Friday, February 8, 2013

Remains of the Day – Relocating a Body

 
Digging a Grave
Moving a body from one cemetery to another used to be a rare occurrence, but nowadays, it’s becoming more common. 

The reasons to transfer remains from one cemetery to another are numerous:
Families may move away from their hometowns and want to relocate a beloved relative with them to the new area. 

Family Plot
The dearly departed may have been buried in another state and their closest kin wants to move them home to the family burial plot.
Cramped Quarters

The cemetery they are located in may be too crowded to allow the remainder of the family to be buried there, so the remains are relocated to a larger cemetery where everyone can be buried together.

Regardless of the reason, there are certain things to be considered before a body is relocated, or transferred, to another cemetery.
 
First, find out what is required by the state where the body is currently buried. If you are relocating the remains to another state, you will also need that information.  Most states require special permits and licenses, and many require that the family be in agreement on the move.

Advice
Next, contact your local funeral home for advice on the process of having remains exhumed and transferred, and find out what is legally required.  You will also need a funeral home at the new location to receive the remains and oversee the re-interment at the new cemetery.  That funeral director will be in charge of burial arrangements made with the new cemetery, and securing all necessary certificates and permits for re-interment.

Church Cemetery
If your loved one is buried in a church or religiously affiliated cemetery, you will need to get their approval to have the remains removed.  Being buried in consecrated ground is considered a sacred act, and the church, or acting officials, may have the right to deny your request.

You will need to contact the current cemetery and the new cemetery to coordinate plans for the transfer of the body.

There are many costs involved in transferring a body - 

When having a body disinterred and moved, you may need to purchase a new casket for the transportation and reburial. (A very basic casket starts at $500 and up.)  If the casket was placed in a concrete vault, it may be an option to move the entire vault, if deemed necessary. (Disinterring and transportation fees for a vault may be very expensive.)


Opening a Grave
Closing a Grave
There will be the cost of opening the grave at the current cemetery, and then the cost of opening the grave and closing it at the new cemetery.  (Beginning at $1,000 and up.)

Disinterment
A funeral director may be required by state law to be on hand for the disinterment, and another director may be required at the new location to receive the body and oversee reburial. (Beginning at $1,000 for each and up.)


Overland Transportation
Transportation of the remains will vary widely, depending on the distance between cemeteries. If it is a local move, from one cemetery to another within a short driving distance, a hearse may be used (Check with funeral homes for prices.)  If the remains are to be moved hundreds of miles away, an overland carrier will likely transport the casket. (Rates will vary, but could be extremely expensive, depending on casket weight.)

New Stone
Reburial
Remember too, at the new cemetery you will have the opening and closing costs for the re-burial. (Estimate $1,000 and up.)   Plus, the cost of a new vault,  (Estimated $1,200 and up.)  And a new headstone. (Varies)


Service and Interment
If you want a memorial service at the new cemetery, there will most likely be a charge for that. (Check with the funeral home.)  And there may also be a charge for annual or perpetual care at the new cemetery. (Usually 5% to 15% of the grave site price.)

It may be judicial to get estimates before you begin to consider if the move is financially feasible and also to help you control costs by selecting providers you can afford. 




Veteran's Cemetery
Do your research.  Veteran’s Cemeteries may waive some or all of the fees to transfer the remains of a veteran to their location.  Private and public cemeteries generally do not.



If you decide that the process is too costly or too involved, you might consider having a headstone placed in the new cemetery with an acknowledgement that the remains are located elsewhere. This would still give the family a place to visit and feel closer to the deceased.  (But keep in mind; you may have to purchase a grave space on which to place the headstone.)

~ Joy



Friday, February 1, 2013

A Grave Interest Celebrates Its 2nd Blog-a-versary

WOW!! Time passes so quickly!  I began this blog on February 1st, 2011 as a good reason to ‘haunt’ cemeteries ; )  But it’s grown from something fun to do, to a passion. 

