New Life for The City of The Dead

The Springvale Cemetery hopes its history and gardens will attract more than the bereaved.

The Garden of No Distant Place at Springvale Botanical Cemetery

THE first legal cremation in Victoria was a rudimentary affair. It was held at Springvale Botanical Cemetery in 1905 when the body of Edward Davies, a retired customs officer, was laid on a pile of wood, doused with kerosene and then set alight. The service was presided over by a Church of England priest.

A rock in the cemetery (called the Necropolis, meaning ''the city of the dead'', until 2006) marks the site of his cremation, which was made possible in 1903 after the state government of the day passed the Cremation Act.

Davies' remains were interred near the grave of seven-month-old Clarence Reardon, who died of whooping cough and whose burial was the first at Springvale on March 20, 1902, a year after the cemetery was laid out in the shape of the Union Jack in a show of patriotism for Federation and the death that year of Queen Victoria.
The rock and Clarence's grave will be highlighted on a tour of the cemetery on Friday to be led by Celestina Sagazio, historian and manager of cultural heritage at the Southern Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust.

Other significant sites include the war cemetery laid out like Australian burial sites in France and the American military cemetery, once the resting place of about 38 servicemen who died in the region during World War II (and whose remains were exhumed in 1945 and sent back to America for reburial).

One was the infamous Edward Leonski, who strangled three Melbourne women and was hanged on November 9, 1942. All that's left of this cemetery is a flagpole with an eagle on top, an American flag at half mast and two rudimentary crosses, a helmet hanging off one, in the middle of an expanse of lawn.

Like cemeteries the world over, including Pere Lachaise in Paris, which counts among its famous dead Jim Morrison, lead singer of the Doors, Springvale has people of renown. Among them are Laddislaus Kossak, a mounted policeman at the Eureka Stockade, Liberal Party leader Sir Billy Snedden, Country Party leader Sir John ''Black Jack'' McEwen, Phar Lap's strapper, Tommy Woodcock, jockey Scobie Breasley, actor Charles ''Bud'' Tingwell, society florist Kevin O'Neill, governor-general Sir Zelman Cowen, Collingwood premiership player Darren ''Pants'' Millane, Richmond player Jack Dyer and Australian cricket captain in the Bodyline era, William Woodfull.

Springvale was the only Victorian cemetery to have a dedicated railway line and station that was used to transport coffins, passengers and staff from Melbourne to the cemetery. Mortuary and visitors' trains were a regular sight from 1904 but the line was closed in 1951. A rock with a commemorative plaque marks the site.

The name was changed from the Necropolis in 2006 to reflect the growing botanical significance of the cemetery, which features original plantings of two bunya bunya pines, oaks, palms and gums. A red river gum, believed to be about 400 years old, may have lost most of its limbs but the huge trunk remains with a healthy covering of leaf growth. It's an awe-inspiring sight.

A large variety of native and ornamental trees, shrubs and 30,000 roses, plus the Garden of No Distant Place, can be found in the 169-hectare site and many will be pointed out on the tour.

Dr Sagazio, who takes night tours on Halloween through Melbourne General Cemetery (she was terrified at first) believes cemeteries are public assets and should be used in the same way as parks and gardens.

''Few realise how significant and beautiful Springvale Cemetery is. The stories of the people who are in here are very important. The fear of death and the fear of walking through a cemetery shouldn't stop people from having the experience of enjoying the bird life, the wildlife, the thousands of roses, trees and shrubs. We want to encourage people to see cemeteries as wonderful places which are full of history and beautiful gardens.''


SOURCE: http://www.theage.com.au/national/melbourne-life/new-life-for-the-city-of-the-dead-20120214-1t3z2.html

Meeting Those Final Bills

LIKE many western nations, Australia has an ageing population. This has fuelled the growth of products and services pitched at senior Australians - like funeral plans and funeral insurance, which are openly marketed these days, something that was unthinkable not all that long ago.

Paul Clitheroe

No one likes to think or talk about their own death but, if you feel inclined to do so, it can make sense to discuss your final wishes with family members. Letting them know the type of funeral you'd like or your preference for burial versus cremation for instance, means your family don't have to make more difficult decisions at a time of extreme grief.

It is also important to think about how these final bills will be met because funerals don't come cheap.

On average, a funeral costs somewhere between $4,000 and $7,000, and footing the bill can be a challenge. Life insurance payouts may take a few weeks to be finalised, and probate (when the court validates a person's will) can take even longer. It means your family could be left funding the expense and the reality is that for many people this can be very challenging.

In some circumstances, family members may be eligible for a financial helping hand from government organisations like Centrelink and the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA). However this assistance is generally only available if the deceased was a recipient of Centrelink or DVA support payments.

This being the case it's not surprising that a range of different funding options are being marketed to cover funeral expenses. It may seem a morbid topic but as with any financial product, it pays to be aware of the upsides as well as the pitfalls before committing your cash.

One option is prepaid funerals. These let you choose the type of funeral you would like, and either pay for it in full in advance, or pay it off over a period of time. Some states require prepaid funerals to be registered with the department of consumer affairs or fair trading. So check with the relevant department in your state or territory to ensure you're dealing with a legitimate organisation.

