Could my grave be on my land?

[mcmxi]

Do NOT fall for the belief that a “Funeral Home” or business will properly guide you.

They are in the business of making Money off your Death….and are NOT reliable sources.

Read the Law in your jurisdiction.

In most cases it is quite legal to be buried on private land. The problem might be that custodial-care of the grave might be misinterpreted and misunderstood, especially if the grave be unrecorded with local authorities and deeds.

However, do not be dissuaded if that is your desire…. simply contact your state/local authorities for jurisdiction.

I plan to be buried, naturally UN-enbalmed, beneath the peach trees in my garden and the site be restricted in the deed for development…. which solves the isssue in my Texas country. In a couple hundred years it will return to a wilderness area…and no one will care.

I don't see anything in the link that I provided that is inconsistent with what you posted.

Your comment about being in the business of "making money" can be applied to just about anything. Should we not listen to Kubota when it comes to maintenance or repair advice because they "make money" fixing or repairing issues on our tractors? I don't see Rome Monument doing anything but providing reasonable information and a starting point for someone interested in home burial.

 

[RCW]

I have a long-time friend that has been a funeral director for nearly 50 years.

I recall him saying that even in New Yorkistan regulations allow up to 4(?) burial plots on family property.

That was NYS regs, and I can’t cite them. But did seem to be a common theme in different jurisdictions as I recall, probably with different criteria in each place.

 

[DustyRusty]

Speaking of tombstones….…. (please remember this is about tombstones…not politics…don‘t want to get in-trouble)….so insert the political party of your choice in the “Blank”….)

I’m disappointed that I didn’t think of it first…. and because I voted for (blank political-party) in 1980…. cannot truthfully have it anyway…..

…but in the Texas State Cemetery.. there is the grave of Bill Kugle…his headstone simply reads,

“He never voted for (Blank political party) and had little to do with them.”



Of deceased former governors…. Miriam “Ma” Ferguson’s remains lie beside the governor who preceded her, her disgraced husband, James “Pa” Ferguson. I was disappointed to discover that Ma’s headstone made no mention of her most famous quote, apocryphal or not: “If English was good enough for Jesus Christ, it ought to be good enough for the children of Texas.

What makes anyone think that Jesus Christ spoke English?

 

[GeoHorn]

I don't see anything in the link that I provided that is inconsistent with what you posted.

Your comment about being in the business of "making money" can be applied to just about anything. Should we not listen to Kubota when it comes to maintenance or repair advice because they "make money" fixing or repairing issues on our tractors? I don't see Rome Monument doing anything but providing reasonable information and a starting point for someone interested in home burial.

I wasn’t being critical of your post.

I used to fly for a company that did extensive record-keeping business with Service Corp…who owns ~90% of all funeral home operations… which resulted in an inside-view of the shenanigans the funeral-home business pulls on people when they are so vulnerable. My comment is only to caution that historically that business is less-then-forthright about the rights of the bereaved.

 

[GeoHorn]

What makes anyone think that Jesus Christ spoke English?

That was the point. “Ma” and “Pa” Ferguson were crooked gov’s…. and one of the things she did was attempt to have the state legislature pass a law declaring English as the only legal language in Texas…. and the only one taught in schools…. that nonsensical quip of hers was used by critics as evidence of her craziness.

 

[RCW]

I wasn’t being critical of your post.

I used to fly for a company that did extensive record-keeping business with Service Corp…who owns ~90% of all funeral home operations… which resulted in an inside-view of the shenanigans the funeral-home business pulls on people when they are so vulnerable. My comment is only to caution that historically that business is less-then-forthright about the rights of the bereaved.

My friend is semi-retired from SCI.

SCI acquired the funeral home he had worked at since the mid-'70's. He managed that facility as well as served as regional manager of the 8 or 10 (?) in the area.

SCI is also BIG into cemeteries.

Large company. I recall their headquarters in Texas being flooded by Hurricane Harvey(?).

SCI is a large company.

Not any expression of opinion good or bad intended.

I honestly wished I had bought some of their stock when I became aware of them from my friend 10-15 years ago. (NYSE:SCI)

Would have been a better bet than General Electric. (NYSE:GE)

 

[DustyRusty]

I wasn’t being critical of your post.

I used to fly for a company that did extensive record-keeping business with Service Corp…who owns ~90% of all funeral home operations… which resulted in an inside-view of the shenanigans the funeral-home business pulls on people when they are so vulnerable. My comment is only to caution that historically that business is less-then-forthright about the rights of the bereaved.

Do you believe Service Corporation International owns 90% of American funeral homes? I will give you that they are the single largest owner of funeral homes in the United States and Canada, but I have serious doubts that they own 90%, or for that matter, even 50%. Just remember, I will be the last to let you down and I can bury other people's mistakes.

