By Dina Samfield The way we pay tribute to our deceased loved ones has evolved considerably over time, reflecting broader societal changes and shifts in cultural attitudes toward death and memorialization. Today, many people are moving beyond “conventional” funeral services in favor of more personalized, contemporary memorials that celebrate the unique life, beliefs, and character of the deceased. For those in Shirley who wish to honor a deceased loved one with a burial that feels gentler on the earth, natural or “green” burial in Village Cemetery is now an option. According to Shirley Cemetery Committee Secretary Peg Lorenz, the Town of Shirley currently has about 3,500 gravesites in its two public cemeteries–the Shirley Center Cemetery, established in 1755, and Village Cemetery, dating to 1849. Both are listed in the National Register of Historic Places and are within the boundaries of state and local historic districts. Lorenz said that half of the burials in those cemeteries–1,750–were natural burials done before the 1920s, as embalming did not become widespread until the Civil War. Prior to that time, wealthy people used embalming, but that practice took a long time to catch on with the middle and lower class. “We’re going back to reviving an old tradition” by now offering natural or green burials, she stated. A Four-Year Project The move to make natural burials available in Shirley “started because people asked us,” said Lorenz. “People were concerned about protecting the environment and conserving the land. People did not want to be buried in a cement vault.” So, Lorenz and former Shirley Cemetery Committee Treasurer Renee Cook became a subcommittee of the Cemetery Committee and researched what was needed “to make this happen.” There was a piece of land in the Village Cemetery the Committee owned, but it had been degraded by people using it for recreation. A survey company and the Shirley Conservation Commission were brought in to look at the wetlands, riverfront buffer, etc., to determine exactly where digging would be possible. That took four years, explained Lorenz. The group then got the Shirley Board of Health on board, and asked the Shirley Select Board to give its stamp of approval on the project, after reviewing the rules and regulations and general guidelines for the natural burial site. The Natural Burial Ground Approximately 60 cemeteries in Massachusetts now allow green burials. Some are separate from conventional gravesites; others are integrated, and some have both configurations. In Shirley’s Village Cemetery, the new “Natural Burial Ground” is a completely wooded spot behind the new section of the conventional cemetery. The nearly two-acre green burial site is separate from the conventional graves. “We have to manage where we dig based on the trees and the landscape. It is a sequential burial; in other words, one cannot reserve a specific space. The Cemetery Committee puts you in sequential order, fitting people very gently into the landscape.” Rather than embalming the deceased and encasing them in a cement, hardwood, or metal box, some funeral homes also offer biodegradable pine boxes and shrouds, if needed. Although families can certainly craft their own coverings and transport their loved ones themselves, “People tend to be more comfortable having a funeral home involved, so they provide the transportation for the deceased,” explained Lorenz. The expense for an actual burial is the same as for a conventional burial, but there is less expense overall due to there being no vault and other funeral home expenses, such as embalming. “Natural Burial Comes to Shirley” On Thursday, May 14, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m., Lorenz, Cook, and Chair of the Westford Cemetery Commission Lisa Groves present “Natural Burial Comes to Shirley” at the Hazen Memorial Library. The event is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served. “Come to the program to learn from people who have lived this and have a lot of experience with this,” entreated Lorenz. This is an opportunity to learn more about this simple, eco-friendly, natural burial alternative, ask questions, and explore your options. “With green burial, you get the feeling of completion–the earth taking us back. You are out in the woods, the birds are singing, the sun is shining through the woods, and there is some kind of feeling of the circle closing in a really beautiful way. We are hoping people embrace this, but we really just want people to know they have an option.”