An alternative is funeral bonds. These offer a tax free investment that can only be accessed after your death. It can be an appealing option for retirees as money invested in prepaid funeral plans or funeral bonds is usually excluded from the age pension assets test.

Another option is funeral insurance. The idea is that you sign up to a policy, making monthly payments to cover funeral costs up to an agreed value. The younger you are, the lower the premiums, however it is important to check that after years of paying premiums you don't end up paying more than a funeral could cost.

With some insurers, a male aged 46 can expect to pay premiums of $11 each month to purchase funeral cover worth $5,000. For a 66-year old man, the premiums can be around $40 per month.

No matter what sort of financial product you use, be sure to tell someone you trust, such as your executor, that you have made plans. There's not much point in paying for funeral insurance if no one knows you have a policy in place.

Source: http://www.noosanews.com.au/story/2012/02/06/meeting-those-final-bills/

'Dead Woman' Comes Alive

A woman, whom her family members and relatives thought had died, surprised them when she came 'alive'. In fact, her family had also made preparations to cremate her, and her relatives had even reached the cremation ground.

Mamu Devi, 60, of Hartan village of Yamunanagar district was brought to PGI in Chandigarh on Thursday in a critical condition as her kidney had failed.

On Saturday, the doctors told her kin including her husband, Mahender Kumar, son and some other relatives to take her home, as they could not do much to cure her now.

However, her relatives misunderstood what the doctors said and thought that they meant that Mamu had died, though the doctors had only said that there was no chance of her recovery.

As Mamu was unconscious, her family members presumed that she was dead, and rang up home, asking their relatives to arrange for a funeral. Following this the villagers made all the arrangements for the cremation, including arranging for the wood.

However, when Mamu was being taken to her village from Chandigarh, her kin saw some movement in her body, on reaching near Ambala. Elated with the development, they again rang up home informing that Mamu had come 'alive' and it was a "divine miracle." Receiving this information hundreds of relatives and villagers assembled to see the 'miracle' for themselves.

Mahender Kumar, Mamu's husband clarified, "Perhaps, we did not listen to the doctors carefully. Moreover, as she was unconscious and did not move for hours, we thought she as no more."

Later, Mamu was admitted to a private hospital in Yamunanagar.


SOURCE: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-06/india/31030256_1_cremation-ground-relatives-yamunanagar

Option to Trim Funeral Costs for Indigents Meets Some Resistance

Minnehaha County, South Dakota officials hope to save money by using cremation more often as final disposition of needy residents who die without means to pay for a funeral and burial.

A newly proposed state law under consideration this week in Pierre would specify cremation as an option in handling remains of an indigent, but skeptics fear the change would let counties insist on cremation as the only option.

The discussion comes as counties scramble to cut budgets and as demand for social assistance rises in urban areas such as Sioux Falls. Counties, by law, must cover costs if someone dies without money and no family member is able or willing to step up to help. In Minnehaha County, funeral assistance doubled the past six years. The cost last year, about $200,000, was $60,000 over budget.

Switching from casket to cremation would save $500 to $1,200 per funeral and go a long way toward covering that deficit, said Rep. Bob Deelstra, a Republican from Hartford and sponsor of House Bill 1066.

“I think it is a good place to save money,” Deelstra said.

Cremation now is the outcome in about 30 percent of the 7,000 deaths in South Dakota each year. Many church denominations, which once opposed it or kept the issue at arm’s length, now endorse it. But as it grows more common, cremation also touches a nerve. Some cultures and religions forbid it, and families often would simply prefer burial.

House Bill 1066 would insert the word cremation into portions of state law on county funerals, some of which date to 1939, before cremation was common. Counties now use cremation if families agree, so the law would be acknowledging a practice already in place .

“I think this provides clarification,” said Carol Muller, director of human services in Minnehaha County.

But it also would let counties dictate the choice. Minnehaha County used cremation in 55 of 85 funerals it paid for last year, a 65 percent rate that more than doubles the rate of the overall population. Those 55 were family choices, Muller said, while the other 30 were funerals with traditional burial in a casket. The county would hope that in the future they all would be cremations.

“If we in Minnehaha County provide the service, cremation would be the option we would pay for,” Muller said.

“Cremation has become much more acceptable to many families,” Muller added.

The downside of the change is that not everyone agrees.

“We recognize for some people the concept of cremation is something they’re not comfortable with,” Muller said. If someone objects, she said, “that’s going to have to be something we address.”

Tim Wingen, funeral director at Miller Funeral Home, said the county is picking a bad place to save money. A surprising number of people oppose cremation, and this could add to grief.

“It’s not a waste. It’s a need. That’s the thing about death. It’s not voluntary,” Wingen said.

He said funeral homes are happy to provide the service for indigents, and do so below cost, whether cremation or casket, but this becomes a community issue.

“I’m all for saving money, but this is forcing people to do something they don’t believe in,” Wingen said.

Phil Schmitz, manager at George Boom Funeral Home, said the county is juggling its own post-recession budget issues with an increasingly complex population. The law requires a spouse or close kin to take responsibility but it allows distant relations and friends to step in as well.

