Alternative Ways To Remember Loved Ones

FOR MANY PEOPLE, A LINGERING QUESTION IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY'RE GONE? FUNERAL HOME EXPERTS SAY A PERSON SHOULD START MAKING PLANS FOR THE FINAL STAGE OF LIFE IN THEIR 40'S WITH A DETAILED FINANCIALLY SOUND PLAN. HOW PEOPLE CHOOSE TO BE REMEMBERED CAN SAY EVERYTHING ABOUT HOW THEY LIVED. WGCU’S CULTURE AND CONNECTIONS REPORTER ELIZABETH ANDARGE INTRODUCES US TO 3 FAMILIES THAT CHOSE DIFFERENT PATHS OF HOW THEY WANT TO BE REMEMBERED. >> AND WE JUST KEPT GOING OVER IT AND OVER IT REAL IS THE PAIN. DIFFERENT TYPES OF STONE. >> SHE TOLD HIM WHAT SHE WANTED BEFORE. SHE LOST THE ABILITY TO SPEAK. NO VAULT, NO CHEMICALS. JUST THE EARTH. >> SHE HAD IT ALL WRITTEN UP IN THE TRUST AND EVERYTHING ALL VERY DETAILED ABOUT HOW SHE WANTED. YOU KNOW, ME AND LAUREN TO TO, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP THIS NATURAL BURIAL CEMETERY. >> CHRIS ALONSO’S MOTHER, KENNA HAD A DISEASE THAT SLOWLY TOOK EVERYTHING FROM HER. HER MUSCLES, HER VOICE HER 30 YEARS OF WORKING. THE LAND BESIDE, HER SON, WHO'S LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT. >> YOU KNOW, WANTED TO HAVE CLOSURE. >> SO WE ENDED UP FINDING THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY. SHE WAS FIRST ONE THAT WAS BURIED HERE ON THE PROPERTY WITH COWS AND AWE. >> SHE WAS THE FIRST PERSON BURIED AT HOPE. ETERNAL GARDENS IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY, ALONG WITH CHRIS'S FATHER. THAT WAS 5 YEARS AGO. WHAT ALONSO AND HIS WIFE, LAUREN, ROBBIE, HAVE BUILT SINCE IS PART CEMETERY PART FORCED PARTS. SOMETHING. THERE'S STILL FINDING WORDS FOR. >> I WASN'T A LITTLE GIRL BEING LIKE I CAN'T WAIT TO OPEN UP MY OWN CEMETERY. I'M SURE THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO ARE LIKE THAT AND THAT'S GREAT. BUT FOR ME, I WAS ALWAYS AN ARTIST AND A DESIGNER AND I HAD TO FALL IN LOVE WITH THE CONCEPT OF THIS PLACE AND BASICALLY BEING ABLE TO PLANT THESE FOR US AND TO HELP FAMILIES IN THIS WAY AND TO PLAN FOR OUR LONG TERM. HAS BEEN SO FULFILLING AND POWERFUL. AND I TRULY LIKE AS AN ARTIST AND DESIGNER, I COULDN'T HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER. LIFE'S WORK TO TO TO SPEND MY YEARS ON. >> I HOPE ETERNAL. THERE ARE NO CONCRETE VAULTS KNOW INVOLVING CASKETS ARE BIODEGRADABLE. SOME PEOPLE CHOOSE A SIMPLE SHROUD, THEN NATIVE TREES ARE PLANTED OVER THE REMAINS. CHRIS AND LAUREN SAY THE FOREST BELONGS TO EVERYONE WHO COMES AFTER? >> YEAH, I THINK I'M STILL HEALING AND I'M STILL LIKE VERY SINCE OR THEM MOTION. AND START GOING BACK IN THINKING OF THE TIMES THAT I WAS WITH OR BE THIS USES SHOULD BE PART OF A KNIFE. I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT ALWAYS TO WITH ME. >> MARTHA THAT ALI HAD A DIFFERENT IDEA ABOUT HER FINAL RESTING PLACE INSTEAD OF LAND. SHE CHOSE THE WATER, HER FRIEND DEBI SEVERSON CALLED HER MASSEY MESSY, SPENT MORE THAN 3 DECADES AT THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY. SHE MADE JEWELRY, TRAVELED THE COUNTRY, LOVE THE UNUSUAL SIDE OF LIFE. >> AND SHE