How Many Funerals Have You Attended So Far?

Discussion in 'Other Reminiscences' started by Lon Tanner, Feb 3, 2021.

  1. Lon Tanner

    Lon Tanner Supreme Member
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    Because my first career was as a Funeral Director/Embalmer I personally attended and directed several hundred funerals but only a few were people I knew, my wife, my father in law/ my employers son.
     
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  2. Al Amoling

    Al Amoling Veteran Member
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    Besides my parents and my only brother I have only been to my daughters funeral
     
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  3. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    I only attend funerals if not doing so would result in a scandal. Thus, I have attended only the funerals of my parents, and those of a few coworkers and employees who were killed while on duty as EMTs or paramedics.
     
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  4. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    In this order, family in bold
    Adds up to 14

    1970s
    -Friend in high school (died in her sleep)
    -Friend in high school (she suicided)
    -Father

    1980s
    -Friend on bowling team
    -Friend on dart team (he suicided)

    2000-2009
    -Older Brother
    -Brother-in-law
    -Mother

    2010-2019
    -Neighbor's mother
    -Pastor's wife
    -Neighbor's cousin, also a friend of mine
    -Pastor
    -Younger Brother

    2020+
    -Friend from church

    I feel as though I'm leaving somebody out.
     
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  5. Hoot Crawford

    Hoot Crawford Veteran Member
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    Now many? Not sure. 5? 6? 7? 12? I dunno. But I do know that I do not want a funeral for myself, so that is one I will gladly avoid.
     
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  6. Trevalius Guyus

    Trevalius Guyus Veteran Member
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    I attended one funeral, as a kid. My grandfather was in the box, and I was told to look at him. I was four. He looked grotesque, to me, even though I'm sure he looked like a "usual embalmed dead person," to the adults. I vowed to never attend any other funerals, and I haven't.

    The funeral business is a huge rip-off, and takes advantage of people at their most vulnerable.
     
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  7. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    My SIL and her cousin, were totally shocked when I told them that, from what I remember, have never/ever been to a funeral. 99% of the time, it was because I couldn't financially go..........the funeral was way out of state. Due to finances, and being states away, wife and I didn't go to her mother's funeral or her BIL funeral. Neither did my wife's brother, for the same two reasons.

    However, we did watch a funeral, on our desktop, of two friends of ours. It was the "closed casket" type due to both be murdered by the daughters ex-husband with a shotgun.

    We just signed up with the Neptune Society for cremation and burial next to my wife's son and mother. It cost us, but they sure take care of everything!
     
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  8. Hal Pollner

    Hal Pollner Veteran Member
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    In Order:

    Grandfather
    Friend
    Brother in law
    Mother
    Father
    Sister
     
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  9. Von Jones

    Von Jones Supreme Member
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    My mother's parents
    an aunt
    my mother
    my sister's close coworker/friend died of COVID. I got to know her. My sister didn't have transportation and I said I would take her.
     
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  10. Nancy Hart

    Nancy Hart Veteran Member
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    An aunt, 1950's
    My grandfather, 1980's
    A memorial service for a person I worked with.

    The last one is a popular thing here now, often scheduled at a later date, so people have more time to make plans to gather. I guess you would call that a funeral.
     
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    Last edited: Feb 5, 2021
  11. James Hintze

    James Hintze Very Well-Known Member
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    I've left instructions in writing and in various places that when my day comes, likely in bed, I will be wrapped in the sheets and blankets as I am, and put in a cloth bag and rushed to the local cemetery that prohibits anything that won't allow the old "Ashes to Ashes Dust to Dust" thing, and be under as soon as the hole can be dug. If friends and family choose to gather afterwards for a beer and such, fine.
    I know that there's some paper work required, and I've tried to streamline that too.
     
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  12. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
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    I have been to many funerals over the years; I don't know exactly how many between family, friends, and coworkers. The most memorable were my parents' funerals and more recently, my older brother.
     
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  13. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    I attended another one earlier today. It was for a man I worked at a home repair non-profit with.

    I'm actually surprised I've been to so many. I never reflected on it before.
     
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    Last edited: Feb 9, 2021
  14. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    Your comment reminded me of the phrase "Final expenses." That always pi$$ed me off, since we can't just dig a hole in the back yard ourselves (or fire up the bbq pit.) It slaps us in the face with the inevitability of modern life (and death) being a cash proposition.
     
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  15. Nancy Hart

    Nancy Hart Veteran Member
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    My mother thought young kids should not have to go to funerals for that very reason. I sure never forgot the first one. I was about 8. But it was my aunt, who I really didn't know very well, so it was a little different.
     
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