Think of the best location for your loved one (near the house, near the family rose garden, near a favorite tree).
Take note of the soil. If it is sandy or rocky, both will limit how deep you can safely dig.
Take note of the measurements of the body and the container it will be buried in (if any), to determine the correct size of grave. It can be helpful to measure a string or small rod to the proper size; this can be hung or laid down into the grave to ensure the depth and width are accurate.
Consider whether a backhoe will fit in the space needed to dig the grave or if the grave required must be dug by hand.
If the grave must be dug by hand, more than one worker is helpful. An active, healthy worker could dig a 4 ft. grave within 3 hours. A bucket is helpful to exit from the hole after completing the job.
Always shore up the first 2 ft. of the grave so mourners can stand by it safely.
Leave a mound atop the grave after the burial so the ground can settle flat.
Many underground utility lines and some water lines run shallow in residential neighborhoods. For your safety, and the safety of your neighborhood, plan ahead.
Most counties require a 2-day advance notice to locatethese lines for you, and mark them, so you can dig safely. For instance, if you're planning a home burial for Wednesday, you should call on Monday. (However, please check with your local county for exact advance notice requirements prior to digging.)
Calling your county for utility markers (locates) is important to ensure your safety as well as the safety of your neighborhood.
People find emotional meaning in the rituals of touching, watching, and sitting with the body.
People find comfort in not outsourcing the death care of loved ones to professionals. When death care is not outsourced, these strangers are not intruding into the privacy of the family at such an important time.
Home burial saves on fees normally paid for burial land in cemeteries or for cremation.
Home burial frees one from restrictions of a normal cemetery (grave markers, flowers, plantings, grave liner).
Transportation - Families should obtain the death certificate and burial transit permit so the body can be transported legally. Some state require this transit permit to remain with the body at all times.
*A coffin can be as easy as using plywood and deck screws from a local hardware store.
*There are nice hardwood veneers available, and to improve the final look, veneer edging can be added.
*Rabbet joints ensure a tight construction.
*Lindseed oil rubbed into the wood gives it a deep burnish.
*For those who need a design layout, plans for coffins can be found online.
Famous Backyard BurialsBackyard burials were a common practice during the colonial era. Farmers usually buried their dead on their own land. This was an era where the basics and self-sufficiency were daily practice, and caring for one’s own dead and the burial in their own land were necessities.
Backyard burials offer an array of fringe benefits. One can visit their companions whenever they wish, they can landscape around the grave as desired and they can choose any grave marker desired. Backyard Burials serve as a perfect opportunity to teach children about death. Additionally, backyard burials are usually more often visited, frequently maintained and lovingly tended.
One of the most famously celebrated home burials is Elvis Presley’s home burial ground at Graceland, located within the Memphis, Tennessee city limits. This was made possible thanks to a zoning variance granted by the county board.Elvis was moved from a prior resting place by his father Vernon in 1961, and shares his home burial ground with his father, mother and his grandmother.
Bill Cosby also established a private family cemetery on his Shelburne, Massachusetts family estate, where his only son Ennis is buried.
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