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 Laughing at the Bereavement Crew

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zadaconnaway
alice
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alice
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alice


Number of posts : 15672
Registration date : 2008-10-22
Age : 76
Location : Redmond, WA

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PostSubject: Laughing at the Bereavement Crew   Laughing at the Bereavement Crew EmptyThu Feb 26, 2009 4:25 pm

What a job! I would rather be unemployed than have to work for the Bereavement crew.

Their avowed purpose in life is to ease your burden.
One thing for certain-- they relieve you quickly of your money.

Their quiet services do not come cheap. They have far too many rules and regulations.

For example: " When do you want the service to begin?"

Our answer "3:30 pm"

"No service can begin after 2:30 pm.

We decided to have our service at 12:30.

In as much as it has been raining, blowing and snowing, Dave asked what would happen if all were occurring during our sevice.

Would we be alowed to seek refuge in the building?

Answer--we would not want to even hear the price.

We have had an excellent sufficiency of bereavement services and the only thing that it has lifted has been our money from our pockets.


Last edited by Alice on Sat Feb 28, 2009 7:39 am; edited 3 times in total
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alice
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alice


Number of posts : 15672
Registration date : 2008-10-22
Age : 76
Location : Redmond, WA

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PostSubject: Re: Laughing at the Bereavement Crew   Laughing at the Bereavement Crew EmptyThu Feb 26, 2009 7:07 pm

Marie,

No reason was stated. No I named them that. It is fittng however.
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zadaconnaway
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zadaconnaway


Number of posts : 4017
Registration date : 2008-01-16
Age : 76
Location : Washington, USA

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PostSubject: Re: Laughing at the Bereavement Crew   Laughing at the Bereavement Crew EmptyThu Feb 26, 2009 8:20 pm

How very sad, Alice. Perhaps more folks should simply hold private memorial services and just go to public places like parks to hold them. If I am to pay for bereavement crews, I cannot afford to die! And I certainly don't want my children saddled with the expense.
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Carol Troestler
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Carol Troestler


Number of posts : 3827
Registration date : 2008-06-07
Age : 86
Location : Wisconsin

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PostSubject: Re: Laughing at the Bereavement Crew   Laughing at the Bereavement Crew EmptyFri Feb 27, 2009 1:43 am

I think it depends on the crew. When my brother died, the bereavement crew was not helpful. But with my mother, another bereavement crew did a great job, except they left my mom's picture out of the obit, but when I pointed it out to them they ran it again with picture.

I was in pretty good shape as I had thought about what I wanted while she was alive, just because we had gotten those "Alice isn't doing well" calls from the nursing home many times. (They would also tell me how proud she was of the books I had written.) When those conversations occurred, I'd begin to plan, and by the time she died I pretty much had my ideas in place. She was a great lady and I wanted to do something nice for her. And yes, we had done nice things while she was alive with birthday parties and get-togethers, not enough, but I tried.

I pretty much planned the whole thing and they took care of incidentals like the cremation, etc. They also came to the service and paid everyone like the priest, church ladies for food, etc., which helped.

It was not too costly, less than your leather chairs, Alice.

Sometimes I wonder if there are some who take advantage of people at low times in their lives just because they can. That's not too professional, however.

Carol
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Dick Stodghill
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Number of posts : 3795
Registration date : 2008-05-04
Age : 98
Location : Akron, Ohio

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PostSubject: Re: Laughing at the Bereavement Crew   Laughing at the Bereavement Crew EmptyFri Feb 27, 2009 5:39 am

Now you know why I have made it clear in writing that I want no funeral service, no calling hours, no obits. Nothing, zilch. Drop the carcass in a hole and shovel on the dirt.
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alice
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alice


Number of posts : 15672
Registration date : 2008-10-22
Age : 76
Location : Redmond, WA

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PostSubject: Re: Laughing at the Bereavement Crew   Laughing at the Bereavement Crew EmptyFri Feb 27, 2009 8:23 am

Dick,

At this place that would be very pricey. The plot wa purchased 42 years ago and today would cost $26,000.

To place the ashes in the plot and have a shared standard headstone for two is in excess of $5000,

The cremation is additional.

We would never have picked this place.

Elsie's son is there and that is where they wish to be.

Dying is big business.

We are doing the service. I am making the little blurbs--and by the way, I like them much better than what they provide.
I will get a guestbook. We will provide the flowers.
We have a preacher. The military is coming.
We are providing food at our house.

The Bereavement crew is putting up an ugly sideless shelter
They are burying his ashes and installing the headstone for over $5000.

Bleep-- if we were younger and stronger we could go into business--we could snatch countertops and convert them to headstones.


