A Grave Thought...

With the cold temperatures, I had an inquiring mind ask me a question. It was,"How do you bury people when the ground is frozen?" Well, I thought everyone might find this interesting. In Alaska, most who pass away in winter months are "stored" until the spring. I did a bit of research on-line and found that they are not able to dig six feet until around Memorial Day. Luckily, most areas are rural in Alaska so the death rate is lower than most areas. So, they store them up and in May have the "normal" burial services we are familiar with here. Some families who do not want to wait, go out and start fires above their loved one's future grave and literally thaw out the ground so that they can go ahead with a burial. Funeral Homes in that area see this as a huge liability so if a family wants it done, they have to do it themselves.
Alternative methods are being sought out to create an easier and more modern way of doing this same task. Grave warmers have been tested in other areas of the U.S. and Canada to soften frozen graves. These are in the shape of a grave and act as sort of an "Electric Blanket" which heats the ground and softens the grave so digging can be done at the time of death. Cremation is also an alternative, though, some religious groups get a bit 'heated' at the thought of this, leaving them with no option but to wait it out or break out the flint and twigs! So, there you have it. Hope you all are staying warm!