loewen and Carriage Services.) Yet they have not changed the name of the firm, nor passed on the savings of large group buying poweronto their customers. In fact, they have instead, raised the costs of all of the burials in all of their holdings. Ask if the funeral home you are thinking of doing business with is family owned or not. It really makes a difference in knowing, so when you shop, you can avoid those firms and save, by not shopping at the higher priced firms.

It is illegal for funeral homes to tie fees for their services to your purchasing a casket from them, or to charge a 'handling fee' for a casket bought elsewhere.

.. You might hear some techno-babble when it comes time to select a casket. There may be talk of non-corrosive liners, sealers, gauges or weights, and so forth.

When it comes down to it, NO SEALERS are significantly more protective!!

In fact, in the FTC Funeral Rule, it's illegal to even make such claims

(however, a lack of many of their inspectors is also a problem).

...yet, this type of fraud happens all the time.

Here is some other shit that some funerary dude said:

OOOOOOOOOOOO! BEST LINK SO FAR!

We are a casket retailer, and unless you are making them to sell, anyone can make their own casket. Plans for such are off of our website at

http://www.burialitems.com (for coffins as well, homemade is the key word)

Also, links to the FTC funeral booklet with details on what is allowed or not.

Thanks for asking, Betty B.

A Team Masters

FTC REGULATES Funeral Directors MUST(without discrimination) ACCEPT ANY "Burial Products, from oversize casket to little baby casket, or urn," or a DIY ( home made casket or coffin) that is delivered to a funeral home address when purchasing any of a mortician's services. OR burial funeral product to cemetery --grave liners, vaults, markers or headstones are also regulated to open competition in THIS strict F.T.C. funeral rule for the consumer. Get their book with details - here!

....there are massive amounts of peoples that are utilizing sorrow, for personal gain; using the grief of the recently Widowed, to separate them from their hard earned & saved cash...I am certain, however, that a living CAN be made by a funerary outfit, whilst still not rape-ing the wallet of the general public.

[Homicidalheathen]

not to sound like a dick.....but there is always fire....

Yah, I was thinking a nice send off on a man made raft at metro beach pier would be nice, just set me old bones aflame....

and hope the cops dont show up

[pomba gira]

Candy...I think, that you did not understand the earlier rant...

Much like the rest of our greedy society, these mortician types are often employing the high pressure sales tactics of a used car salesman...see, there are NO LAWS requiring that you must embalm, in any state...in a special circumstance, they may require it, say for shipping.....also, when you said, "The casket, if not used in cremation, must meet certain specifications that judge the quality of material, quality of assembly, and appearance."....that is bullshit

....there are massive amounts of peoples that are utilizing sorrow, for personal gain; using the grief of the recently Widowed, to separate them from their hard earned & saved cash...I am certain, however, that a living CAN be made by a funerary outfit, whilst still not rape-ing the wallet of the general public.

Thanks for posting all the info I was too lazy to look up! Especially the bit about the conglomerates buying up funeral homes. That happened to the 4-generation family funeral home used by my family for years (Stinson)... when my mother told me about it my first thought was "well, at least they should be able to charge less, being part of a national chain now". But nooooo, doesn't happen that way. This is like Wal-Mart buying your local party store and then raising all the prices- there is NO valid economic reason for it, it's just pure unadulterated greed.

The concrete vault or grave liner isn't even required by law; it's required by most cemeteries because it prevents the ground from caving in as the casket deteriorates.

And... it takes a long time and large amounts of fuel to reduce a human corpse to bare bones. The flaming-raft bit would only result in a slightly charred corpse in the water. So anyone planning this, you will need a shitload of wood and at least 12 hours... make sure you're someplace where the local sheriff or DNR dudes won't notice the smoke and come to investigate.

My personal choice would be sky burial... however I don't imagine that's gonna happen so cremation it shall be. I would, however, really like to have all my friends tag up the giant shoe box they cremate you in, as part of the funeral. Have a whole array of markers & spray paint sitting out for use... how sweet would that be!

[Rev.Reverence]

Thanks for posting all the info I was too lazy to look up! Especially the bit about the conglomerates buying up funeral homes. That happened to the 4-generation family funeral home used by my family for years (Stinson)... when my mother told me about it my first thought was "well, at least they should be able to charge less, being part of a national chain now". But nooooo, doesn't happen that way. This is like Wal-Mart buying your local party store and then raising all the prices- there is NO valid economic reason for it, it's just pure unadulterated greed.

The concrete vault or grave liner isn't even required by law; it's required by most cemeteries because it prevents the ground from caving in as the casket deteriorates.