 

[GeoHorn]

Do you believe Service Corporation International owns 90% of American funeral homes? I will give you that they are the single largest owner of funeral homes in the United States and Canada, but I have serious doubts that they own 90%, or for that matter, even 50%. Just remember, I will be the last to let you down and I can bury other people's mistakes.

Service Corporation International - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Henro]

Service Corporation International - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I scanned over, but didn’t read that whole Wikipedia article. I didn’t see a percentage listed there, but it might be.

The following is a reply I got using ChatGPT to answer the question. I have no clue if the answer is accurate. But it seems more reasonable than the 90% figure does.

ChatGPT

As of my last update, Service Corporation International (SCI) operates approximately 13% of funeral homes in the United States. However, this percentage may have changed since then, so it's always a good idea to verify with the latest data.

 

[GeoHorn]

I didn’t intend to use the term “90%” to mean a damn thing other than SCI owns a “huge portion….of the industry. The point being made was that the ”funeral home’ business has a greater interest if convincing you that you must do it THEIR way over any other.
Dusty just needs an argument to feel good about himself.

 

[DustyRusty]

I didn’t intend to use the term “90%” to mean a damn thing other than SCI owns a “huge portion….of the industry. The point being made was that the ”funeral home’ business has a greater interest if convincing you that you must do it THEIR way over any other.
Dusty just needs an argument to feel good about himself. View attachment 127232

Here you go again attempting to change the meaning of your words to fit into your situation.

I don't need an argument to feel good about myself, I don't have a bloated opinion of myself like you do. When you make foolish statements and get called on them you twist and turn and attempt to justify your exaggeration of falsehood. Just for your reading enjoyment....

There are 22,715 Funeral Homes businesses in the US as of 2023, a decline of -1.5% from 2022.

IBISWorld - Industry Market Research, Reports, and Statistics

Expert industry market research to help you make better business decisions, faster. Industry market research reports, statistics, analysis, data, trends and forecasts.

www.ibisworld.com

.

 

[NCL4701]

I know this thread has gone off the rails, but…

Is it possible in some areas to legally bury, cremate, or otherwise dispose of a corpse without involving a licensed provider? (Not sure how you’d do a home brew cremation unless you went with the currently out of vogue funeral pyre thing.)

Kind of hard to imagine if a relative dies at the hospital or nursing home telling the facility to put their remains in the back of your truck so you can bury them back home and them actually complying. Or having a relative die at home and you just bury them without anyone “taking you back to the station to clear up a few things”.

Seems like you’d be talking to a licensed funeral director at some point if you need to dispose of a body and prefer to not go to jail after. Lots of stuff I don’t know, though. ??

 

[D2Cat]

I know this thread had gone off the rails, but…

Is it possible in some areas to legally bury, cremate, or otherwise dispose of a corpse without involving a licensed provider? (Not sure how you’d do a home brew cremation unless you went with the currently out of vogue funeral pyre thing.)

Kind of hard to imagine if a relative dies at the hospital or nursing home telling the facility to put their remains in the back of your truck so you can bury them back home and them actually complying. Or having a relative die at home and you just bury them without anyone “taking you back to the station to clear up a few things”.

Seems like you’d be talking to a licensed funeral director at some point if you need to dispose of a body and prefer to not go to jail after. Lots of stuff I don’t know, though. ??
[/QUOTE]

I know in the state of Kansas a body is not required to be cremated for burial.

 

[GeoHorn]

Your state may have laws which require a “death certificate” or other document to have a “home burial” or cremation. You might want to think about what other issues might exist however…for example, a Home Owner’s Assoc’n might have prohibitions…. or it might affect subsequent property-sales issues, etc.

Google is your friend…. Here’s what pops-up in Texas: https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclop...n You Bury a Body,zoning laws you must follow.

 

[Henro]

I wasn’t very specific about my actual intentions…

I figured there would be a cremation done via the normal route and the ashes would just be buried along with the monument, and the desire would be that the site be maintained no different than if there was a body in the ground…

 

[GeoHorn]

deleted

 

[DustyRusty]

deleted

 

[lugbolt]

the state you live in (if in the usa) probably has an entire government commission that deals with deaths.

I did graveyard work for a number of years and had to deal with them fairly often. Few times a week for a while. Yes they inspect the depth of the hole and such, on standard burials. Distance between that grave and the neighboring grave, type of materials used for vault, thickness of said vault, etc--just a whole bunch of laws that I didn't previously know about. Was an interesting deal, and paid pretty good too!

I'd imagine there's laws that deal with where one can be laid to rest, and I'd suggest checking with your state.

 

[Lug66]

Just make sure your ashes are in an urn. You don’t want the family idiot to confuse the cardboard box with Ridex.

 

[Daylight]

Whatever you do, unless you're really special, three or four generations after your death, you're forgotten forever. And you won't know or care anyway...

My Better Half and I have both decided to donate our respective corpse to the Faculty of Medicine of the university, as carving material for anatomy students. No cost, the university takes care of everything and we will contribute a little bit to the advancement of science.