Illinois nudist forced by his family to be buried in clothes

[hm0504]

Headline: Nudist's naked burial wish denied

Unfortunately, this is not from the "News of the World" tabloid but from the BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4740403.stm

Note the other nudist-related news items on the sidebar.

[hm0504]

Headline: Nudist's naked burial wish denied

Unfortunately, this is not from the "News of the World" tabloid but from the BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4740403.stm

Note the other nudist-related news items on the sidebar.

[vintagecarguy]

how horribly sad.
I wish his family would have thought about how they would feel if they were forced to be buried nude against their wishes.
And the neighbor who kept having him arrested,sickening.

[naturalmanwa]

I guess he doesn't care now, he is finally at peace. Too bad his family didn't care enough for him to respect his wishes to be buried nude. I just wonder why he didn't sell out or move to another place where he had more freedom to go nude.

[Ben_m]

"His family said they hoped his burial would lay years of controversy to rest." It didn't. Others like him (us here) are still around. It is indeed sad as it paints quite a picture of a life-long struggle for understanding that as the final note of misunderstanding his own family blatantly denied him. Sad too is the fact that if most were denied their dying wish it would be big news with tremendous outpouring of sympathy from many. Sadly, in this case, I bet there's very little of that (except in places like here). In fact, as the article points out, his own neighbors were basically saying "We're glad the naked freak is dead, one less problem for us/our daughter.". It all paints a bit of an unfortunately gloomy picture for the charge of simple body-acceptance.

The good news is that the deceased may well have the last laugh. If there are compulsatory clothes in heaven (or hell for that matter), I'd be in complete shock. I can't imagine that the whole clothes compulsive mentality is anything but a mortal flaw.

[luvnaturism]

All of my sympathies are with the sentiments expressed above, but the objective fact is that funerals are for the benefit of the living, not the dead. Funeral arrangements are properly made in a manner that will promote healing for the survivors.

In most instances the expressed wishes of the person who died provide a useful guide, and the family is helped by knowing that they carried out their loved one's desire. But that's not always the case. When it isn't, it's good to remember whom the service is intended to benefit.

Having said that, there was such an obvious middle path that it's hard to imagine why it wasn't taken: dress the body for the funeral, and then remove the clothing before burial.

[MikeJB]

Its an insult for the family not to respect the wishes of the deceased family member to be buried nude. Even if the funeral is intended for the living, the wishes of the dead person still need to be respected and if it offends people well then it offends them they can deal with it and move on. There needs to be laws in place that allow a deceased person to be buried however they wish weither the family likes it or not, its their body not the family's. I dont think his family should have any say in how he is buried.

[David77]

I had read stories in the newspaper from time to time about Robert Norton being arrested again for mowing his lawn and doing yard work in the nude. I am glad that I wrote him a letter trying to console him and trying to get him to enjoy a nudist resort.

Maybe he should have included in his will that none of his heirs would get any of his estate if they did not follow his wishes for him to be buried nude.

[Nudeinbama]

This story has inspire me to think about getting it into my will that I be buried nude, whenever that may be. I'm sure the family will fuss, but they'll honor my wishes, even if it means a clothed funeral, for the family.
nudeinbama

[KirkOntario]

quote:

Originally posted by Nudeinbama:
This story has inspire me to think about getting it into my will that I be buried nude, whenever that may be. I'm sure the family will fuss, but they'll honor my wishes, even if it means a clothed funeral, for the family.
nudeinbama

Wills are seldom read until after the funeral. You need to tell them ahead of time. But remember funerals are for the living not the dead. You remembrance is supposed to comfort them at a time of upset so you might think of how they would feel about it.

[MikeJB]

If all theyre thinking about at your funeral is if youre clothed or not then they really need to get their priorities set straight. You shouldnt need a will or anything to ensure that you get to be buried nude, the simple fact that it is your wish to be buried nude and people know this is all you should need because people simply need to respect that wish and do it without question because thats the respectful thing to do. If family members are uncomfortable with the nudity then they simply need to avoid attending the funeral, simple as that.

[jon71]

I'm kind of torn on this one, I can see both sides. On one hand I am a strong believer in individual choice and that adults should be able to decide things on their own. On the other hand funerals are for the survivors, not the deceased. His soul was in Heaven (or elsewhere) in the blink of an eye following death. In bluntest terms possible what was left then was worm food. We don't like to think of it that way but it's true. I wonder if a compromise would have been possible. Maybe he could have been nude and they held a closed casket service, or possibly a mention of naturism in his epitaph.

[EuropeMan]

I didn't see that he had asked to be placed nude in the grave without a coffin. A coffin isn't clothes...

Or is it so that the funerals would be held BEFORE the coffin is closed? This never happens here... and at least having the funerals with the coffin closed would be a compromise.

[Nudeinbama]

That is a good point about the Will not being read until after the funeral, will keep that in mind. And yes, many of you do make good points on that the funeral is for the living. To ease the pain of your passing. But...on the other hand, one has too little control of so many things, while here on this earth, maybe as I said in my post, or was impying, being buried nude, could be done privately, in between the open casket funeral and getting you in the ground. In this part of the country, the casket's always closed at the short graveside service. Who would have to know, except the one you have arrange it and you. And yes I do beleive I will know, one way or the other, if my wishes are carried out. Just some thoughts on the topic.

Nudeinbama, now and forever more,even after death, possibly

[David77]

quote:

Originally posted by EuropeMan:
I didn't see that he had asked to be placed nude in the grave without a coffin. A coffin isn't clothes...

Or is it so that the funerals would be held BEFORE the coffin is closed? This never happens here... and at least having the funerals with the coffin closed would be a compromise.

I have never hear of anyone being placed in a grave here in the USA without a coffin of some sort.

Also, it is against the law to bury someone without a concrete vault in the ground. This vault keeps the ground over the grave from eventually sinking down so far that it becomes very noticeable and unsightly in the cemetary.

Most always in the USA the funeral service is conducted with the casket lid closed.

However, I did go to one unusual funeral service (in Arkansas, USA) some years ago where the leader, as he was giving the funeral service, asked that everyone line up and take one last view of the body before closing the casket lid.

What we are mainly referring to here in this thread, by the term "funeral", is actually the funeral wake, which takes place the day or two before the funeral service when the relatives and friends go to the funeral parlor (funeral home, mortuary) and view the body with the casket open from the waist up.

The wake is a time of consolation and sympathy to the loved ones of the deceased, but also becomes a major time to socialize with relatives and friends whom you may not have seen for a length of time.