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czechchick Asked May 2023

My husband's cult-like family wants his remains to be buried without mine.

Since my husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 5 years ago his aging siblings, especially 2 brothers, and his daughter tried to take my custody and financial rights away. Their accusations were deemed false. My husband died this January and I received no condolences, of any kind, from the huge family.


 


My attorney advised me to not have any contact with my husbands family after his death, due to their abusive behavior. He also said I no longer had any legal obligation to them.


 


I just received a letter from the main bully of the family. He stated that he was speaking for all of the siblings and extended family. He wants my husbands urn to be placed in a cemetery 2 hours away where many of their family members are buried, including my husbands parents. He said they have room for one more urn (no mention of a place for me to be buried by my husband). He said if I refuse to consider their request, they want to be notified of where he will be buried.


 


I have no plans of burying his urn, at this time. They are Catholics and my husband wasn’t a practicing catholic. These are not the wishes of my husband or me. They seem to think they had ownership of my husband when he was alive..and now in death. I want to put all of this behind me. I’d appreciate your input so much!

ElizabethY May 2023
Meh. The room for 'one more'? You're well rid of them. Your attorney's advice is sound. I'd not open the door for them to be back in your life.

If for some reason they persist when you don't respond, then involve your attorney. Don't deal with them on your own.

In my mind I like to imagine that, if it were me, I'd buy an urn on Amazon for $80, fill it with the ashes from the grill from my last cook out, and hand that over to them.Good luck,
notgoodenough May 2023
Sick, twisted and a stellar idea! Love it!
cwillie May 2023
I'm feeling malicious this morning - send them a cheap urn filled with dirt.
Sendhelp May 2023
I have so much to say, but I can't!
JeanLouise says "wash your hands of these toxic people".
I know, right?
Especially after digging in all that dirt.

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Scampie1 May 2023
Don't answer anything from them. After my husband died from cancer in 2016, I got all kinds of weird communication (lies) from his exes and his family kicked me to the curb. This threw me into complicated grief that turned into raging anger. It is almost seven years after his death, and I haven't heard anything else from them. People show their true colors towards you after the death of a spouse because you no longer have your spouse to buffer you from them. People get weird as hell after a death.

My spouses ashes are with me and they will be interred with me once I pass away.

Please accept my heartfelt condolences to you and your family.
czechchick May 2023
I’m so sorry that you too have experienced the rage of unhinged relatives. I have learned that for some odd reason they only value blood relatives. It’s been a twilight zone experience. Dealing with grief, working, etc. and then being subjected to torment from those bullies has been a nightmare. You also should have received the love and support you deserved during your time of grief. My condolences 💐 to you also.
AlvaDeer May 2023
Do not answer ANY communications from this family in ANY way would be my advice. You are under no obligation to do so.
czechchick Jun 2023
Thank you! I will not respond. I have a hunch they won’t let this issue lay.
Daughterof1930 May 2023
Throw out the letter and ignore its requests completely. Do with the ashes and urn whatever brings you peace. If you think there’s a possibility of one of these family members trying to obtain the urn after you’re gone from this earth, pick a time to scatter the ashes somewhere with meaning for you and your husband before that can happen. I’m sorry for your loss and that you’re having to deal with such
czechchick May 2023
Thank you. I appreciate and value your reply.
Fawnby May 2023
I agree with all the others who say to ignore them. For those people, that’s probably the worst thing you could do to them. There’s no point in giving them any ammunition for whatever they think of next. Pretend they don’t exist.

So sorry for the situation. Be glad you’re through with them.
czechchick May 2023
Yes, I agree, I will ignore them. I think if they continue to contact me I-will get my attorney involved. Thank you so much for the input.
polarbear May 2023
"He said they have room for one more urn..."

If you do decide to reply, I suggest you tell the bully, "No thank you, use that space for yourself."

Hothouseflower May 2023
They are probably livid that your husband was cremated. If they are conservative Catholics like my husband’s family is, they don’t believe in cremation, despite the fact that the Church now allows it.

Honor your husband’s wishes. Arrange with your attorney to have future communication with his family be through your attorney so you don’t need to deal with them.

BarbBrooklyn May 2023
Your only obligation is to your husband's wishes.

NeedHelpWithMom May 2023
I am so sorry that you are in this situation. I am so sorry for your loss. You don’t deserve to have this foolishness from your husband’s family in your life.

Your husband’s siblings have misguided and inaccurate religious beliefs. This isn’t part of Catholic teachings. The church doesn’t require families to be buried together

I was raised Catholic and my family would never expect or insist that the entire family be buried together.

Family plots are common and available for those who want to utilize them.

Of course, spouses are generally buried together. It’s awful that they didn’t mention that you were welcome to be buried there too.

It’s a personal preference where someone is laid to rest. I wouldn’t even respond to their insulting letter.

Once your husband became an adult he was free to practice or not practice any religion. His family has no say in it whatsoever. I agree with you that his family has a ‘cult like’ mentality.

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