Need information on a construction project. Ole Jeep [brother] is needing dimentions of coffins. He's fixin to start buildin'm, I rekon. The type he's talkin about is the narrow head, wide chest and then tapered back down narrow again at the feet. I think he knows the width at head, feet and chest but doesn't know the depth or the distance from the head to the chest. Pesonally, I don't ritely give a hoot but he seems to. If anybody has this information or different plans it'd be appreciated by him, I'm sure. I'm not waitin for the undertaker---I'm waitin for the UPPERTAKER. Thanks folks! Matt. 24:44

-- hoot gibson (hoot@pcinetwork.com), October 12, 2000

Answers

The Uppertaker may well be hear soon! Nasty, nasty news day today.

-- Ed Weaver (edzreal@postmaster.co.uk), October 12, 2000.

ed, i sure hope not, if there is anything you need please e-mail i will try to help.

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), October 12, 2000.

Seems like the old ones were made to measure; you measured the body, and made to coffin to fit. Hubby and I went to a funeral of a friend last week, and we shuddered to think of the cost of the elaborate coffin. Hubby said to just bury him in a plain pine box, when the time came. Me, too. Too many mouths to feed and take care of among the living to spend that much money on the dead. Not being disrepectful, just practical. Cheap doesn't have to be ugly, as a lot of us who decorate with yard sale finds, etc., can attest to.

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), October 12, 2000.

Fraid I can't help you with the dimensions. I'm waiting for the uppertaker too. Hoot, glad you are back. Did you have a good time? I'm heading for Southern Illinois this weekend and will spend a week searching my roots! God bless.

-- bwilliams (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), October 12, 2000.

I believe LeAnn is correct. I seem to remember the undertaker would take a measurement of the person and make the box accordingly. You might remind your brother not to make the shoulder area all one width as some people have broad shoulders.

-- Amanda Seley (aseley@townsqr.com), October 12, 2000.

Hoot, there are directions in one of the earlier Foxfire books, probably volume 1 - 4, but I cannot tell you for sure as I have put my books up somewhere where I'll be sure to find them when I need them. I hope to find them again before I go to the Uppertaker myself!!! Tell Ole Jeep to go the public library and have a look-see at the Foxfire books, or maybe to the bookstore. As best I remember, there is a whole section dedicated to the old time funerals, complete with telling how to line the coffin after it is built. I remember my grandmother telling how she and her mother used to line the coffins when she was a girl. First they padded them with a thin sheet of carded cotton, then used tacks to fit the cloth lining in over it. Good luck. And you watch out about over doing it going up mountains and the like, Hoot. We want you to hang in here a while longer.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), October 13, 2000.

You can also contact any Amish or Mennonite (the conservative ones) they make their own coffins too. Their funerals are really beautiful- somber, but lots of joyful songs sung, and good preaching.

Anyway-they build their own coffins-I don't know if they build them in that shape or not, but they would be willing to help if one needs inforamtion I am sure.

Peace and blessings, Sarah

-- Sarah (heartsong85@juno.com), October 13, 2000.

I would like to know the laws regarding home burial. The thought of embalming seems like a desecration to me. I think the process of preparing the body for burial helped the family deal with the grief. people have become so separated from the burial process that we have no real outlet for our grief. I would much rather think of a family member (and their coffin) turning back to dust as God intended than lying in some half-decomposed state inside a vault forever.

Just my 2 cents worth. What do ya'll think?

-- Mona (jascamp@ipa.net), October 13, 2000.

It depends upon the laws in your state. Our funerals here the body does need to be enbalmed, and the undertaker needs to be present but you can otherwise do it yourself. There is likely some variation- where we used to live there had to be a concrete vault that the coffin goes into-here it is a wooden one.

And I agree with you-the grief process is helped by burying our own.

Sarah

-- Sarah (heartsong85@juno.com), October 13, 2000.

- this is from Canada but is informative

http://www.cableregina.com/business/jbyggdin/athome.htm

- here's a US organization that looks interesting. They sell some things but it looks like they're just covering their costs.

http://naturaldeathcare.org/

- and another one

http://www.crossings.net/index.html

I performed searches on 'do-it-yourself funerals' and 'family-directed funerals'.

Hope these are some starting points for more knowledge.

j

-- j (jw_hsv@yahoo.com), October 13, 2000.

I guess that this does all go with the thread as not only does the box have to fit but we have to remember what the box is for. In regards to the embalming of the corpse its widespread use is not because of decreasing the spread of disease, keeping the body preserved, the reason many believe that it caught on is because no one had to any longer worry about being burried alive as with the embalming process it just couldn't happen.

In regards to the vaults they are mostly requirements of the cemetary as they don't want to end up with depressions in their lawn when the casket collapses the vault is to prevent this.

I want to be cremated. And would prefer that my body could just be put on a stack of wood grown here on my homestead then have the ashes spread here to. Don't think that will happen unless it is a dark night and all the officals are at the otherside of the county.

gail

-- gail missouri ozarks (gef123@hotmail.com), October 15, 2000.

Hey Hoot, just a warning, but if your brother comes around and starts measuring you, you better beware of your brother! However, if anything like that would happen to you, I'm sure all of us Countrysiders would band together and find the person responsible!

-- Michael W. Smith (kirklbb@penn.com), October 15, 2000.

Try the book, "Caring for Your Own Dead", an excellent resource for USA folks.

I ordered a handmade maple coffin for my father from Mineral Crossing, in Iowa. Even with shipping it was under $1000, cheap for a coffin these days. The fellow there is VERY kind and there are many styles. He will even send you plans or a kit to make your own. He will also make the coffin functional as a bookcase, wine cellar or blanket chest prior to its usage, much later I hope for everyone.

-- Anne (HT@HM.com), October 15, 2000.