Step 3-a: Back Yard Burial

We ran across resources for planning a funeral and began working through the endless choices involved.

For me the most difficult part of thsi step was not knowing how to broach the subject. I told dad about an article I read on creating a family cemetery. He was interested.

Our plan had been to use his military benefit of a grave and marker at a national vet cemetery. But the old cowboy way of burying your dead in the back 40 appealed to him too. “Hell, can’t we just dump me out back and let the coyotes have me?” He loved saying things for shock value, but this game me an idea: Why can’t we?

Turns out, you can!

In my state, Texas, and maybe in yours too, you can legally create a family cemetery on your property. Now there are laws, regulations and subtleties that come into play and no one seems to have all the answers to the many questions we had. I found several encouraging books, articles, and on-line resources on home burials and family cemeteries (see Resources below). They made it sound pretty easy.

When I went back to dad with the news that it looked like we could just toss him in the back yard, so to speak, he became excited.

I did not anticipate that reaction. A tad bit weird, you know. I was encouraged by his enthusiasm and pressed forward on creating a family cemetery on our little family farm in the country.

It was easy but not simple. Figuring out the steps required and how to complete each was challenging. But once we completed the process and looked back, we could see that doing it again would be quite easy now that we know how. I suspect "they" in the biz don't want you to know this because you might choose to do the same once you see how we did it. I hope you do.