Last edited by Alice on Fri Feb 27, 2009 1:36 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Dick Stodghill
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Dick Stodghill


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Age : 98
Location : Akron, Ohio

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PostSubject: Re: Laughing at the Bereavement Crew   Laughing at the Bereavement Crew EmptyFri Feb 27, 2009 12:27 pm

We have plots. Cost $75 fifty years ago.
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Carol Troestler
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Carol Troestler


Number of posts : 3827
Registration date : 2008-06-07
Age : 86
Location : Wisconsin

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PostSubject: Re: Laughing at the Bereavement Crew   Laughing at the Bereavement Crew EmptyFri Feb 27, 2009 12:50 pm

I have known people who just keep those ashes in their closets, on mantels, etc. Some even keep some ashes after they put the rest in their final resting place.

Carol
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alice
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alice


Number of posts : 15672
Registration date : 2008-10-22
Age : 76
Location : Redmond, WA

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PostSubject: Re: Laughing at the Bereavement Crew   Laughing at the Bereavement Crew EmptySat Feb 28, 2009 7:49 am

We picked up the ashes and delivered then to the funeral home--I can't imagine anyone keeping them in their house--I was glad to get them out of our car.

It was a beautful day We reasked the question about how much it would cost if we were to seek shelter insiide.

Answer--$1500

We will gladly freeze for a few minutes.

I will miss the Bereavement crew
They have been most entertaining.
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alice
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alice


Number of posts : 15672
Registration date : 2008-10-22
Age : 76
Location : Redmond, WA

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PostSubject: Re: Laughing at the Bereavement Crew   Laughing at the Bereavement Crew EmptySat Mar 07, 2009 4:38 pm

It is over--the weather was beautiful--just cold.

I had spent big bucks on gorgeous lilies which would be perfectly opened by Friday. Since I had purchased them on Monday, I spent the week looking at them making certain they were not too hot or cold. I changed the water, snipped the ends off--did everything to ensure their total perfection.

On the way to the service, they tipped over twice --water went spilling and turned our Highlander into a veritable swimming pool.

The Bereavement crew had the ugliest shelter imaginable. I am still horrified by the contraption. Seems like they ought to let people pitch a tent--it would look far better.

The military arrived and began fussing with the flag--they were concerned with the water which was dripping from the ugly edifice.

"Finally I said Do we have to have this ugly drippy thing? '

The Bereavement crew pushed it away. Sunshine, beautiful sunshine flooded the area.

Water was brought for my weary crushed lilies and they stayed alive looking for the service.

The peacher preached the usual, the military was mpressive and the lone bugeler perfect.

I sat there wondering why I was so sad. He was a good man and could not live forever. He was the eldest of 11 chuldren and the longest living. he made it to 92,

Hs nephew, son of his brother who was next in line in the family had died two years ago. He spoke of interconnections. His father had died on his birthday and Dave's dad died on his birthday also--what copy cats.


Last edited by Alice on Sat Mar 07, 2009 5:37 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Betty Fasig
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Number of posts : 4334
Registration date : 2008-06-12
Age : 81
Location : Duette, Florida

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PostSubject: Re: Laughing at the Bereavement Crew   Laughing at the Bereavement Crew EmptySat Mar 07, 2009 5:19 pm

Dear Alice,
I had written a whole other post. I never know what to say. I can see you there in a black hat, looking out with your lovely heart and all the remembering that your mind came with to honor.

I imagine it takes a person like you who has connections with death to see with that particular eye that you looked out from. An eye that can see the beauty of the past, the beauty of now and what is lost of beauty by the dying.

It is not a thing that youth would understand, I imagine.

Love,
Betty
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P. Gordon Kennedy
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Number of posts : 1076
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Age : 35
Location : Crystal Falls, Michigan

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PostSubject: Re: Laughing at the Bereavement Crew   Laughing at the Bereavement Crew EmptySat Mar 07, 2009 5:44 pm

$26,000 for a plot and $5,000 for a headstone, wonder how much is profit? Probably 95% or mayby more. The average American funeral costs over $6,000, much of which is profit. No wonder we see funeral directors driving around town in new expensive luxery cars. My advice: find a cheap spot for your eternal rest and enjoy the rest of the money while you're still alive.
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Carol Troestler
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Age : 86
Location : Wisconsin

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PostSubject: Re: Laughing at the Bereavement Crew   Laughing at the Bereavement Crew EmptySat Mar 07, 2009 6:41 pm

Alice,

It is just sad to say good-bye to someone you have known for a long time. I'm glad you did the military ceremony.

Your lilies sound beautiful.

I hope they did not charge you for the shelter. Sometimes they just don't understand.

Love ya,

Carol
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