And... it takes a long time and large amounts of fuel to reduce a human corpse to bare bones. The flaming-raft bit would only result in a slightly charred corpse in the water. So anyone planning this, you will need a shitload of wood and at least 12 hours... make sure you're someplace where the local sheriff or DNR dudes won't notice the smoke and come to investigate.

My personal choice would be sky burial... however I don't imagine that's gonna happen so cremation it shall be. I would, however, really like to have all my friends tag up the giant shoe box they cremate you in, as part of the funeral. Have a whole array of markers & spray paint sitting out for use... how sweet would that be!

Yeah...they (Vikings), did not use a raft...they used a WHOLE SHIP!

A meager raft, good for an oceanic burial...NOT lake, or bay...

...& no problem about the links...I was wondering...'cause, it seemed to me, that there was some fishies stinkin'...

.....I think, that when they MAKE you buy a liner, that is against the law...G*D'S LAW...

..........how is the body (shell) supposed to deteriorate?

...& what the fuck is this shit; they try to sell you some casket, it is guaranteed not to decay for 1000 years, or some shit...what the fuck? Like, we're going to dig up G'maw' & check her box...NOT.

[Onyx]

I just can't understand how it takes 700 dollars to cremate someone (and from what the article said, that is even on the low end, most times it costs more).

Too sad how they made the price $695 to make it seem a bit less.

Edited October 2, 2009 by Onyx

[Onyx]

Look what I found! I remember looking into this years back and had forgotten about it.

I find the idea of becoming part of the earth oddly comforting. I don't want to be preserved with all those chemicals. I want to become fertilizer for the trees and flowers and grass.

http://www.naturalburialcompany.com/

http://www.naturalburialassoc.ca/

[Head Wreck]

embalming is unheard of here. it just sounds silly and all those chemicals making its way into the soil. fuck that

why do people have to mess up the natural order of things

[pomba gira]

.....I think, that when they MAKE you buy a liner, that is against the law...G*D'S LAW...

..........how is the body (shell) supposed to deteriorate?

...& what the fuck is this shit; they try to sell you some casket, it is guaranteed not to decay for 1000 years, or some shit...what the fuck? Like, we're going to dig up G'maw' & check her box...NOT.

Look what I found! I remember looking into this years back and had forgotten about it.

I find the idea of becoming part of the earth oddly comforting. I don't want to be preserved with all those chemicals. I want to become fertilizer for the trees and flowers and grass.

http://www.naturalburialcompany.com/

http://www.naturalburialassoc.ca/

embalming is unheard of here. it just sounds silly and all those chemicals making its way into the soil. fuck that

why do people have to mess up the natural order of things

We have a totally negative view of death in this society... it is seen as something horrific and unnatural. Hence the extreme reluctance to let bodies return to the soil.

I will have to look at those links when I get back from class, Onyx... I like the idea too. One reason I'd choose cremation is I HATE the idea of being stuck in a box surrounded by concrete that would keep me from becoming part of the soil. If I could be buried in a cornfield or something... yeah... but not the way it's generally done here.

And I also hate the way people's husks look after embalming. They NEVER look like themself... but like a really shoddy wax copy. It really creeps me out where the mere fact of death does not.

[Tacohitts]

IMO I would rather remember people that I knew when they were alive,why I prefer closed casket funerals,and yes I would rather be cremated and have my ashes dumped in the ocean.

[Reaper]

Thats right, I do my job of taking them, but the family has the responsibility of burying them.

[pomba gira]

OMG I WANT A WICKER CASKET!!! Even better than a plain wood box. And the natural burial grounds are so beautiful... what an awesome idea!

[Draco1958]

I went thru this after my mom passed away in January of 06. I got lucky and found some relatives who paid the $500 to cremate my mom. I still have her ashes having no car to drop some off at her brother's, sister's and mom's graves. I feel like shit because I couldn't even pay the bill on my own.

[Head Wreck]

I remember my friend Lal was recalling a time when he was a student, he had left the monastery to study different religions passing through many countries, and on this particular leg he was trekking with some catholic priests in Ireland when the rain came in.

in the middle of no where seemed this deserted cottage so they approached looking for shelter, and then noticed candlelight inside. Having gone out of their way they thought they had better knock and was welcomed inside by a young lady. who welcomed them in and shared what food she had.

from the next room they heard coughing and spluttering, and without asking the lady of the house said "oh that's himself, he should have passed on 2 days past now but he's still with us"

i found that attitude to be perculier,and wonder what most americans would think of that attitude

(on a side note the lady was a very caring person, but just realistic)