On Sun, 20 Nov 2011 12:19:35 -0500, Peter wrote:

On 11/20/2011 8:43 AM, wrote:
Big news article in a recent newspapers said that the cost of funerals
has become so expensive that people can no longer afford to die.

Well, the cost of living has also gotten to the point that people cant
afford to live either.

Is there a third choice?


Depends on the size of the family and number of close friends, their
religious beliefs, and presence/absence of specific instructions in the
Will. Sometimes it's impossible to avoid a big show.

If the coroner does not require an autopsy, one is not desired by the
next of kin, organ donation is not accomplished, and the body was not
traumatically mutilated, anatomic donation to a medical school is
usually at zero cost to the next of kin.

A very wrothwhile thing to do.

I'm pretty sure you can be autopsied if the law finds reason to
require it, donate those organs that are good to go, and still donate
the rest of your body to a medical school. If parts are missing, they
can look at the other table.

I've been carrying an organ donor card all but 6 months for the last
42 years.

And I'm typed and registered as a bone-marrow donor too, for the last
20 years (which doesn't require being dead, in fact the opposite), but
I think I got their annual newspaper that says I'm too old to give
bone marrow. (How can that be if it's still working for me?)

In many states, it is legal for the mortuary to cremate the remains
without a casket. Ashes can be scattered at sea or returned to the next
of kin in a simple cardboard box. Funeral parlor services are not
obligatory. Placement of the ashes in a columbarium or grave is not
obligatory. Not entirely free, but probably the most cost effective.

The mortuary I went to once, had a bunch of expensive caskets on
display and hid the cheap ones. 15 years ago, 100 dollars for a pine
box. I'm not sure about cardboard in this state. Didn't Sears say
it was going to start selling coffins cheaply, or Walmart?