Green Burial


By Apita, Bla Bla Blog

Not something too many people think about. But I started taking interest in this after reading a couple books. When I grew up, when a person died, there was no question as to what happened to the body…

The body went to the funeral home, they did their thing, made the body look presentable, people would come look at it, and then the body would be buried the next day. And that is all I knew. Seemed simple enough. Then I heard of cremation. That seemed rather barbaric. Burning a body down to the ashes, and then putting the ashes into a box or urn or possibly scattering them?! I accidently read how the body is prepared during embalming. I was disgusted. OK, so I know it is just a body, a shell, with no soul when they are embalming… but there seems to be no respect for the body what so ever with embalming. I wont go into details, but it is disgusting. It was after reading more about caring for the dead that I discovered “green burials”. No embalming, no fancy casket, no funeral home, and no vault. That is my kind of burial. But there is no place in Indiana that does that, or even would consider that. New York has a place, and so does California. But how on earth are they going to get my dead body out to California before I start to stink? Maybe in 40 years they will have a green burial place here in Indiana. Maybe I could just be buried at my grandmas property… wrap me up in a blanket, take me to the “yellow brick road” and put me in a shallow grave. I just have to make sure the younger generation knows where the “yellow brick road” is.

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Reader Comments

I, too, want a green burial at my home in Indiana. I just wrote the state health department asking about regulations, but don’t anticipate hearing back what I would like to hear. What can we do to make this possible? There are green burial sites in Wisconsin and South Carolina I think.

I had always thought that cremation would be what I’d want. Then I heard about ‘green burial’, and it just masde so much sense!

None in Indiana? Not really amazing I guess.

How can this be changed?

Hi, I am opening a Green Burial Ground right outside the city limits of Bloomington, Indiana. Please feel free to email me and I will keep you posted.
deanchance123@hotmail.com

Consider the biomass that the native prairie supported for thousands of years; look for traces of it now, discounting the use, or misuse, that man has made made of it these past 150 years, or so. It is gone. All of the life that the prairie supported has been recycled by Mother Nature.But, after man is done tinkering with it, the grass will come back and with it the animals. It’s Nature’s way and sooner or later we, as a society, will understand that and changes will come. If the “baby boomers” could stop a horrible war, maybe they will be able to stop our current barbaric way of burying the dead. Sweden has been doing it for many centuries; we can too.

.Did you ever see a funeral home in a covered wagon? I submit that the paths by pioneers across the great plains were the first Green burial sites.How did we give these funeral Home guys such a grip on what we do with our bodies? Check out the guy in Bloomington, he might have the answer to how you want to be buried.

Today I went to a local funeral home and did a prepay funeral. I am being cremated, mostly because of the expense of a burial. I learned of “green burial” today at the funeral home. I have wanted something of this sort for quite awhile, as does my husband. BUT I was told that Indiana didn’t have a green cementery at this time. WHY? So what is so different in Indiana that we can’t have a green cementery but other states have them available? It needs to change.

My husband’s best friend was just buried on Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina in the state’s first green cemetery. He was the first to be buried there. It was simple and beautiful, in the woods near a spring. Now I want to find that in Indiana!

Flanner & Buchanan in Indianapolis is opening a green burial ground. I am thrilled!

Talking with Flanner and Buchanan in Broad Ripple (Indianapolis), they are moving in the green burial direction. They will use a shroud with earth contact, but still use a vault to keep the edges from caving in. Other materials I’ve received sound like they are going to be doing more; setting aside areas of cemetaries to remain natural. Indiana does seem to be behind.

The author of this article speaks rather ignorantly about embalming. If done properly and respectfully, embalming is the most respectful and caring method of caring for human remains. Perhaps the author should do more research and talk to the professionals before speaking so ignorantly.

I’m interested in working on a council in Indiana for natural burial. Are there any organizations locally?

Goshen Indiana is working on a cemetery for natural burials. they have been making preparations for the past year, and we look forward to having one in use within the next year. Goshen is located in northern Indiana between South Bend and Fort Wayne. And you are right that the idea of green burials has taken a long time for Indiana to embrace.