Why I Bought Lots at Penn Forest Natural Burial Park

My name is Georgette Griglia. I would like to tell you why I decided to go green at Penn Forest Cemetery. I believe when we leave this physical body in death, we go to the spirit side of life. Our bodies will go back to the earth in a natural way. Over the years attending many traditional funerals, I did not like anything about those funerals. They were always very stressful for the families and, with buying a casket and cement vault, and such a long process, you wonder what it is all for.

Pre-planning greatly eases your family’s burden of making decisions and the difference in price is unreal – a traditional funeral is about $7500.00; and that is just the funeral and not the plot. And the opening of the grave, the closing of the grave, the cement vault and the tombstone, are all extra, and some places they make you pay for the maintenance of the place too. I feel the funeral homes are making a good living from people that think they have no other recourse, but it is nice to know we all have a choice, and we do not have to do what our grandparents did.

I know I feel at peace knowing I will be surrounded with pretty grass flowers and trees and among birds and animals in a natural setting—just what I wanted.

Georgette Griglia

Hookstown, PA

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.

“Reduce.  Reuse.  Recycle.”  That’s been my mantra for 30 years of living.   I‘d like it to be my mantra for my death as well.  My “green burial” will reduce toxins, reuse land and recycle my body.  Nature and the outdoors are very important to me.   I like the idea that I’ll leave a much smaller footprint at my death than if I opted for a conventional embalming and burial or even cremation.

I was thrilled when I heard that Pittsburgh would be home to a green cemetery.   Penn Forest is in a beautiful setting in an area where I have often walked.  Its proximity to Plum Creek and Dark Hollow Park are perks.  I imagine myself gently moldering away in a lush Western Pennsylvania meadow, warmed by sunshine, shaded by trees, birdsong in the air.  Natural burial seems a logical outgrowth of my lifetime philosophy.  I don’t know that all that will matter to me once I’m dead, but it matters to me now.  I’ve told family and friends about my plans. I’ve purchased a plot at Penn Forest.  Meadow lot #624 is waiting for me.

This post was written by Cecelia Hard of Pittsburgh, PA.

Progress At Penn Forest

The Pins are in Place! 

Part of every cemetery’s design process is the layout and identification of graves sites. To comply with Pennsylvania law the cemetery must:

  • Precisely locate every gravesite,
  • When an interment occurs, dig the grave in that precise location, and
  • After the burial, establish a system to find that grave in perpetuity.

 

Some people think grave markers or headstones serve this purpose, but that is not usually the case. Many cemeteries do not use grave markers (flat to the ground natural stone or wood markers are optional at Penn Forest); so another system must be developed.

This starts with the landscape architect’s interpretation of the topography and other features of the landscape. From there, burial sections are mapped out. In the phase 1 burial area at Penn Forest (about a 3-acre tract) our architects laid out four sections: Woods A, Woods B, Woods C and Meadow, with select cremation sites within those sections.

(pictured above left to right:  Wooded Burial Area A and Wooded Burial Area B)

After the sections were mapped, gravesites were created on paper and a numbering system for them was established. Then a surveyor put wooden stakes in the ground to exactly mark key locations on the grave layout grid.

The entire area is laid out with gravesites, but about half of the area is designated for reforestation, and burials will not take place there for perhaps fifty years or so until after new trees have grown up. In other non-reforestation areas where we are selling lots, there are existing trees, and we cannot sell lots under or near those trees, so that further reduces our inventory of lots available for sale. Of course, eventually all trees will die and need to be removed, and then those gravesites, which are already mapped, will become available for sale (we are currently working to add an interactive “Available Lots” map feature on our website, where website visitors can pick out sites they want to buy and put 7-day holds on them. This will include a satellite-mapping feature with the capability to zoom in on any available gravesite).

The surveyor’s wood stakes are only temporary, so on November 29th and 30th Pete and I replaced them with numbered cast aluminum lot pins in the Meadow, the A, B, and C woods sections and in the selected cremation areas. I have to say that we really picked swell weather for this activity. These were the only days in that week that it snowed, we had gale force winds, and it rained in buckets. But wearing bright yellow rain suits and armed with string lines, spikes, tape measures, spades, hot coffee, peanut butter crackers and determined hearts (and some vague remembrances of our 10th grade geometry) we persevered. In those two days we placed over 100 lot pins in the ground. With these pins in place we will be able to either show an individual the precise location of the lot they will be buying, locate the exact place in which an interment needs to be made or find a loved-one’s grave.

