Tina Hurley wants to establish a funeral pyre at her home in Elephant Head, Arizona, inspired by the pyre at Crestone (above).
Hurley said she was inspired to create an alternative funeral approach after attending a traditional service for her favorite aunt at a funeral home where she felt compelled to control her emotions. The family then stayed up for hours around a fire pit sharing memories.
“I’m hoping to offer people a super-sacred unforgettable experience,” says Hurley.
Others aren’t so sure, of course.
The director of the state funeral board, Rudy Thomas, told the Green Valley News that outdoor cremations are illegal.
Marsha Mendelsohn, who lives in Elephant Head, said that if they comply with the law she will accept their plan, but added, “I don’t like it. I wouldn’t want it next to me. What if you want to have a family get-together and next door they are burning a body? Do you have to schedule your stuff according to their burning?”
