Report from May 13, 2013 Meeting

Thirty people gathered at the home of Nancy Manahan & Becky Bohan May 13 to learn about conventional burials, pictured above, and green burials. Excerpts from a TED-X Talk on conservation burials and a KARE-11 story on alkaline hydrolysis (“flameless cremation”) were shown. For these videos and other resources, visit the MTN Resources page, and scroll down to section C, ECO-FRIENDLY FINAL DISPOSITION RESOURCES.

Eli Effinger-Weintraub recommended an informative and amusing website: The Order of the Good Death from a young California mortician who answers questions about death care on “Ask a Mortician.”

 

 

The Minnesota book launch for Charlene Elderkin’s new anthology Where the Tree Falls, the Forest Rises: Stories of Death and Renewal will be Sunday, June 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the home of Nancy and Becky, 21 East Rustic Lodge Avenue, Minneapolis (612.823.1910). Four authors from the Minnesota Threshold Network will read from their pieces.

Lawrence Doe announced his One Hundred Souls Project which offers workshops “designed to awaken possibilities in the dying process, to change fear into awe, and to add a sense of mystery and adventure to the sorrow and loss in death.” A website is not up yet, but Lawrence can be reached at lmdoe@comcast.net.

St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church had a funeral planning workshop last week. There are indications that the church may be interested in a presentation from MTN.

MTN member Leslie Reindl died Tuesday night. A vigil is being held through Thursday. A private funeral was held on Friday. Blessings on your journey, Leslie, and thank you for inviting Threshold members to share your passage.

The next meeting will be June 26, 7-8:30 p.m. at the Roseville Public Library, 2180 Hamline Avenue North, Roseville. This is the annual MTN public

informational forum on Home After-Death Care and Green Burials. The event is free and open to the public (as are all Threshold meetings!!).

Becky Bohan

 

May 13 Meeting: Green Burials

The Minnesota Threshold Network May meeting will focus on enrivronmentally-friendly final disposition options in Minnesota. including “flameless cremation” and various kinds of eco-cemeteries.

May 13 at 7 pm, the home of Becky Bohan and Nancy Manahan, 21 East Rustic Lodge Av. Minneapolis 55419. 612-823-1910.

Free and open to all interested in more conscious, holistic, practical, and sustainable approaches to death.

For more information and resources on green burials, visit the MTN site.

Free Movie April 15, 2013

 Jack Heckelman: A Story of Blessings

In lieu of an April MTN meeting, you are invited to a free screening of the award-winning documentary The Most Excellent Dying of Theodore Jack Heckelman. Join Jack’s wife, Linda Bergh, to view excerpts and hear the inspiring story of Jack’s conscious dying. Monday April 15, First Universalist Church, 3400 Dupont Ave. S., Minneapolis. 7-9pm. Cummins Room.

Johnathan Stedall, BBC film maker says, “I have seldom seen a film that captures so sensitively, and with such honesty and hope, the death of someone so loved and loving.”

For a 4-minute trailer of the movie, click here.

From Lisa Venable’s “In Sacred Service: Reflections on the Home Vigil for Jack Heckelman”: Linda greeted me with open arms and invited me into the space where Jack was being washed. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Real people (not morticians!) were actually caring and gently loving this dead body as if it were a newborn child just entering the world. There was no fear or unbearable grief, only nourishment. . . . I touched Jack’s forehead and heart and laid my head gently on his chest. “Thank you,” I whispered. “For being like a father to me and for showing me how to die so gracefully.”

For more of Lisa’s story and Jack & Linda’s journey, visit Beholding the Threshold.

For childcare at the April 15 event, contact Emma at emma@firstuniv.org or 612-825-8879 ext. 107 by April 7.

March 18 Home Vigils-the basics

The March meeting topic, Home Funerals 101: The Basics of a Vigil, is the second in a series of instructional meetings on family-directed after-death care and environmentally-friendly final disposition.

The meeting is for those who want a more practical and personal understanding of the basics involved in a home vigil, which can be very special for a family — particularly if there is clarity about after-death care for the beloved.

This is a good time to bring friends and family and to learn more yourself about vigils. We will also discuss ways that Threshold Network members who are interested can volunteer to assist families.

Facilitated by Heather Halen, March 18, 2013, 7pm, at the home of Linda Bergh, 4315 Xerxes Ave. Minneapolis. Tel. 612-927-0894. Free and open to the public.

Feb. Movie Night; great article; Home Vigils part 2

Feb. 18 MOVIE NIGHT
MTN’s February Movie Night will feature Departures, the 2009 Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Language Film. A young Japanese cellist moves back to his small hometown when his orchestra disbands. Desperate for work, he takes a job as a “Nokanshi,” a funeral professional who prepares bodies for cremation. Daigo is too embarrassed to admit his new career, even to his wife. But while working with the families of the departed, he discovers an aptitude for the work and embarks on a spiritual journey to a powerful climax that brings the fragmented pieces of his life together.

Monday February 18, 2013, 7PM at the home of Julie Tinberg, 6801 W. 83rd Street Terrace, Bloomington, MN. 55438, 612-245-3137.
Popcorn and other snacks provided. Free and open to all. Bring your friends and family,

GREAT ARTICLE ON A HOME FUNERAL
Newsweek’s free online arm, The Daily Beast, is featuring an article “Inside a Home Funeral. It begins,
“This is the first time I am so close. There is a body bag on the table, waiting to be opened. Our best friends’ 22-year-old son’s body is inside. His mother and father are across from me, brothers beside, with several women gathered to form the circle around the table. These women will become my sisters in the next five hours, as we prepare the body together.”
You can read the story at http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/05/inside-a-home-funeral.html

HOME VIGILS PART 1 ATTRACTS 25 PEOPLE — HOME VIGILS PART 2 MARCH 18
Twenty-five people attended the MTN meeting on January 22 to hear stories of home vigils, led by Linda Bergh and Kyoko Katayama. There was interest in learning more about the specifics of caring for our own loved ones at death, so Home Vigils part 2 will be offered March 18, 2013, for those who want a deeper understanding of what is involved in this sacred time.

This meeting is a good time to bring friends and family and to learn more yourself about vigils. We will also discuss ways that Threshold Network members who are interested can volunteer to assist families. Free and open to all.

MPR Photos of the Year feature MTN

Minnesota Public Radio’s Photos of the Year include Minnesota Threshold Network members singing to Anne Conley during her final days of life at her home. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/12/21/mpr-photos-of-the-year/#30

NEXT MEETING: HOME VIGILS. JANUARY 22, 2013, 7 PM

The January meeting topic, Home Funerals 101: The Vigil, is the first in a series of instructional meetings on family-directed after-death care and environmentally-friendly final disposition.

The topic is in response to requests from those who want a deeper understanding of what is involved in this sacred time, which can be very special for a family — a time of healing and connection — particularly if there is clarity about after-death care for the beloved.

This meeting is a good time to bring friends and family and to learn more yourself about vigils. Members will share their experiences. As each life is unique so is each death and vigil. Stories help clarify our values and help enable us to assist others. We will also discuss ways that Threshold Network members who are interested can volunteer to assist families.

Co-facilitating with MTN co-founder Linda Bergh will be Kyoko Katayama, featured in a Star Tribune article about her pediatrician husband’s home vigil. “Dr. Eric Stull spent the last six weeks of his life in a hospital bed next to the bay window in his St. Paul living room. He spent the first three days after his death in the same place. . .” The full piece is at http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/134800073.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue.

January 22, 2013, 7pm, at the home of Linda Bergh, 4315 Xerxes Ave. Minneapolis. Tel. 612-927-0894. Free and open to the public.