Topic: Why cremation?

[vedrana]

Yes, the family chapel is inside a church.    The catholic church nowadays forbids direct burials inside churches, but the ashes or bones of a person can be re-interred inside in a side chapel or crypt.  But go to any old catholic churches everywhere and you see old tombs and monuments inside -- from a time when this was permitted -- and you even see people buried in the floors and in the walls.

But to go back to the original topic: I do think that for Jack or a part of him to be transported easily to BBM, cremation was very convenient.

Yes! That's for sure! Still, Lureen's words were so difficult for me to tolerate. Death sounds so final, and the cremation even more... as  stupid as it sounds, that's how I feel.

[tpe]

Yes! That's for sure! Still, Lureen's words were so difficult for me to tolerate. Death sounds so final, and the cremation even more... as  stupid as it sounds, that's how I feel.

I guess that over they years, cremation has become more than just acceptible to me.

Can I tell you a detail about my father's exhumation?

My father's coffin -- like everyone wlse burried underground -- was encased in a waterproof concrete enclosure.  Well, it was waterproof, except that the sealing material they used to secure the lid of this waterproof container deteriorated over the years, so that it started to allow rain water into the chamber.  Since the container was waterproof, it didn't let allow the water that got in to leak out.  So when we exhumed the grave and opened the container where the coffin was, we found it complelety flooded with water.

It made cremation a much more palatable option, I can tell you that.

 

[vedrana]

OMG! Something similar had happened with my father's grave, and we found it out cos we moved him into another grave! The story isn't pleasant at all and the similarity is unbelievable. Even so, I still resent cremation, but surely I understand you completely!

Anyway, I don't expect the crematories in my hometown for a long time, so I have no worry and I have the "place"!

To go back to the topic - do you think that Childress texas had a crematories then -1984?

[jesseanne21]

To go back to the topic - do you think that Childress texas had a crematories then -1984?

Loreen - Childress, TX is a small town (2000 population 6,778) in the Texas panhandle, but it is not in the wilderness.  Childress is only a couple of hundred miles from two Texas cities, Dallas and Houston, that both have (and had in 1984) populations of over 1 Million residents.

In 1984, if Childress didn't have a crematorium, the local funeral home director would have known where/how to have a body cremated. 

[tpe]

OMG! Something similar had happened with my father's grave, and we found it out cos we moved him into another grave! The story isn't pleasant at all and the similarity is unbelievable. Even so, I still resent cremation, but surely I understand you completely!

Anyway, I don't expect the crematories in my hometown for a long time, so I have no worry and I have the "place"!

To go back to the topic - do you think that Childress texas had a crematories then -1984?

I think flooding is almost universal when the seals to the containers deteriorate.  A rather unpleasant thing they don't say in the brochures...

I don't know if Childress had a crematorium back then.  Currently, only one Funeral Home is listed online for Childress:

Johnson Funeral Home
307 Ave C Nw
Childress
Texas 79201
Phone: (940) 937-3646
http://www.johnsonfunerals.net/index.cfm

They have been in business since 1983 and offer cremation.  But did they have that option in 1983?  And perhaps there were other Funeral Homes then that are no longer in business?

Worse case: they could have had the cremation done out of town -- Amarillo or Lubbock, perhaps -- where they might have had cremation services available.

[vedrana]

Loreen - Childress, TX is a small town (2000 population 6,778) in the Texas panhandle, but it is not in the wilderness.  Childress is only a couple of hundred miles from two Texas cities, Dallas and Houston, that both have (and had in 1984) populations of over 1 Million residents.

In 1984, if Childress didn't have a crematorium, the local funeral home director would have known where/how to have a body cremated. 

I think flooding is almost universal when the seals to the containers deteriorate.  A rather unpleasant thing they don't say in the brochures...

I don't know if Childress had a crematorium back then.  Currently, only one Funeral Home is listed online for Childress:

Johnson Funeral Home
307 Ave C Nw
Childress
Texas 79201
Phone: (940) 937-3646
http://www.johnsonfunerals.net/index.cfm

They have been in business since 1983 and offer cremation.  But did they have that option in 1983?  And perhaps there were other Funeral Homes then that are no longer in business?

Worse case: they could have had the cremation done out of town -- Amarillo or Lubbock, perhaps -- where they might have had cremation services available.

Thanks!
So Jack's body was transported far away to be cremated.
Even after so much trouble, the aim wasn't accomplished! He didn't have the opportunity to reach Brokeback mountain again!  :\'(

[tpe]

Thanks!
So Jack's body was transported far away to be cremated.
Even after so much trouble, the aim wasn't accomplished! He didn't have the opportunity to reach Brokeback mountain again!  :\'(

Well, possibly not too far away -- to a nearby towwn or city that had one...  After all, the return trip would have been easier, with less bulky remains to deal with...

[vedrana]

Well, possibly not too far away -- to a nearby towwn or city that had one...  After all, the return trip would have been easier, with less bulky remains to deal with...

  Yes! I thought about that too....

Really hate the idea of my Jack turned into ashes!   

[myprivatejack]

Yes! I thought about that too....

Really hate the idea of my Jack turned into ashes!   

I hate much more the idea of my Jack turned into rotten meat with worms ¡ As a matter of fact,I love cremation-besides of being the way I have chosen for myself when the moment arrives-in this case,because it was the only way Jack could come back to Brokeback to be happy there forever.

