Basking In the Sun

April 9th, 2007


What you see here is, indeed, a coffin; a very old one.

There is no longer any legible marker to tell us who the occupant of this centuries old cast-iron casket is. All that I can tell you about it is that it has sat - basking in the light of day - for over fifteen years or longer. When this coffin was originally entombed is still a mystery, but some of the graves in this cemetery date back to the mid-1800's.

It would seem vandalism would have taken place over such a long period - and perhaps, there have been reckless youths that desired a peek inside. Yet there is really nothing to fear; even a very strong man would find it difficult - if not impossible - to pull that casket the rest of the way out of it's tomb.

It is made of heavy cast-iron. Though the feet area is seemingly too small to hold an adult's feet, the length of the casket, which can be seen when you peer down into the depths of the tomb, indicate this is an adult's grave.

The flash on my camera briefly illuminated the the dank darkness of the vault, and I snapped what appears to be a white cross, porcelain I am guessing, near the head of the casket. Unfortunately, it does not appear to be one of the infamous cast-iron caskets with a glass head so that the deceased person's face was visible.

The tomb itself is a waist-high, double-vaulted brick abode; the ground itself provides the flooring for the crypt. The adjacent vault, to the right of this one, is still securely sealed; the front of this one crumbled at some time in the distant past and has never been repaired.

My aunt - a local of the town where this cemetery exists - and I are trying to track down the cemetery records. It isn't a Catholic cemetery; in fact, it is one shared by a number of Protestant denominations in the area - so records aren't as readily available, or as detailed, as one might hope.

Once - and if - we learn more, I'll post it here.

Embalming – To Be or Not To Be?

April 7th, 2007

Embalming a body for transient preservation is an archaic practice that can be traced back to the ancient Egyptians - and was used perhaps even before. Though the methods have changed somewhat, the idea of bodily preservation by removing the fluids and replacing them with chemicals (natural or unnatural) has remained the same.

The practice of embalming bodies for viewing or burial has no roots in any particular religion. Indeed, some religions - orthodox Jewish and Muslim, for example - prohibit embalming as it is considered a desecration of the body.

The practice of embalming only came into common use after the Civil War in the United States. In 1861, Dr. Thomas Holmes, injected the bodies of slain soldiers with a mixture of arsenic and water; the intention being to preserve them for the journey home so that they could be buried by family members. Arsenic was the choice ingredient in embalming fluids until around 1910, when it was decided to pose too much of a health risk.

Today, embalming fluids are usually a mixture of formaldehyde (5-29%), methanol, ethanol (9-65%), and other solvents. Embalming fluid is highly toxic, and embalmers are required to wear full-body covering, and often a respirator, while handling it.

The internal organs are not removed during embalming, contrary to popular belief. Instead, bodily fluids are removed while embalming fluids are pumped into the body; usually arterially.

A common misconception of today's public - and that some of the more unscrupulous funeral homes may claim - is that embalming is required by law before burial. It is, in fact, not - unless the body needs to be moved across state lines.

Although it is not law, most funeral homes do require embalming if there is to be a public viewing; as the process gives the body a more "agreeable" appearance (dyes are injected into the embalming fluid to give the now-dead skin more color). Those that wish to give private viewings in their homes or who plan to have a closed casket service, however, do not have to embalm the body of their loved one.

Another myth is that embalming preserves a body forever more; this is untrue. There is nothing - not even the most perfectly, sealed casket - that can accomplish this. Embalming is a temporary preservative, and nothing more. The body will, eventually, decay.

Those that are squeamish about being embalmed often opt for cremation; though some bodies - those that are viewed before being cremated - are embalmed as well.

Green burial is fairly new on the scene, and offers simple burials in wooden caskets with no preservation methods taken. Proponents of "green burials" believe that returning to the Earth as quickly and naturally as possible is a more environment-friendly - and logical - way to go.

The decision to be embalmed isn't a momentous one; you'll be dead, after all - but it is something to discuss with your family. Embalming is an invasive process and many religions do not allow it. If you aren't comfortable with the idea, you should let your family members know and discuss other options.

There is a wealth of information on embalming, even down to the exact details of the process, on the Internet. I urge you to look into these and understand the process, and the alternatives. Embalming - though the standard in our society - isn't for everyone.

Home Repairs

April 4th, 2007

Rosedale Cemetery, the site of a recent graving trip, has a set of large, brick family tombs that I noticed had been renovated in the not so distant past.

Fresh paint - including bright colors - adorned the once crumbling and blackened brick of the two-level vaulted tombs. It was work that had likely taken some time to complete.

The repairs were not professionally done, as is obvious, yet the graves look considerably better than they previously had - and, most importantly - the names and dates are now easily readable.

The tombs belong to the Scardino Family - immigrants from Italy who settled in the area; quite a bit of history is interred in these brick graves.

The large brick tombs - each nearly six feet in height - hold two shelves each, though there are seven of the Scardino family buried within (how this done is another post). The Scardino family has many stories to tell, as evidenced by the markers of their final resting place.

There is Antonia Purpa Scardino, born in 1872 - the matriarch of this family - who originally came from Poggioreale, Italy, and is the only female buried here. Her husband, born in 1862, Frank Sardino, hails from Salaparota, Italy. I believe the rest are their children, most of whom seem to have done quite well for themselves.

There is the father's namesake, Frank, who is listed as a New Orleans business owner. His older brother, Anthony was a WWI veteran, and brother Joseph was a merchant and one time mayor of Rosedale itself.

Two tragedies, however, befell the Scardino family in the midst of their good fortune it would seem - both of them occurring in the year 1918. Son Sarfino was "killed in action" at Morgan Hill, France during WWI; he was only twenty-two years of age. Another son, Leon, died at the age of eighteen; cause unknown.

The family burial site tells a lively tale of Italian immigrants making their way in the New World; a story that might never have been heard if some decades-distant descendant had not taken the time to mend the deteriorating graves.

To see the transformation for yourself: View the old grave look (from LA Cemeteries, taken by unknown) and the new grave look (from Find A Grave, taken by me).

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