Posts Tagged ‘Cemetery’

Does the Name “Sleepy Hollow” Ring Any Bells?

Sunday, February 7th, 2010

The Headless Horseman Pursuing Ichabod Crane (1858) by John Quidor.

The Headless Horseman Pursuing Ichabod Crane (1858) by John Quidor.

Historic Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is well known for its famous and infamous residents. Residing there are a notorious counterfeiter, wealthy merchants, powerful industrialists like Andrew Carnegie and William Rockefeller, and Washington Irving, author of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.”

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, that “Sleepy” place which serves as the backdrop to Washington Irving’s short story, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, is largely just that — a quiet and sleepy resting place where little seems to ever change.

Following the Pocantico River as it meanders through the pristine terrain of the cemetery, you may begin to feel as though you are in a place lost in a time long gone. You might easily imagine Ichabod Crane following this very path in the legendary story.

But on April 3, 2010, this “Sleepy” place will come alive as the entire community gathers to celebrate its 160th Anniversary, as well as the birthday of namesake, Washington Irving. Join with residents, dignitaries, and esteemed guests to recognize the great contribution Sleepy Hollow Cemetery has made to Americana.

The celebration begins at 11:00 a.m. in the Washington Irving Chapel, with the presentation of a Proclamation to the Cemetery Board. The Proclamation will recognize Sleepy Hollow Cemetery’s many contributions, as well as its inclusion in the New York State Register of Historic Places. Then the party gets going with birthday cake in honor of Sleepy Hollow Cemetery and Washington Irving. After all, it’s a birthday!!!

There will be refreshments, free tours to visit famous sites throughout the cemetery, “Legend” readings at the grave of Washington Irving, and much more.

For updated information about this event, the Community Mausoleum or Natural Burial, please visit the website at: http://www.sleepyhollowcemetery.org

Sleepy Hollow Cemetery 160th Anniversary Celebration
Cost: FREE
Date: April 3, 2010
Time: 11AM
Location: Enter Main Cemetery Gate on Route 9. 540 N. Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. 10591

Germany’s Burial Traditions

Sunday, September 13th, 2009
The Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery, with the remains of the Berlin Wall in the background.

The Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery, with the remains of the Berlin Wall in the background.

Deathcare.com already offered a short article on American-German funeral traditions, which have become assimilated – for the most part – in American traditions based upon religious beliefs. But, in Germany, burial traditions often are different than those in other parts of the world, and have been so for generations. But, changes are in the works, and some of the following traditions also contain explanations of changes when known.

  • Cremation and embalming have, traditionally, been handled by the state rather than by funeral homes and survivors had no choice on what to do with cremated remains as they had to be buried in a cemetery. Germany has relented in some cases recently, as ashes may be scattered in cemeteries or taken out to sea beyond the three-mile limit and scattered.
  • Almost half of eastern Germany’s burials are what is known as “anonymous burial,” something unknown in the U.S. outside the Potter’s Field. Although the Catholic Church believes that anonymous burials are a trend away from religion, most opinions lean toward the expense of a grave marker and other funeral expanses as a reason to avoid traditional markers and other burial accouterments.
  • With the above said, German cemeteries now set aside a grassy plot for anonymous burials with one monument that states the purpose of this field without headstones. In opposition to the purpose of saving money through an anonymous burial, these cemetery plots cost more than the average plot, as it include perpetual care by employees rather than surviving family members.
  • Germany does allow two to four urns in a space that is required for one casket. In the U.S., you would be hard pressed to find a cemetery that would allow more than two urns in one burial space. Additionally, unlike the U.S., most German cemeteries currently do not require precautions to prevent contamination of groundwater by cremains.
  • German cemeteries are almost exclusively state- or church-operated, though exceptions are occasionally made for people with special religious needs. Muslims groups, for example, are permitted to have their own cemeteries. However, Germany has some of the strictest burial laws, many of which clash with Islamic burial rituals.
  • Plots are usually rented for a certain period of time, usually 20 to 30 years, with the possibility of an extension. Eventually the plot will be used for another burial, once the mourners themselves have passed away. In other words, don’t expect to remain buried in Germany for more than a generation.
  • Finally, German corpses seem to be obtaining revenge for re-using graves…the corpses are not rotting in some cases. The corpses are turning into mummified artifacts or grave wax, otherwise known as “adipocere.”

Sources:

Reasons for Exhumation

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

If a cemetery is an eternal resting place, why would anyone want to remove a body from its grave? In one recent example, the body of preacher and funk musician James Hines, who died in 2004, was exhumed to quell rumors about his body. This man was 6-foot-7 and 300-pounds, and everyone wondered how this body could fit into a standard-sized casket. Only the top half of the lid was open during the funeral, showing Hines from the chest up.

