Author Topic: NOT being morbid !.... how would you like your funeral to be, bet you have g (Read 9156 times)

flossy · « **on:** February 21, 2009, 18:44:03 »

After arranging my Mums funeral not so long ago, I tried to encapsulate the person she was,
fun loving, girl at heart, avid gardener, had long standing jokes, her youth and vitality during
her life . She was in her eightieth year .

I created a story of her life with a photographic album and all her years were celebrated, with
photos of her children, great and grand, poems, scraps of print that were in her albums were included in her story. It wasn't a funeral so much as a celebration of her life, her casket was so engulfed with
flowers that covered and drapped around her, it was hard to beleive she was under it all !

She came in with Glen Millers ' In the mood ' and travelled on with ' Little brown jug ' - her
favourite.

Her many freinds who attended , wanted to know how they could ' book ' a celibration rather
than a funeral !

I know what I want, and I shall tell you later xxx :-*

floss xxx

star · « **Reply #1 on:** February 21, 2009, 19:39:09 »

Flossy, how strange you posted this. I was planning a couple of things today for myself. In touch with my own mortality at the moment.

I was thinking of ordering a cardboard coffin, getting my family and friends to paint, draw, write poems and whatever they thought related to mine and their relationships. To personalise and make it special. Because unless we see things like this before we die, its only those who come to our funerals who know what they send us off in.

Then I would like a green burial, not cremation. With a tree, possibly an Apple, Birch or Rowan planted were I am buried. And Snowdrops and Bluebells under the trees.

;)

tartonterro · « **Reply #2 on:** February 21, 2009, 19:49:37 »

Star - seen the exactly the same thing on its not easy being green a couple of weeks ago and thought that was an amazing idea - takes a lot to plan those kind of things - not yet ready to do that myself - better the person you are for doing it - certainly the kind of thing i want

flossy · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2009, 19:56:14 »

   Oh star , how lovely,

   Will tell you some of mine, want burial ' cause then I can push up daisies, :)

   No dig , hands won't get sore , and I can grow what I ask for -- bluebells,daffodiles, tulips
   and a rose, then my peeps can come and enjoy my garden, lovely !

   floss xxx

hopalong · « **Reply #4 on:** February 21, 2009, 20:02:42 »

My brother-in-law, who was a Jack the Lad and part Scottish, had a great funeral. As we came out of the church carrying the coffin after some warm and humorous tributes and some great singing, a piper in full highland regalia appeared on the green opposite playing "I've been a Wild Rover". Many of us clapped and cheered. It was so appropriate.

star · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2009, 20:04:58 »

I think its lovely to have everyone involved in doing things like this (decorating your coffin).....specially for grandchildren. Then they can ask you if you like something they have done and you're still there to say Yes.

Or they ask someone later.....Do you think grandma would like that? to be told.....yes Im sure she would.

Just my thoughts......................... ;)

Carol · « **Reply #6 on:** February 21, 2009, 20:17:15 »

My Mum died 2 yrs next month 26th March. 2007. She was a born comedian and an entertainer at a few points in her life with telling jokes and playing eithere piano or organ. She had 2 electric organs in her house Despite being 89+ when she died she could still crack a joke with anyone listening including the doctors while she was dying. She was a character. For that reason her funeral in church was a celebration of her love for life and music. The man who has a Theatre organ in the vilage and is a great organist played all Mums favourite music for half an hour before the Church Service. Young and old attended her funeral and they enjoyed listening to well known popular tunes. This was followed by the CHurch Organist who also played Music Mum had enjoyed. I paid tribute to Mum and put in a few of her stories and so it was a light hearted service. SHe loved Pink and her floral tributes were mostly pink flowers. She is buried beside my Dad up in the Cemetery and I shall be beside her some day because I bought a few plots when my Dad died so all the Family will be together one day. There will be 10 of us, side by side. ;D

flossy · « **Reply #7 on:** February 21, 2009, 20:44:17 »

Carol, What a lovely way to celebrate your Mums life and a beautiful thought that you

and your family will all be together one day.

I think our nearest and dearest will all find a lot of comfort if we spell out what it takes to make our
day special.

Think we should put pen to paper and put it where it's going to be found, still have ideas about
my ' sending off ' ---- hope they have a ball ! :D

floss xxx

carrot-cruncher · « **Reply #8 on:** February 21, 2009, 20:47:16 »

I have already laid out my funeral wishes in a document which is held by one of my executors, along with a copy of my Will. The basic outline is:

Horse-drawn hearse with one HUGE!!! bouquet of yellow roses
Music from Meat Loaf, Guns 'n' Roses & Bach
Cremation followed by scattering of my ashes up on the Yorkshire Moors
A party to celebrate my life with floral decorations of roses (yellows and reds) & fuchsias (purples, blues & whites).

CC

flossy · « **Reply #9 on:** February 21, 2009, 21:19:24 »

Wow carrot-cruncher, thats gonna be some day, :D

Have thoughts on my music too, Lighthouse people [ hope I have that right ],
'' Lifted .... out of the shadows ' and my favourite for when I start my journey'
'' It's a kind of Magic '' who else but Freddie Mercury, gives me goose bumps every time
I hear it, what a star !

