What to do when someone dies is a mystery to most of us. But there is movement to regain the lost skills and self-reliance of previous generations, driven by a vision of creating more affordable, eco-friendly, meaningful and authentic ways of memorializing and caring for our own dead ourselves, in our own homes, in our churches, and in our communities. This movement is gaining momentum, guided by ethical and environmentally conscious values, seeking more congruent methods and practices that reflect our vision for the planet and provide a sense of place for those left behind.
NHFREA's goal is to empower individuals, families, friends, communities, and professionals to make funeral decisions based on knowledge, not fear.
For many, that will mean learning how to conduct a home funeral; for others, it will mean searching for a funeral director who will honor their unique ideas; for still others it will mean advocating for change in our municipal cemetery, hospital, and government laws and policies. However this reform in funeral practices and responsibility resonates with you, we are here to educate, to support, and to nurture new ideas that will change the way we do death in the best possible ways.
NHFREA's goal is to empower individuals, families, friends, communities, and professionals to make funeral decisions based on knowledge, not fear.
For many, that will mean learning how to conduct a home funeral; for others, it will mean searching for a funeral director who will honor their unique ideas; for still others it will mean advocating for change in our municipal cemetery, hospital, and government laws and policies. However this reform in funeral practices and responsibility resonates with you, we are here to educate, to support, and to nurture new ideas that will change the way we do death in the best possible ways.
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The Art of Writing Condolence Letters
September 9, 2022 10-11:30 am (online) Dartmouth-Hitchcock Aging Resource Center Register How to Write Obituaries and Eulogies
September 16, 2022 10-11:30 am (online) Dartmouth-Hitchcock Aging Resource Center Register Navigating the Conventional Funeral
September 23, 2022 10-11:30 am (online) Dartmouth-Hitchcock Aging Resource Center Register Home Funerals and Green Burials
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Making New Hampshire Home Funeral Information Easy to Find
In New Hampshire no one is required to purchase the services of a funeral director or funeral home. Families may conduct any or all tasks commonly performed by a funeral home (except embalming which is not required by New Hampshire law), and may bury on their own property if certain provisions are met. Sometimes called "family-led after-death care" or "home funerals" this may include:
- bathing and dressing the deceased;
- sheltering the deceased at home;
- spending time with the deceased (sometimes called a wake, vigil, or viewing);
- filing the death certificate and obtaining a burial/transit permit;
- making arrangements for final disposition (generally burial or cremation);
- transporting the body home (or to another location) for care and viewing, and to place of final disposition;
- making arrangements for any ceremony.
3 Approaches to Funerals
Meet Lee Webster, Funeral Reform Advocate
As a writer, researcher, hospice volunteer, home funeral guide, conservationist, web designer, and frequent speaker on the benefits of home funerals and green burial, Lee Webster's career and volunteer service spans years in public relations and development for nonprofits, conservation groups, health agencies, private secondary schools, colleges and universities. She serves as the Executive Director of New Hampshire Funeral Resources, Education & Advocacy, is the recent President and Vice Chair of Education of the Green Burial Council, and was a six-year VP and President of the National Home Funeral Alliance. She is a founding member of the National End-of-Life Doula Alliance, the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization's End-of-Life Doula Council, and the Conservation Burial Alliance.
She is the author of several home funeral and green burial books, including Changing Landscapes: Exploring the growth of ethical, compassionate, environmentally sustainable green funeral practices and The After-Death Care Advocate Handbook, which includes titles previously published individually such as Essentials for Practicing Home Funeral Guides, Building Bridges Along the Death Care Continuum: Advocating for home funerals in hospitals, hospices, and care facilities, and the Planning Guide and Workbook for Home Funeral Families. She is a contributor to The Future of the Corpse, a collaborative book written with Columbia University's DeathLab. She has published articles and been interviewed for pieces that can be found in various news outlets, magazines, podcasts, and blogs, including Natural Transitions, American Funeral Director, FuneralOne, Funeral Business Advisor, Newsweek, PhillyVoice, the New Yorker, the New York Times, The New Republic, DeathTalk, EOL University, and many others. Webster is also responsible for content and maintenance of various death care websites through SideEffects Publishing, Inc.
Lee has developed two cornerstone courses for professionals and lay people seeking to learn more about green funerals and burials. Changing Landscapes, an online course in general green funeral practices is taught through Mid-America Mortuary College. A 12-week online Green Burial MasterClass in the technical and ethical aspects of natural burial, co-taught with Holly Blue Hawkins, is offered by Redesigning the End. Both courses are the first of their kind. She guest lectures frequently at colleges, universities, life-long learning programs, and mortuary schools.
She is the author of several home funeral and green burial books, including Changing Landscapes: Exploring the growth of ethical, compassionate, environmentally sustainable green funeral practices and The After-Death Care Advocate Handbook, which includes titles previously published individually such as Essentials for Practicing Home Funeral Guides, Building Bridges Along the Death Care Continuum: Advocating for home funerals in hospitals, hospices, and care facilities, and the Planning Guide and Workbook for Home Funeral Families. She is a contributor to The Future of the Corpse, a collaborative book written with Columbia University's DeathLab. She has published articles and been interviewed for pieces that can be found in various news outlets, magazines, podcasts, and blogs, including Natural Transitions, American Funeral Director, FuneralOne, Funeral Business Advisor, Newsweek, PhillyVoice, the New Yorker, the New York Times, The New Republic, DeathTalk, EOL University, and many others. Webster is also responsible for content and maintenance of various death care websites through SideEffects Publishing, Inc.
Lee has developed two cornerstone courses for professionals and lay people seeking to learn more about green funerals and burials. Changing Landscapes, an online course in general green funeral practices is taught through Mid-America Mortuary College. A 12-week online Green Burial MasterClass in the technical and ethical aspects of natural burial, co-taught with Holly Blue Hawkins, is offered by Redesigning the End. Both courses are the first of their kind. She guest lectures frequently at colleges, universities, life-long learning programs, and mortuary schools.
