h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Yesterday, we buried my husband's aunt. She was 95, so rather than being a sad occasion, it was a happy family get together. She was one of that lost species - a maiden aunt. Auntie Brenda had loved all her nephews and nieces, and had made those of us who married into the family completely welcome.

We assembled at the house of one of the nephews - and he and his wife provided lunch and drinks - and it was great fun to meet members of the family, some of whom we had never met, and many of whom we hadn't seen for some time. The youngest there was Auntie Brenda's GG niece (aged 4 months).

We then drove to a site just north of Inkberrow (famous for The Old Bull) - with only one of our convoy getting lost - but they were "talked in" by the vicar via mobile phones.

The coffin had a simple bunch of wild flowers, and we all stood in the open, for the service, with birds singing overhead and all around us. A tree will be planted in due course, and in time, the open area will become woodland, as the trees grow. Not sure what species of tree Auntie B will have.

I decided that when my time comes, I'd like a similar one - but secular - definitely no religion.

It was a lovely send off for a lovely lady.

Susan

Sounds beautiful indeed. I too would like something similar, but I have a feeling that it wouldn't be possible to combine that with my other wish to donate my body to medical research (assuming they'd want it).

Cat x

You could always give them your body for research and then have a tree planted in your memory.

It sounds really lovely, Prue.

My aunt died earlier this year, also aged 95, and was buried alongside her husband on Iona. We had a service in the Edinburgh church where she had been a member for the last 30 years, and then the immediate family drove up to Oban and got the ferry to Mull and then on to Iona. They had another short service at the graveside and then all the family helped to fill in the grave (rather to the bemusement of the gravediggers at first!), singing hymns and songs as they did so.

She was a wonderful person, deeply religious, but also very active in society - she had been a missionary in India, used to go and babysit for her daughter so that she could go to Greenham Common, founded a Peace and Justice group in her local neighbourhood, was a supporter of Amnest, etc etc. I'm sure she would have loved the idea of this very participatory celebration of her life.