Gots to write this down ! ;D

floss xxx

flowerofshona2007 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 21, 2009, 21:21:41 »

Well mines all planned, i did it when i was told i had cancer and needed a hystorectomy :( did not think i would wake up.
Woodland funeral, wooden coffin no varnish, loads of flowers, Solid as a rock playing if hubby is there and a tree on top, we are being buried side by side so our branches can touch for many years.

thifasmom · « **Reply #11 on:** February 21, 2009, 21:22:42 »

I have all ways wanted an eco funeral, cardboard coffin et al. long before it became cool i was thinking this is what i want since in the early nineties. don't want to be cremated not sure why just don't want the fire :-X. would love to be buried in my home country of Trinidad (yep i know that's not very eco, flying me back home, so I'll have to arrange something prior ;)) without being cheeky to the big guy in the sky i would love to see my kids grown so kinda hope i have lots time left :) to get back home before the inevitable.

manicscousers · « **Reply #12 on:** February 21, 2009, 21:23:44 »

weird, watching Freddy Mercury right now on tv :o
It's a hard life ;D
I've told my kids, any money left after my funeral has to be spent on a party, let's have a right knees up, I'll be there watching ;D

Sinbad7 · « **Reply #13 on:** February 21, 2009, 22:03:59 »

I think funerals are the biggest waste of money going and I want my done and over as quickly and as cheaply as possible.

I think when people are at there most vulnerable they are taken advantage of and end up paying for things that are totally unnecessary.

I believe that those you love and who love you will always hold you in their hearts for the rest of their lives without a lot of pomp and show.

I would rather my friends and family have the thousands of pounds a funeral costs and go and have a jolly good holiday or whatever.

Mrs Ava · « **Reply #14 on:** February 21, 2009, 23:23:05 »

My entire family know my wishes, and if they don't follow through, I have threatened to haunt them until they join me!

Cremation for me, don't want to be worm food, then my ashes are to be sprinkled to the wind on Westward Ho! beach, whilst the sprinkler - hopefully both of my children - are scoffing a Mr Hockings clotted cream ice cream, with extra clotted cream, and enjoying every slurp as I have done since I was a baby.

No flowers for my coffin, I don't like cut flowers, unless they have been picked from my allotment, and as cheap as possible. I don't want my kids having to worry about finances. As the party walks in to the crem I want Eric Clapton - Wonderful tonight, and as I trundle off I want Van Morrison Irish Heartbeat - not that there is an Irish bone in this old body of mine, I just adore that song.

For me, the most important thing of all, is that I can say goodbye to my babies. When my dad died, I didn't get to say goodbye, and I don't think I will ever get over that, the funeral is not important.

nilly71 · « **Reply #15 on:** February 22, 2009, 08:31:16 »

I agree with Sinbad, total waste of money.
I told the misses just do it as cheap as possible and enjoy the money you would of spent.
Unless it's a baby or child then all our family funnerals have been quite a good time after the buriel has been over with.

Neil

Hyacinth · « **Reply #16 on:** February 22, 2009, 12:16:29 »

Paying for funerals & making one's wishes known....my advice is to buy a Funeral Plan (as they're called) NOW. You're getting a funeral for the future at today's prices and the prices of funerals rise every year - you can even pay by instalments or with your credit card(pity the Co-op don't give divvi stamps any more, cos if you bought it on a Thursday it'd be double-divvi day wouldn't it? ;D) and specify just what sort of funeral you want.

With the saving on an insurance policy to cover the future cost which you can then cancel, you can do whatever you want with the saved money NOW.

Wonder if it's in Martin Lewis' Money Saving Tips? ;D ;D ;D

flossy · « **Reply #17 on:** February 22, 2009, 18:15:37 »

I agree that funerals can be expensive, but an Eco or environmentally friendly affair has

got to be cheaper surely -- anyway it's each to his own of course, :)

What I would like anyone to tell me is -- have you heard of any such like cemetries that

have developed with this type of burial as a priority ?

When I lived in Devon, there was a beautiful field we often walked very close to us, that

was rumoured to be of this type in the future ! Great , I thought - cant think of anywhere I would

rather be. Needless to say , we moved so at the moment I am anybodies, :o ::) ;D

Also has anyone heard of a whicker casket please ?

floss xxx

cocopops · « **Reply #18 on:** February 22, 2009, 18:45:49 »

I loved what my parents did when their parents died. I grew up with three grandparents, my mum's parents were a huge part of my life and I miss them dearly.

They grew up in the era when the person that had died spent the last evening at home (or their children's), and family and friends came to pass their last respects. My parents had each of their late parents bought by herse to their house, and the whole family came round to welcome them in for one last time. Even though I had 'left home' I always stayed over whilst my late grandparents were downstairs. All flowers were delivered to the house and the undertakers made their way from there.

I am 37, and love this respect and time to be with them one last time. On a lighter note we had to put the lids on the coffins to stop my parents cats nipping in for a kip.

When I go, eco coffin all the way, the quicker I am worm food the better.

flossy · « **Reply #19 on:** February 22, 2009, 18:56:55 »

cocopops, sadly this is not the ' norm ' to honor your loved ones these days in this way ,

would have been some comfort to have them within the family for one last night, all

too soon they are wisked away -- leaving an empty space.

Still important and traditional in many europian countries, but lost in our country ways and floklore.

still can be done if we say that this the way we want it to be ?

floss xxx

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Author Topic: NOT being morbid !.... how would you like your funeral to be, bet you have g (Read 9156 times)