One of the more amusing (at least to me) incidents in my family history research was the story related to me by mother regarding an interesting Christmas gift that her parents received from my great-grandparents.
Apparently one year for Christmas my great-grandparents, Virgil and Edna Wright, gave all of their children cemetery plots for a Christmas gift. Now this may not have seemed like a great gift at the time, but everyone will eventually die - and planning ahead makes good sense. Today my grandfather and grandmother are buried right next to my great-grandparents because of this gift.
In light of the family dynamic, the gift makes sense - afterall, the 80 acres that the family farm sat one were divided into thirds, with one great-aunt on the east and the other on the west. When the house passed down into my immediate family, I grew up having great-aunts on both sides. A very tight knit family, indeed.
Pre-planning for one's funeral is a good idea, and I'll admit that I wouldn't mind if I received a cemetery plot as a Christmas gift. Although, I think I would prefer to be buried at Park Cemetery closer to cousin James Dean. For some reason, I've always enjoyed that look and feel of that cemetery.
We're just a few days away from Christmas and there are many gifts to be received. No matter what I receive, I'm sure that it won't top my great-grandparents for the most unusual gift.
No comments:
Post a Comment