Life in the Garden

Matters of Life and Death

cremation

Special Delivery

flamed ups truck

Crystal Lake, IL
Jeff Hornagold loved Nascar, baseball, spending time with family and friends….and his job at UPS, where he worked for 20 years as a driver.

Hornagold died last Tuesday from lung cancer. As a memorial tribute, his friend and co-worker Michael McGowan, made a final delivery in his UPS truck, transporting the casket with Hornagold’s body from the funeral home to the church where memorial services were held on Saturday.

McGowan says he plans to keep a picture of Hornagold in his truck until he retires so that they can keep riding together.

Tip to TT, story here.

Celebrate Life

mary lee

One of the advantages of cremation is the luxury of time. Although many families want immediate closure, memorial services and interment can actually be planned for a later date to allow for family that may have to travel, or even better weather.

Such was the case with the Lee family. When Mary Lou Lee passed away in March, her family honored her wishes: She wanted her services to be held after school was out for the summer as she did not want her school-age grandchildren and great-grandchildren to have to miss school to attend her funeral service. “Have it in the summer,” she said, “and have everyone wear a big hat!”

lee

And they did. Last week, they laid Mary Lou to rest beside her husband. One of Mary’s son’s owns an early SUV (short bus) and the family boarded the bus and drove to the cemetery for the service.

bus

Back in the late ’60’s, with all the turmoil happening throughout the world, Mary Lou’s husband had several thousand of these flower power stickers printed up. According to one of the brothers, “These represent, not just a slogan or catch phrase, but a way of life.” One sticker survived and was displayed in a prominent location on Jim’s bus.

celebrate life

After the service, everyone gathered at Mary’s son, Jim’s place for food and fellowship. Earlier, the brothers went to Sam’s Club and bought their mom’s favorite foods, pimento stuffed olives and summer sausage, drug the tables and chairs out on the lawn, and honored their mother’s memory.

Beautiful.

Thank you Jim, for permission to share your experience with other families looking for memorial ideas.

Will Kurt Cobain Ever Have Peace?

curt cobain

A little late to the party, but I just found this story regarding the supposed theft of Curt Cobain’s ashes at the first of June.

From Rolling Stone:

The majority of Cobain’s ashes were spread at a New York Buddhist temple and in Washington’s Wishkah River. Cobain’s widow, Courtney Love said she kept a small amount (as well as a lock of his hair) for herself and was storing the ashes in a pink bear-shaped handbag that was hidden in the wardrobe closet of her Hollywood home. She believes the bag was taken by a former friend.

This isn’t the first time Love has had something of her husband stolen: In March, Love alleged that thieves used Cobain’s social security number to steal several million dollars from his estate. In both cases, Love believes she knows who is responsible for the theft.

Classic Style Urn Selection

When the family can’t agree on a urn style for the deceased, sometimes the simplest choice is the Classic Bronze cremation urn. Ancient design and clean lines of this funeral urn never goes out of style. These metal urns are available in three sizes, a full-size adult, a smaller sharing, youth or pet urn, and a 3″ keepsake size. What’s a keepsake urn, and why would you one? Some families might be sprinkling or want to keep a small amount or the ashes, a lock of hair or dried flowers.

Classic Bronze Urn

The Classic urn is brass with a brushed bronze or pewter finish and secure threaded lid. The adult size measures 10″ high, and weighs a solid 7 pounds.

Urn Garden Cremation Urns

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Hookin’ Up

jazzy chair

There is hope for aging brains.

Law and Order’s Jerry Orbach donated his eyes.

Speaking of eyeballs, check out this eye bank ad. Creepy or cool?

The History Channel will explore cremation, the role of the medical examiner, organ and tissue donation and more during a show to air at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 20th in MODERN MARVELS: CORPSE TECH.The show’s theme will be “Adventures of the Body After Life.”

Let’s talk about life: More than 4000 babies in China have been named “Olympic Games”.

china baby

jazzy chair image via.