This past April, authorities exhumed Hines’ body and found that both legs had been cut off between the ankle and calf. The South Carolina funeral board has revoked the licenses of Cave Funeral Services in Allendale, South Carolina for cutting Hines’ legs so his corpse would fit in the casket. The Board of Funeral Service also fined Michael Cave, of the funeral home, $500 and ordered him to pay $1,500 for the investigation.

Hines’ case is an odd one, but bodies have been exhumed for lesser and more important reasons. President Zachary Taylor was exhumed in 1991 to determine whether or not he had been poisoned, and the famous outlaw Jesse James’s grave was excavated to prove that it was his body in the coffin. Archaeologists exhume graves for artifacts and so do grave robbers. The French philosopher and death expert Philippe Ariès discussed necrophiliacs who disinterred dead bodies for sexual purposes and scientists who dug up corpses to conduct scientific experiments. Digging up famous people seems to be a fetish in itself.

Under current law, courts usually do not allow exhumation unless substantial and compelling reasons exist. In a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision (Dougherty v. Mercantile Safe Deposit and Trust Company 1978), Justice Cardozo stated, “The dead are to rest where they have been lain unless reason of substance is brought forward for disturbing their repose.” This case was compelling, as it eventually established the decision that the dead have rights. Daniel Sperling concludes, in a book [PDF] about this case and others, that if we acknowledge the interest in one’s symbolic existence and legally protect it, not only do some interests survive a person’s death but we should also enjoy a peremptory legal power to shape in advance our symbolic existence after death.

With that said, according to the Encyclopedia of Death and Dying, it is presumed that a body should remain undisturbed where it was placed unless good reason is given to do otherwise. Then, disinterment is considered the private concern of the immediate family and the cemetery. Finally, if there is disagreement among the close relatives regarding a proposal for exhumation, the matter is adjudicated by a court of equity. The court considers (in order of importance) the wishes and religious beliefs of the deceased (if these can be determined), the wishes of the spouse of the deceased, the opinions of other close relatives, and the policies and regulations of the cemetery when determining if exhumation should be allowed.

Here are some reasons for exhumation:

  • Moving the Body: This may happen if a cemetery closing or if the family buys a new burial plot or wishes to re-inter the deceased elsewhere with other family members. Single or mass exhumations may occur because of changes in political environment (see below) or when modern society ignores sacred burial grounds. While Native American exhumation has long been contested (see Indian Burial and Sacred Grounds Watch), some exhumations – such as the twenty-six Confederate sailors and marines and the remains of a three-year child, who were removed from under the floor of the Johnson Hagood Stadium (located in South Carolina) – are seen as acts of honor and good will.
  • Forensic Evidence: Required by a court to settle or open a case. Forensic pathology, the use of science to solve crime, has improved dramatically, particularly with the development of new DNA tests. Until 1995, DNA tests required fresh samples from very specific body parts such as strands of hair that include roots and that tend to decay quickly. Now, virtually any remaining body part will do, such as a tooth from a corpse.
  • Transitions in Political Environments: According to Slate Magazine, in Chile, more than 900 victims of ex-dictator Augusto Pinochet’s regime were dug up and identified in the early ’90s. Confronted with evidence of mass graves, Pinochet remarked that they represented a “great savings of cemetery space.” Similar exhumations of mass graves in Bosnia and Rwanda are intended to obtain evidence that will convict war criminals. Also, after the Civil War, soldiers were dispatched to discover Union corpses so they bury them with honor in veterans’ cemeteries.
  • To Answer Questions: As with Hines’ family, the curious question as to how that man fit into his casket became an obsession. They probably went to the state’s Attorney General to ask permission to exhume the body, as most states and localities have specific laws about removing a body from a grave. In South Carolina, they seem to be fine about exhumation, even when it comes to horses.

Some Words About Your Epitaph

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

Have you ever wondered what you’d like to say on your tombstone? What you’re thinking about is your “epitaph,” or an inscription on a tombstone or monument in memory of the person buried under that stone. While some epitaphs are flowery, others can be heartbreaking – especially those for children – and some are downright funny.

What you say on your tombstone, provided you decide on a burial plot with a stone, is up to you. But, if you don’t decide what you want to say, then the person or people who bury you will decide the epitaph for you. Just like cemetery symbols, an epitaph can tell people or remind your community who you were, what you did and when you were born and died.

While some epitaphs can be wordy (I’ve seen one that listed the person’s children’s and grandchildren’s full names plus how the person died!), you’ll need a magnifying glass to read all that information or plenty of money for a large stone. Instead, look through epitaphs written on the stones marking the graves belonging to famous people, funny epitaphs or instructions on how to write an epitaph for ideas. Then, think about the type of stone you’d like to have to mark your grave.