“We’re starting to see more people who have the ability to pay for a funeral but choose not to,” Schmitz said. “If people abdicate responsibility but still try to dictate what they want, I don’t think that’s the way it should be.”

His concern is families that have no money but oppose the practice.

“If you try to dictate cremation to them, you’re going to have a problem,” Schmitz said. “I’ve never seen that happen here. We’re small-town America. People still have feelings.”

Minnehaha and Pennington counties together spent $286,000 on indigent burials in 2010, or 55 percent of the state total of $518,000. Pennington officials have little interest in pushing cremation . “If it passes, I don’t see it being implemented in Pennington. I can’t see it for the hassle it would create,” said Ron Buskerud, a county commissioner in Rapid City.

Cindy Heiberger, a Minnehaha County commissioner, favors the change as a cost saver. The county would work out details.

“The commission will have to have a discussion about it,” she said.

Full-service funerals can run $7,000 to $10,000 in Sioux Falls. A cremation with no funeral can run $2,900, Wingen said. The practice involves burning a body four hours at 1,800 degrees inside a chamber, then presenting the family a container with 8 to 10 pounds of bone ash. If a family elects to have the deceased lie in state beforehand, with the body in a casket for visitation and a memorial service, that can push cremation above $4,000.

Indigent services come at a discount. Minnehaha County pays $2,250 for a funeral plus about $1,000 for a protective liner and opening and closing the grave.

The county pays $2,250 for a cremation or 54 percent of the billed charge, whichever is less.

SOURCE: http://www.argusleader.com/article/20120129/NEWS/301290018/Option-trim-funeral-costs-indigents-meets-some-resistance

Alaska Airlines Ends Decades-Old Prayer Card Tradition

Alaska Airlines, America's seventh-largest carrier in terms of passenger traffic, said on Wednesday that it would end a decades-old tradition of handing out prayer cards with its in-flight meals.

In this handout provided by Alaska Airlines, prayer cards

The prayer cards, which the Seattle-based airline began offering in the 1970s after an executive spotted them on another airline, were intended to serve as a marketing strategy and to put passengers at ease, a spokeswoman said.

The airline sent an e-mail to its frequent flyers on Wednesday explaining the change, which took effect February 1.

"This difficult decision was not made lightly. We believe it's the right thing to do in order to respect the diverse religious beliefs and cultural attitudes of all our customers and employees," Alaska Air Group Chairman and CEO Bill Ayer and Alaska Airlines President Brad Tilden wrote to customers.

"Religious beliefs are deeply personal and sharing them with others is an individual choice."

The quotes came from the Book of Psalms, part of both Jewish and Christian tradition, such as Psalm 118, "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever."

The airline has offered meals only on flights longer than four hours and, since 2006, only to first-class passengers - up to 16 people per flight. The airline carries 16.5 million passengers per year.

The decision prompted dozens of comments on the airline's Facebook page, mostly from people expressing disappointment with the change.

Alaska Airlines spokeswoman Bobbie Egan said the company's leaders made the decision last fall, after several years of reviewing the rise in customer complaints.

"The idea of removing the card had come up several times over the past few years and prompted thoughtful discussion," she said. "When the issue came up again last fall, after carefully considering all sides, it was agreed that eliminating the card was simply the right thing to do."

Egan could not say whether the rise in complaints was related to limiting the distribution of the cards to first-class passengers.

"Over the years, we've received comments from customers who were comforted by the card, but many others felt as though religion was not appropriate on an airplane and preferred not to receive one," she said.

"We've seen an uptick in the number of passengers who just simply don't appreciate getting a prayer card on the meal tray."

SOURCE: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/alaska-airlines-ends-decades-old-prayer-card-tradition-011345991.html

What is Death?

Death is the termination of the biological functions that define a living organism. It refers both to a particular event and to the condition that results thereby. The true nature of the latter has, for millennia, been a central concern of the world's religious traditions and of philosophical inquiry. Belief in some kind of afterlife or rebirth is a central aspect of many religious traditions.

Humans and the vast majority of other animals die in due course from senescence. Remarkable exceptions include the hydra, and the jellyfish turritopsis nutricula, which is thought to possess in effect biological immortality.

Intervening phenomena which commonly bring about death earlier include malnutrition, disease, or accidents resulting in terminal physical injury. Predation is a cause of death for many species. Intentional human activity causing death includes suicide, homicide, and war. Roughly 150,000 people die each day across the globe. Death in the natural world can also occur as an indirect result of human activity: an increasing cause of species depletion in recent times has been destruction of ecosystems as a consequence of the widening spread of industrial technology.

Physiological death is now seen as less an event than a process: conditions once considered indicative of death are now reversible. Where in the process a dividing line is drawn between life and death depends on factors beyond the presence or absence of vital signs. In general, clinical death is neither necessary nor sufficient for a determination of legal death. A patient with working heart and lungs determined to be brain dead can be pronounced legally dead without clinical death occurring. Precise medical definition of death, in other words, becomes more problematic, paradoxically, as scientific knowledge and technology advance.

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