Home Burials Offer an Intimate Alternative

[FarCenter]

Cheryl Senter for The New York Times - Published: July 20, 2009

PETERBOROUGH, N.H. — When Nathaniel Roe, 92, died at his 18th-century farmhouse here the morning of June 6, his family did not call a funeral home to handle the arrangements.

Instead, Mr. Roe’s children, like a growing number of people nationwide, decided to care for their father in death as they had in the last months of his life. They washed Mr. Roe’s body, dressed him in his favorite Harrods tweed jacket and red Brooks Brothers tie and laid him on a bed so family members could privately say their last goodbyes.

The next day, Mr. Roe was placed in a pine coffin made by his son, along with a tuft of wool from the sheep he once kept. He was buried on his farm in a grove off a walking path he traversed each day.

“It just seemed like the natural, loving way to do things,” said Jennifer Roe-Ward, Mr. Roe’s granddaughter. “It let him have his dignity.”

<SNIP> http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/21/us/21funeral.html?th&emc=th

[TheCoxwain]

1. not a great way to improve your property value if you are looking to sell.

But then you wouldn't care once you are dead - would you?

[aikoaiko]

8. Its NH where there are lots of family plots in the front yard.

More of a cultural thing up there.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

2. You can bury someone on your own property in Texas.

Anybody see Monster's Ball, where Billy Bob Thornton had family graves right by his house?

I think it's a southern thing.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. Not necessarily

I've seen family grave plots as far north as Wisconsin. Often the very young children would be buried on the farm.

That being said, we plan to be buried on our land here in Arkansas.

[FarCenter]

10. It's probably more of a rural thing

I know of a burial ground on a farm in the Dakotas.

[SacredCow]

3. To be honest...

I've always told my family to opt for the "Hefty bag at the curb" approach, if it were legal for them to do so. I'm somehow doubting that I'll really care one way or the other.

But I guess my current directives of "cremate me, and take a trip to somewhere in the Caribbean and charter a boat and scatter me offshore. Then go have margaritas." will also do in a pinch.

[On the Road]

4. Almost Right Behind Jim Henson's Childhood Home

There is a very small 18- or 19th-century cemetary. Possibly a set of family plots like those described here. I owned a house on the next block and took my daughter there once in a while when she was small.

[kestrel91316]

5. My favorite uncle buried his two daughters (who sadly died in middle age)

on his ranch in NV. He put the monument (a sizeable thing, lol) right smack dab in the middle of his 10 acre pasture, which was considered for eminent domain seizure to make it the HQ for Great Basin National Park, at least until he did so, lol. I haven't been back since he passed away, but I think he's probably there, too.

[MineralMan]

7. I can hear Suzy Creamcheese, the realtor, now...

"Oh...one of the features of this beautiful home is the lovely marble marker where the previous owner's uncle Harry is buried. It makes the most interesting conversation topic when you're entertaining outdoors."

(Suzy displays her new dental veneers)

[Stevenmarc]

9. Brings new meaning to they foreclosed on Uncle Bob