Before these pins were placed, we had to have a surveyor come to locate individual gravesites. However, with the pins in the ground, we can now precisely mark each grave to within an inch or so, using only a string line and tape measure. And if something should happen to any of the pins In the future, everything is backed up on our master plan maps.

Here is what we do now to open a grave:

  • A cemetery worker finds the location on the master section map and determines the distances between the four pins needed to locate the site on the ground. (Penn Forest’s basic grid is 16’ x 32’ which includes 16 individual 4’ x 8’ gravesites.)
  • Then this information is taken onto the grounds, and using the required four lot pins, the worker measures the precise distance between these pins—two horizontal and two vertical—to find the selected site and puts four wood stakes in the ground to mark the corners of the gravesite.
  • Then a second cemetery worker independently double-checks the work of the first worker, so that when the excavator operator is ready to dig, there can be no mistake about where the grave boundaries are.

When you visit the cemetery during the winter months, you will also notice some taller stakes in the ground with pink flags on them. These ‘winter stakes’ are placed at select lot pin locations so they can easily be found in snowy weather and from those pins graves can be located.

This precise process means our lot owners and their families can be sure Penn Forest will meet the goals we set in the first paragraph of this post and comply with the requirements of Pennsylvania cemetery law. They can feel confident that their or their loved one’s remains will be buried in the site they selected, and that Penn Forest will always be able to locate that grave in the future.

We are happy to have reached this milestone and look forward to showing you around the cemetery soon!

 

This post provided by Jeff Hodes of Cemetery Management Solutions, LLC.

 

The Five Ugly Truths No One Tells You About Funeral Planning

Ugly Truth #1

This may be the worst shopping imaginable, but you are still a consumer.
Final arrangements can be confusing, especially if your loved one didn’t make her or his wishes clear beforehand (Planning ahead makes sense, doesn’t it?)  Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and take someone with you when taking care of business.

Ugly Truth #2

Somebody’s About to Say Something Stupid
Whether it’s an acquaintance, a friend, or even a family member, someone will say a very wrong thing. Considering the awkwardness most of us feel when approaching the grieving family, we shouldn’t be surprised when emotional panic comes out in a wild faux pas. The important thing for you to know is the best reaction is no reaction. They’ll be replaying the scene in their mind and kicking themselves for years to come, so why bother? Walk away.

Ugly Truth #3

Houses Are Burglarized During Funerals
I know, it’s shocking, but it’s true. These animals scan the newspaper for funeral announcements, then Google the family’s address(es) and get to work. The easy fix? Have someone stay behind during the service. Trust me when I tell you there is someone who desperately wants to help you but is freaked out by funerals. Having them housesit will make you both feel better.

Ugly Truth #4

The Obituary is Not a Report Card
If someone has strong opinions about writing the obituary, let them do it. Make sure the name of the deceased is spelled correctly, then step aside. When it comes to survivors, don’t worry about being listed first, last, or not at all. Nothing that is written can change your relationship with the person who has died. Don’t let this become a battle. It’s not worth fighting.


Ugly Truth #5


Someone Will Let You Down
There will be someone who loves you very much, but will not attend the service, send flowers, a card or even call. This doesn’t mean they don’t care about you or the person who died. It usually means they are either paralyzed with fear over saying the wrong thing, or some past experience has made them unable to handle death in general. It’s only natural to be hurt by this apparent abandonment, but a forgiving heart will serve you both. Take comfort in those who are able to support you, and know you’re not alone.

 

This post was provided by Alicia King – author, speaker and blogger.

Alicia King writes from the unique perspective of one who has lost many of those close to her. Her mother’s death was suspicious enough to launch a homicide investigation and lengthy legal roller-coaster. This ultimately led to a sentence of more than 15 years for her mother’s boyfriend. During the next eight years she would lose her grandmother, step-father, step-mother, and father, as well as miscarrying in her second trimester while awaiting her mother’s boyfriend’s trial.

Ms. King currently lives in Tennessee with her husband Dan and their two children. She’s a world-class worrier, earning her the nickname, The Queen of Concern. She is also an award-winning songwriter, writing mostly for film and TV.

You can find Ms. King’s books on Amazon.com.  And please read more from her blog at http://dosanddontsofgrief.blogspot.com.

 

 

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