Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Sustainable Caskets From Wisconsin

This past weekend a blurb in the Sunday Wisconsin State Journal caught my eye -- from honoring his grandfather with a homemade casket, man forms a business.  Oh I told my husband, make sure we hold on to this until I have a chance to read that article!  To which I received a slightly concerned and bewildered look -- my job is rather macabre.

And so I have had a chance to read the article.  It is a lovely profile of a man who has create an eco-friendly business right here in my home state of Wisconsin.  Northwoods Casket Co. creates eco-friendly caskets for affordable prices.  And apparently it is what the public wants, orders are up.

One fact that jumped out at me was in the introduction.  After his grandfather's death his family stood around, in grief, unable to decide what to do -- burial, cremation, ?  In the end the grandmother said yes to the grandson's offer to build a casket, similar to one from the movie Unforegiven (his Grandfather's favorite film).  As I read this my mind was screaming -- you need Wisconsin's Authorization for Final Disposition Form!!!!!  If you have wishes, put them in writing. Why?

First, it will save time and energy from your loved ones debating what you would want.  They'll know, and they'll know who is in charge.  And second, it requires those loved ones to do what you want.  If you have wishes, but them in writing.  If you don't, you are leaving it up to chance.

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