[vedrana]

I hate much more the idea of my Jack turned into rotten meat with worms ¡ As a matter of fact,I love cremation-besides of being the way I have chosen for myself when the moment arrives-in this case,because it was the only way Jack could come back to Brokeback to be happy there forever.

As for Jack - I agree, but still due to the circumstances he didn't manage to reach his favorite place on Earth and after his death, that is the second awful thing about his destiny. I hate him become an ashes for nothing. :\'(

Uh, PBS is approaching! 

[myprivatejack]

As for Jack - I agree, but still due to the circumstances he didn't manage to reach his favorite place on Earth and after his death, that is the second awful thing about his destiny. I hate him become an ashes for nothing. :\'(

Uh, PBS is approaching! 

No,no   Jack didn't become ashes for nothing; the worst thing about all this is that he had to die.But,as destiny wanted it so and nothing could be done,at least he was going to be a part of this mountain he loved so much.Much more,IMO,that being a part of its earth,because in this way,his ashes got mixed with Brokeback's wind,and water,and earth,AND SOUL...

[chameau]

Despite what you and I believe is right or wrong about cremation, this is not the matter of this thread by the way, obviously Jack wanted to be cremated because ashes are easier to carry than a corpse and the last time I verified, there is no cemetery on Brokeback Mountain (sorry, no intention to be sarcastic) but he obviously (for me) didn't want to be buried in the Twist's family plot.  Keep in mind there is a big distance to travel by the road from Texas up to Wyoming.   Jack just wanted his ashes being scattered where his one and only love happened to begin and because of the meaning of it for him and Ennis, my two cents.

Off to cry a bit, where are the tissues?

[Lobsel-Vith]

Despite what you and I believe is right or wrong about cremation, this is not the matter of this thread by the way, obviously Jack wanted to be cremated because ashes are easier to carry than a corpse and the last time I verified, there is no cemetery on Brokeback Mountain (sorry, no intention to be sarcastic) but he obviously (for me) didn't want to be buried in the Twist's family plot.  Keep in mind there is a big distance to travel by the road from Texas up to Wyoming.   Jack just wanted his ashes being scattered where his one and only love happened to begin and because of the meaning of it for him and Ennis, my two cents.

Off to cry a bit, where are the tissues?

Aww. I loved this post, really insightful and emotional. Jack did want his ashes scattered in the only place that he could really feel himself at. Ennis and Jack's personal place, that held so much meaning to the both of them. Having Ennis scatter the ashes would have been even more emotional, and of course it would have brought out so much more for Ennis.  :\'(

[Godfather420]

I always found that a bit strange myself. But after reading TPE's response maybe it was  a convienient way for Lureen to handle the situation. After all he WAS beaten pretty severely. Maybe that was the only option. Besides what man at age 40 already knows he wants to be cremated and has told everyone else his wishes as well?

[babytammy7]

Besides what man at age 40 already knows he wants to be cremated and has told everyone else his wishes as well?

I keep saying that it's not weird. I'm 30 and I said to my family several years ago that I want to be cremated. This world is dangerous and life is unpredictable, you don't know if are gonna live till you are 100 or if you are gonna die tomorrow, so I think that it's normal that you want to share with your family what you want them to do with your body after you death. Lots of people do that even if they are so young.

Jack spent lot of time on the road, and not only when he drove north to see Ennis. He travelled a lot because of his job (SS says that), and roads are dangerous, very dangerous, so maybe Jack thought that it'd good that Lureen knew what he wanted her to do with his body if he had an accident. Jack had to make sure that "he" ended in Brokeback, the only place in the world where he wanted to be forever.

[myprivatejack]

I always found that a bit strange myself. But after reading TPE's response maybe it was  a convienient way for Lureen to handle the situation. After all he WAS beaten pretty severely. Maybe that was the only option. Besides what man at age 40 already knows he wants to be cremated and has told everyone else his wishes as well?

I keep saying that it's not weird. I'm 30 and I said to my family several years ago that I want to be cremated. This world is dangerous and life is unpredictable, you don't know if are gonna live till you are 100 or if you are gonna die tomorrow, so I think that it's normal that you want to share with your family what you want them to do with your body after you death. Lots of people do that even if they are so young.

I agree with Tammy in this,Godfather; you don't need to be old to think about how you want to leave everything when you die,for oneself and for one's family too.As a matter of fact,Jack knew the level of homophobia that was in his environment; how couldn't we say that maybe he had thought about the dangers he was overcoming with his too open,for that moment and place,way of living his homosexuality?.Letting apart the fact that he,simply,wanted to let everything solved to avoid problems to his family,including even a will for his son.

[tpe]

Despite what you and I believe is right or wrong about cremation, this is not the matter of this thread by the way, obviously Jack wanted to be cremated because ashes are easier to carry than a corpse and the last time I verified, there is no cemetery on Brokeback Mountain (sorry, no intention to be sarcastic) but he obviously (for me) didn't want to be buried in the Twist's family plot.  Keep in mind there is a big distance to travel by the road from Texas up to Wyoming.   Jack just wanted his ashes being scattered where his one and only love happened to begin and because of the meaning of it for him and Ennis, my two cents.

Off to cry a bit, where are the tissues?

Yes, I think convenience and ease of conveyance was most likely paramount in Jack's mind.  And dispersing the remains without any visible effect on the surroundings...  And in truth, there is something distinctly poetic in it all...