Take a stroll around a local cemetery, or visit the cemetery where you’d like to be buried. As you stroll around, check out the local customs for epitaphs. You may discover that most people keep their stones fairly simple, marking the full name, possibly a husband or wife, birth date and date of death and possibly a marriage date. Sometimes, all people can afford are the simplest of markers, with a name, year of birth and year of death.

The tombstones in your community can tell you much about the people who are buried there, the type of life that person led, and the economic status of that person. Although some families honored their patriarchs with elaborate stones and epitaphs, few people want or need that type of stone. After all, your beneficiaries are the ones who will visit your grave – and an elaborate stone might be resented if it took money away from a descendant who was attending college or having a child and who could have used those funds.

On the other hand, it’s your life and your death. Although you won’t be able to enjoy that tombstone after you die, at least you can die knowing that you’ve chosen the epitaph that will represent you best for as long as that stone lasts.

Cemetery Symbols

Tuesday, May 12th, 2009

Graveyards and cemeteries are some of my favorite places to visit, as each tombstone, or gravestone, can tell the visitor something about the deceased. Some stones are hand carved, which can tell the age or economic status of the deceased’s family. Other stones are elaborately carved and may contain vases or pillars along with precise carving. These latter stones can attest to the wealth of the deceased.

But, those stones with symbols are the most fascinating, I think, as each carved picture and emblem carries a meaning. Here are a few symbols and their meanings, and below that list are a list of some Web sites that show these images and more. The symbols below are representative of the Christian faith, and individuals and loved ones still use these symbols today:

  • Anchor: Hope, eternal life or a sailor. An anchor also is a Masonic symbol for hope.
  • Birds: Birds connote the soul. A dove represents purity, love and the Holy Spirit.
  • Heart: Devotion, eternal love.
  • Lamb: Innocence – usually seen on a child’s marker.
  • Flower: Depending upon the flower, this icon could mean several things. A poppy represents eternal rest while a lily means resurrection.
  • Broken Sword: Represents a life cut short. Crossed swords may mean a life lost in battle. The sword most often is found on gravestones that belong to men.
  • Beehive: This symbol, often used by Freemasons, symbolizes faith, education and domestic virtues.
  • Clasped Hands: This symbol, which looks like a handshake, represents either a farewell to an earthly existance or a welcome into heaven.
  • Crown and Cross: This emblem is symbolic of victory over death.
  • Lyre or Harp: Sometimes used on musician’s gravestones. Look closely, and you may see a broken string, which represents the end of a life.
  • Anchor: Steadfast hope

Hospice Care, Funerals and Cemeteries on Twitter

Monday, March 30th, 2009

Do you use Twitter? If not, you probably wonder what the Twitter fuss is all about. If you’re using Twitter, you may think that those who don’t use it just don’t “get it.” Whether or not you use Twitter, you might be surprised to learn that this social media tool has penetrated the death care industry. And, unlike the morbid specters you think you might encounter, these folks are – well – they’re alive and ordinary, with hobbies, families and stories to tell.

We let our fingers go walking through Twellow, the Twitter “Yellow Pages” to discover death care industry folks who are using Twitter. While the numbers weren’t astronomical, we don’t doubt that these figures may change as more death care businesses realize this social media tool’s commercial potential. We only chose a few links from Twellow’s search results to provide you with a taste of what you can encounter on Twitter.

The list below is categorized under the search word we used to find these links, and the links are arranged alphabetically under those categories. This method assures our readers that we do not favor one resource over another; however, we did skip over business-to-business accounts to offer Twitter users who focus on non-industry readers.

Hospice

  1. ctsinclair: Hospice & Palliative Medicine Doctor in Kansas City. Co-editor of Pallimed, a hospice and palliative medicine blog.
  2. hvto: This is Robin Watts, founder of first hospice volunteer training online course. Learn more at Hospice Volunteer Training.
  3. MyCareManager: Edward L. De La Loza is a psychotherapist and geriatric care manager. His interests include hospice, aging and eldercare among other things. His Web site is My Family Care Manager.
  4. SanDiegoHospice: San Diego Hospice and The Institute for Palliative Medicine is a “non-profit leader in the relief of pain and suffering.” Learn more at their Web site.
  5. StAnnsHospice: This user’s name is Catherine Williams, and she is the Director of Fundraising and Communications for St Ann’s Hospice in Manchester, UK.

