During these COVID-19 strange times, people are finding all sorts of ways to stay busy. I just spent 2 months researching my burial options. It wasn’t because of the constant fear people have of dying because of the pandemic but because of my volunteer work for Compassion & Choices, a lobby organization that advocates for passage of Death with Dignity legislation. During a presentation at the monthly program meeting of the AAUW - Alexandria Branch, a member told everyone about a new environmental movement called “Green Burials.” I was intrigued and wanted to check it out.
Explanation from the Green Burial Council:
"We define green burial as a way of caring for the dead with minimal environmental impact that aids in the conservation of natural resources, reduction of carbon emissions, protection of worker health, and the restoration and/or preservation of habitat.(https://www.greenburialcouncil.org)"
Anything that lets me plan ahead appeals to me. Thirty years as a law firm administrator taught me the necessity of strategic plans and it has carried over into my personal life. Also, I went through the chaplains training program at St. David’s Episcopal Hospital in Austin ages ago and the priest-in-charge insisted that all of us in the class read his book Surviving Death by Fr. Charles Meyers and write out instructions for our burial and funeral. His book was written for care givers and family members of terminally ill patients. He stressed that without plans in place at the time of death family members can be overwhelmed with all of the decisions that must be made and are susceptible to unethical parties who direct them to overspending or making choices that do not really reflect the preferences of the deceased.
My research found three cemeteries in Virginia that allow green burials (bodies are not embalmed and caskets are biodegradable - it’s what our ancestors did for centuries) but the closest is a hour away. I found it interesting that the one the farthest away allows for leasing plots for 75 years with the option to renew if there’s anyone around to want to do that when the lease expires. It reminded me of the leased plots in France and I’m sure other countries may have similar customs.
To my delight and surprise I discovered that Historic Congressional Cemetery on Capitol Hill, which is only 20 minutes from Alexandria, allows green burials.
We felt we’d qualify to purchase a plot there because George worked for Congressional Research Services before going to the Department of State. When I checked out the web site it clearly stated that there was only one requirement for burial there - YOU MUST BE DEAD. I found that hilarious and it fit right in with my plan since I have no intention of using the plot before I’m dead. It also meant there are no religious, racial, sexual orientation, etc. requirements. Again, that fits in with my personal preferences.
Further review of the web site (https://congressionalcemetery.org) found all sorts of fascinating details:
There is a K-9 Corp. where members pay an annual fee that goes to help with maintenance of the grounds and they get to walk their dogs in the cemetery.
A happy member of the K-9 Corp.
During the summer they host Friday Night Movies.
Goats are brought in to help “mow” the grounds and participate in yoga classes.
In October they host Souls Strolls with docents leading twilight tours and stopping at one of the crypts that has been opened for drinks at a bar set up inside.
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One of the re-inactors you meet on the tour.
Various “residents” are portrayed during the evening.
The most popular is Mary Hall, the wealthiest madam and owner of the largest brothel in DC during the Civil War. She has a huge memorial that she paid for because she wanted to show everyone that she belonged in the cemetery along with everyone else. Her mother and sister are buried next to her.
Wonder if anyone has ever portrayed J. Edgar Hoover? He is buried near Mary.
There are weekly Saturday morning tours on a variety of topics, and the chapel is rented out for weddings and other events.
As historians, George and I couldn’t be more enthralled with the history of the cemetery - a lot has happened since it opened in 1807 - and I love how it invites the public in for a variety of events to demystify cemeteries. It reminds me of the Day of Dead parties in cemeteries throughout Mexico on November 1-2 each year. Families spend the night feasting and singing and honoring their ancestors . We also love that we’ll be close to two of our favorite places in DC - the Library of Congress and the Nats Baseball Park.
We have purchased a plot (yep just 1 because they will allow us to be stacked which saves us a lot of money and supports going green by not taking up any more space than necessary) and prepaid for everything (digging the hole twice, etc.) so our family won’t be hit with a funeral bill. Our plot is under a gorgeous, huge magnolia tree across the road from a newly planned expansion that will provide a walking garden for ash distribution. We’re also close to the pet cemetery.
Once COVID restrictions are lifted, we invite you to visit the cemetery. We think you’ll find a welcoming atmosphere that provides a lovely place to take a walk or a way to learn some interesting history.
All photographs curtesy of the Historic Congressional Cemetery.
ADDEMDUM
Added February 1, 2023
I'm reading a facinating book on resilience, Three Roads Back, by Robert D. Richardson, about how Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and William James over came tragedy in their lives. In the section about Thoreau, it discussed how he saw life as a continuum and decay brings renewal. I was struck by the following quote: "The individual may die but the materials that make up the individual do not. They are subsumed into new forms and so live on."
This, more than any other thing or thought, has convinced me that choosing a "green burial" is within my environmental understand of life's cycles. This also provides another view of "life after death" -- we may die but the substances that made us can live on right here on earth. I'm happy to become "fertilizer" eventually -- no rush.