Mapping Cemeteries
I can no longer go anywhere without checking to see how many cemeteries there are along the way and where they are located.  A trip to Cincinnati or St Louis takes twice as long now – there has to be stops at cemeteries, both coming and going.



St Michael & the Devil
Mausoleum
Friends now understand when I launch off on a description of the latest stunning statue, quirky name, or interesting mausoleum I’ve found.  Although they may not plan to spend their weekends in the cemetery, many have asked to 'tag along' when I'm heading out to spend the day.




I’ve connected with hundreds of cemetery people doing this. It's  amazing to realize what a large community this is!  I love the fact that this is such an accepting group of people. Cemetery lovers are very willing to share their knowledge.  Or to say, “I don’t know a thing about that.  Can anyone tell me more?”

Over the past two years, I’ve written almost 150 blog posts.  I am appreciative to the over 10,000 people who read these posts each month. Readers are from as far away as India, Russia, and Slovenia, to those in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the U.S.


The Grave of Mr Accordion
Grave of a Pet
A Grave Interest has given me a reason to research and write about subjects I’m really fascinated with!  Within the past year, I’ve been able to delve into the lives of poets and musicians, to explore slices of history, to learn more about grave markers, symbols, the cost of dying, superstitions and legends, even pets in the cemetery.

Although it's AGI's 2nd anniversary, my husband is still shocked that I can continually come up with ideas for more blogs.  (When I started, he wasn’t sure I would find enough to blog about for a year…. ; )  But the cemeteries offer up so many ideas and opportunities for subjects to explore.  And you, the reader, propose ideas with your questions, and offer wonderful suggestions. (I’m already filling the 2014 calendar with ideas….)



Hidden Graves
One of the most popular posts for the past year dealt with Central State Hospital, better known as the Indiana Insane Asylum and the adjacent cemetery http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com/2012/10/central-state-hosptial-indiana-insane.html.  The hospital buildings are now abandoned and the cemetery lay in disrepair, a sad testament to those who passed through those doors.



Digging a Grave By Hand
Another well-liked post was about the High Cost of Dying http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com/2012/03/high-cost-of-dying-traditional-funeral.html.  An average funeral in the US runs about $8,000, and that does not include the cemetery costs and other 'incidentals'.  As my grandfather used to say, "Death is not for the faint-of heart".


The Big Bopper
Buddy Holly
And the most popular post for the past year - The Day the Music Died http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com/2012/02/day-music-died.html. This post took a look back at the plane crash that killed three men who have been called the most promising stars of rock and roll -  J.P. Richardson – the Big Bopper, Ritchie Valens, and Buddy Holly.


Gothic Mausoleum
Skull & Crossbones on Stone
And, of course, the October haunted cemeteries series are always “frightfully fun”!  I love doing these!  This past year, I went to Chicago’s Resurrection Cemetery, the Indianapolis Insane Asylum cemetery, Spring Grove in Cincinnati, and Greenwood Cemetery in Decatur, searching for special haunts.


Facebook Cemetery Groups
I have found that it doesn’t matter how you become involved in the cemetery community, whether you’re a photographer, a tombstone tourist, a genealogist, a writer, a sexton, or a blogger, you will discover that there are Facebook groups, blogs, and web sites where you can share photos, ideas, and insights.  One reason I believe this community is so approachable is an understanding that, “We all have a deep respect for the past, and, let's face it, we all know where it’s gonna end…”


So, as I begin another year, I'd like to thank you for your kind suggestions, words, and deeds in helping make A Grave Interest so much fun, and so successful!  And also for following on Blogger, http://agraveinterest.blogspot.com and Twitter, https://twitter.com/aGraveInterest and “Liking” on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Grave-Interest.

Now, let’s cut that cemetery cake and get ready for A Grave Interest year!!


~ Joy

Friday, January 25, 2013

Al Capone – Chicago Gangster

 
Alphonse Gabriel Capone
January was always an interesting month in his life; it was one hundred fourteen years ago this month that he was born, ninety-three years ago that Prohibition was enacted, and sixty-six years since the death of Al Capone, Chicago gangster.