Funeral

  1. buryorburn: Scott Gilligan is the “Funeral Maverick,” fighting big business death. He mainly posts about his blog entries at his Web site.
  2. funeralogues: Here’s an offbeat Twitter find: One woman off-Broadway show that is a darkly comedic look at the inside of funeral homes, funeral rituals and one woman’s personal obsession with death. Visit the official Web site.
  3. funeralplanner: Funeral planning and resource guide. The Web site is called the Funeral Planning Guide.
  4. funeralqueen: This is Muneerah Warner, funeral director of Warner Funeral Home and Publisher of Funerals Today Magazine, a new publication for individuals interested in funerals and an inside look at the funeral industry
  5. Otrib: Free obituary and funeral planning help and grief support forums and chat rooms at their Web site.

Cemetery and Cemeteries

  1. cemeteryminda: Minda Powers-Douglas is a writer who digs cemeteries (”not literally”). She edits Epitaphs Magazine (The Cemetery Club is Epitaph Magazine’s online venue) and teaches workshops.
  2. CemeterySpot: Hal Stevens is an author of books about end-of-life issues and owner of Web sites that provide free online memorials and free buy/sell cemetery plot services. His main site is named, aptly, Cemetry Spot.
  3. JewishGYrabbit: Schelly Dardashti is part of an international team that writes about Jewish cemeteries, news, burial, mourning, symbols and more at the Jewish Graveyard Rabbit.
  4. RivCem: The historic Riverside Cemetery Conservancy goes online to help “preserve the past for the future.”
  5. southerngraves: ‘S. Lincecum’ is an amateur historian, avid reader, genealogist and family historian, lover of cemeteries, and scrapbooker with a Web site to prove cemetery interests.

Go ahead and give Twellow a whirl. However, if you try “green funeral,” “cremations,” “body donation” or “grief management” you won’t find one tweet (an entry made by a person who uses Twitter). But, if you’re patient for a week or so, you may discover that a business or two will fill those niches.

How to Avoid the Body Snatchers

Thursday, February 19th, 2009

broken tombstoneSome fiction writers may jump to tell you that body snatching is so “five decades ago,” with the current popularity of full-body donations to science. But, grave-robbers still exist, mainly to supply bodies and body parts to the medical field. The 2008 arrest of medical supplies boss Michael Mastromarino offers solid evidence that grave robbers remain active.

As medical schools were created in the early nineteenth century, the need for cadavers to provides students with hands-on lessons in anatomy grew along with the medical schools. Today, medical schools require anywhere from three-hundred to eight-hundred bodies per year. In all, the human-tissue industry is thought to be worth $500 million per year and growing.

While murder and body-snatching might still remain part of the skills in acquiring cadavers, it is far more likely these days that medical schools will rely on full body donations, unscrupulous funeral homes, body snatchers and felons such as Michael Mastromarino.

How can you or your loved ones avoid the grip of a body snatcher? The following suggestions might help you decide what to do if you don’t want to become a victim like Ruth Sprague, a nine-year-old girl who died in 1846. Her headstone in Maple Grove Cemetery, Hoosick Falls, New York, is inscribed with the message that she was “stolen from the grave by Roderick R. Crow and dissected at Dr. P.M. Armstrongs’ office…from which place her mutilated remains were obtained & deposited here…”

Her body dissected by fiendish Men,
Her bones anatomised,

Her soul we trust has risen to God
where few Physicians rise.

  • First, you might question why coffin-makers strive to make their coffins so secure. Manufacturers have created everything from heavy metal caskets with locks on the lids to “torpedo coffins” that contained explosive devises that might thwart a body snatcher. Today, some individuals prefer to purchase expensive lock-tight caskets along with a cement vault. Even then, your body may not be safe, but if you’re the one in that casket, will you really care? Spend the money, instead, on your kids or grandkids.
  • You need to trust your undertaker. Although these services are bound to legal deathcare activities, some unsuspecting families in the past have buried coffins filled with rocks. Embalming, and proof of the embalming process can deter efforts of profiteering on bodies through funeral homes, as the medical researcher prefers unaltered tissue.
  • The desire to avoid embalming and to encourage “natural” funerals can encourage body snatchers as well. These “fresh” and unaltered bodies are desirable to the medical researcher, especially if they are buried within 24 hours after death. Tissue may be harvested only shortly after death, so time is of the essence in the body parts trade.
  • Populated cemeteries in urban areas are less likely to become body-snatcher targets, simply because illegal activities might be noticed quickly. Isolated burial grounds are ripe for grave robbers.
  • Cremation can thwart the body snatchers. Few medical institutions find a need to research cremated remains.
  • If you don’t mind donating your body to science, you can help thwart body snatchers and fulfill a desire to help others. Make sure the institution you choose for this service is accredited and a member of the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB). Association with the AATB provides you with some peace of mind that your body or your loved one’s remains will fulfill some purpose, even after death. And, no one will profit from your donation financially (profiteering from bodies is illegal!).