deb's wishes

I'd like to be donated to The Body Farm at University of Tennessee in Knoxville. family arranges for transport (I've always been such a pain in the ass)

Body Donation Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 1. As a donor to your program, what happens when I die? How do you know when I die, and how will my body get to your facility? We will be contacted by your family or physician if they are aware of your wishes. At that time, transportation arrangements should be made by your family if beyond our 100 mile limit. Otherwise, we will transport your body to our facility. Please be aware that we cannot remove donor bodies from hospice facilities, nursing homes or private residences so a funeral home will need to be called, even if the death occurs within 100 miles of Knoxville. 2. What happens to my body after it is donated? Once we receive a body, we assign an identifying number and we place it at the Anthropology Research Facility (ARF), our outdoor laboratory for research and training. All of donations go to the ARF and are allowed to decompose naturally. Once the body is skeletonized, we recover the skeletal remains and clean them further. The cleaned bones are accessioned into the Bass Donated Skeletal Collection and are labeled with the identifying number. At this step, the remains are inventoried, measured and other data are collected. Once in the collection, all skeletal remains are utilized by researchers from all over the world. 3. If I fill out the paperwork to donate my body to you, can I visit the research facility first? Can I pick out where I want to be placed upon my death? We do NOT host visitors to our research facility. This is to ensure the anonymity of the donors and protect the integrity of the research. You may make a special request regarding placement of your body after death, for instance “I do not wish to be buried or placed in water”. 4. Do I have to be “pre-registered” to donate my body? No, your family or a family representative can contact us after your death and make arrangements. 5. Can I fax my forms or submit photocopies? Please do not fax your forms. We require original, signed documents for our files. It is suggested that you print several copies of the forms and sign all of them as originals. 6. Do I have to have the donation forms notarized? No, the donation forms do not need to be notarized. We do not require notarized documents. However, if you wish to have your forms notarized, the notary can act as your witness. 7. If I decide to donate my body to the FAC after my death, should I put this in my will? Of course you may put this is your will, but keep in mind that a will is typically read after the funeral. Please make sure that your family knows what your wishes are prior to a funeral. 8. What is the difference between the FAC Body Donation Program and a medical school donation program? We use the body/remains for research and teaching. We do not return the remains to the family after a period of time. We do not embalm the body. Medical schools typically embalm a body for teaching anatomy to medical students. After use the body may be cremated and, at the request of the family, the remains are returned. 9. Does my body need to be embalmed? No, in fact we require that bodies NOT be embalmed. It is not required by law in most states. The exceptions to this are for transporting a body out of the states of Alaska, New Jersey, and Alabama. Typically this is when they are transported via common carrier. However exceptions may be made for anatomical gifts. We can work with the funeral home in these states to ensure proper transport. 10. Do you return remains or cremains to my family after you are finished with the research? We do not return remains to the family because we continue to utilize the skeletal remains in research indefinitely. The skeleton is retained and curated in the Bass Donated Skeletal Collection. 11. Do you cremate the body? No, we generally do not cremate the remains as our emphasis is skeletal studies. 12. Would there be any reason why you would not accept my body as a donation? Yes, we decline the donation of individuals who have infectious diseases such as COVID-19, HIV, any form of Hepatitis, tuberculosis, or antibiotic resistant infections such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, we DO ACCEPT these individuals IF they are cremated. We simply ask that the cremains NOT be pulverized. This is a simple request made to the crematory by either the family or funeral home. 13. If I want to donate my body to the FAC, does that mean I cannot donate my organs or tissues? You can donate your organs and tissues and still remain a body donor to our program. We should be contacted after organ donation is complete. 14. I want to donate my body, but my family really does not like that idea or does not agree with me. If I sign the paperwork and get it into my will, can my family prevent my final wish of body donation? Regardless of what you have arranged, signed or instructed, your family or next-of-kin has the final say. We will not fight your family for your body. We urge you to convince your family that the donation is what you want at your death.

2nd choice cremation. no urn. scattered ashes. In Missouri, there are no state laws controlling where you may keep or scatter ashes. Cremation renders ashes harmless, so there is no public health risk involved in scattering ashes. Use common sense and refrain from scattering ashes in places where they would be obvious to others.

of course, unless Kevin dies first, I'll just take the 3rd option. burial in a small rural cemetery. I'd prefer an abandoned one. NO EMBALMING. PLAIN WOOD COFFIN. OLD FASHIONED MARKER. NO CROSSES on marker. I want it to read "Time ain't gonna wait on me." (this is a Blackberry Smoke lyric). NO WAKE NO FUNERAL. (added December 9, 2020 after re-reading Salem's Lot for the upteenth time: fill my coffin with wild roses. hell, go ahead and prop my mouth open with a stick and fill it with garlic and wild thyme, 'cause you just never know.) embalming is a process in which blood is drained from the body and replaced with fluids that delay disintegration. Though it is still a common procedure, embalming is rarely necessary; refrigeration serves the same purpose. Missouri regulations require a body to be embalmed or refrigerated if final disposition does not occur within 24 hours. (See Missouri Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors Rules, 20 CSR 2120-2.070(21).) Most bodies are buried in established cemeteries, but burial on private property is possible in Missouri. The burial ground must not exceed one acre, and it must be deeded in trust to the county commission. You must file the deed with the county clerk within 60 days. (Missouri Revised Statutes 214.090.) Before conducting a home burial or establishing a family cemetery, check with the county or town registrar for any local zoning laws you must follow.

take a family vacation somewhere I'd like to go and take a few swigs of a Mike's Hard Lemonade for me. and if you see Bigfoot.....you know what to do. I love you guys. you were my best things. I had so much fun with you. I wouldn't change a thing. Take care of each other. deb....mom...gramma...