Al and his mother, Teresa
He was born Alphonse Gabriel Capone on January 17, 1899 in Brooklyn, New York.  His parents, Gabriele and Teresina Capone, were Italian immigrants.   Gabriele Capone worked as a barber, and Teresa was a seamstress. Capone was one of nine children.  He dropped out of school at the age of fourteen and was heavily influenced by New York gangster, Johnny Torrio.

Five Points Gang
Capone started with small time gangs but quickly moved up to Torrio’s Five Points Gang.  This group, made up of Italian-American men and boys, was based in the Sixth Ward (Lower Manhattan) of New York City.  It was during this time that Capone suffered the three slashes on his face that earned him the name, ”Scarface.”


Mae Josephine Capone
Capone's Chicago Home
Capone married Mae Josephine Coughlin on December 30, 1918, one month after their first son, Albert Francis Capone, was born.  Shortly after, Capone moved to Chicago. In 1923, he purchased a house for his family in the Chicago neighborhood of Park Manor.

Johnny Torrio
Johnny Torrio recruited Capone and moved him to Illinois in 1919 for potential Chicago “business opportunities.”  With Prohibition now law, Chicago offered gangsters a great opportunity for “bootlegging” – smuggling illegal alcohol - into the city. 







Al Capone "The Boss"
Downtown Chicago in the 1920's
Capone organized Chicago’s underworld and quickly made the town his own.  In 1925, Torrio handed over the reigns of “The Outfit” to Capone. During Prohibition, with Capone as the crime boss, the Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate, and the Chicago Mob, made over $100-million dollars per year in revenues from gambling, prostitution, racetracks, night clubs, and the sale of alcohol. (The Chicago Outfit is still in existence.)


Chicago Mayor, William Thompson
Capone’s gang operated casinos and speakeasies throughout the city with the bribed blessings of Chicago Mayor, William “Big Bill” Hale Thompson.




St Valentine's Day Massacre
The 1929 Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre, where seven rival gang members were gunned down in a garage, has been attributed to Capone’s order, but facts to substantiate that were never proven.  When questioned, Capone had an alibi – he was at his house in Palm Island, Florida.


Soup Kitchen, courtesy of Capone
Capone understood the benefit of a good PR campaign. He acquired media attention by opening soup kitchens for the poor, and providing clothing to those who could not afford them, providing assistance at his expense.  The way Capone saw it; he was “just a businessman, giving the people what they want." And, because of the effects of Prohibition and the Great Depression, the public wanted to believe him.

In 1930, Capone was named as Chicago’s “Public Enemy Number One.”






Capone's Arrest Record
Capone's Mug Shot
Prohibition agent, Eliot Ness, was intent on convicting Capone on bootlegging charges, but never could.  In 1931, Ness settled on arresting Capone for income tax evasion.  Following a long and corrupt trial, Capone was sentenced to 11 years in prison.  He was first sent to the Atlanta Penitentiary, and then moved to the Lincoln Heights Jail in L.A. On August 11, 1934 he was sent to "The Rock" - Alcatraz.



Capone's Cell
Alcatraz Sign
Capone spent the last year of his sentence in the prison hospital, dealing with the disabling effects of syphilis.  He was released from Alcatraz on January 6, 1939, and sent to the Federal Correctional Institution on Terminal Island in California to serve a one-year sentence for contempt of court.

Capone Before Release
Death of Capone Reported
Capone’s reign as Chicago’s lead crime boss was over.  Capone returned to his home on Palm Island, in Florida after prison.  His physical and mental health deteriorated to that of a 12-year-old child. On January 21, 1947, he suffered a stroke. The next day, January 22, 1947 Al Capone suffered a fatal heart attack and died. He was 48 years old.

Original Family Stone
Capone's Grave at Mt Carmel Cemetery
Capone was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery on Chicago’s South Side, along side his father and brother, Frank.  In 1950, all three were moved to Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillsdale, Illinois.



 
Al Capone was, and continues to be, one of the most notorious gangsters of the 20th Century.

~ Joy