LOVED THE MYSTIC SIDE OF LIFE. AND SHE LIKED TO HAVE A PURPOSE IN THIS WAS HER PURPOSE. ONE OF THEM IS TO HELP RESTORE THE WILDLIFE UNDER THE SEA. >> SO WHEN IT CAME TIME TO CHOOSE HER LAST LOCATION. >> MESSI'S LIKE THE NOTION OF ETERNAL REEFS. >> DOES THAT MEAN LIKE THE FISH EASE AND THE DOLPHINS AND TURTLES WILL COME AND SWIM AROUND ME. AND I SAID IT DOES. THAT'S WHAT I WANT. BECAUSE I WANT TO BE CELEBRATED. WHEN I DIE. >> AND THESE ARE SO FAST. >> AND THAT'S THE WAY SHE JUST LOOKED AT. IT. ONCE WE GOT THAT THROUGH ALL OF THAT, IT WAS A HUGE PIECE OF MIND FOR HER TO KNOW THAT IT WAS OKAY TO GO. >> WELL, THE WHITE OUTSIDE. >> ETERNAL REEFS MIXES CREMATED REMAINS INTO A CONCRETE REEF BULL THAT BOWL IS PLACED IN A PERMITTED AREA OFFSHORE OVERTIME. MARINE LIFE MOVES IN AND IT BECOMES A CORAL REEF. MARGI PLANTE SAYS THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNED GIVING FOR ETERNAL REEFS IN SARASOTA, AN OPTION THAT'S BEEN AVAILABLE FOR 20 YEARS AND THE REEF CAN BE PERSONALIZED. >> YOU CAN TELL >> WHO THE PEOPLE WHO WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN ON A REAL AT ALL. >> YOU CAN TELL THIS GAP HERE IS SHE'S AN ARTIST. THEY'RE GORGEOUS PIECES. YOU CAN TELL THE ELECTRICIAN, YOU CAN TELL THE ENGINEER, YOU CAN TELL THE GULF GUY. IT'S VERY, VERY INTERESTING. AND I THINK IT'S JUST MEANINGFUL, WHICH IS SOMETHING WE REALLY WANT TO BRING TO THE EXPERIENCE THAT WE OFFER HERE AT THE TURNER ACE. LET YOU GO. >> INTO THE OCEAN AND THE HANDS OF THE MAKERS OF CORAL. WE LET YOU GO. WE LOVE YOU. WE MISS YOU. WE WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY. GO SAFELY. GO DANCING. RUNNING HALL. >> CREMATION IS A GROWING TREND FOR AMERICANS. THE QUESTION ETERNAL REEFS HEARS MOST ISN'T HOW? BUT WHERE? >> WHAT BETTER SOLUTION BEING? >> IF AS E U. >> INSTEAD OF HAVING YOUR FAMILY HANGOUT HERE, CREMATED REMAINS AND NOW THE GENERATION TURNS. AND NOW A SUDDEN YOU'VE GOT GREAT GRANDMA IS CRIMEANS. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH US? THROW THEM AWAY. YEAH, IT'S A SOLUTION FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE. BUT IT IS STILL AND THE MEETING EXPERIENCE. >> CHEYENNE RULER SON HAD BEEN CARRYING HER DOG'S ASHES FOR 6 YEARS. IZZY WAS A BOSTON TERRIER, A GIFT FROM HER FATHER WHEN MUELLER SON WAS YOUNG IS HE WAS THERE WHEN SHE MET HER HUSBAND AND WHEN HER DAUGHTERS WERE BORN. >> SHE WAS THROUGH A LOT OF DIFFERENT PARTS OF MY LIFE I LOST IS THE 2 ARE OUT. THINK BY SHE WAS PROTECTING MY DAUGHTERS WHO WERE VERY SMALL AND PLAYING IN THE BACKYARD TIME. WHAT HAPPENED AND SHE WASN'T ABLE TO SAY. >> ROLLER SUN FINALLY FOUND A PLACE WHERE SHE'D NEVER HAVE TO LET HIS EGO AT ARTISTIC SOUL TO 2 IN CHIEFLAND TATTOO ARTIST BRAND OF MILLER'S MIXES ASHES INTO THE TATTOO INK FOR THE CONCERNED ASHES ARE STERILIZED THROUGH THE CREMATION PROCESS. THE YEARS HAS DONE THIS BEFORE. >> IF I HAD KNOWN I WOULD BE A THERAPIST, BUT I BECAME A TATTOO ARTIST. IT IS ADDS A WHOLE NEW ASPECT TO THIS PROFESSION. IT'S UNIQUE BECAUSE THE YEAR PROCESSING YOUR MOTION THAT THE SAME TIME THAT YOU'RE EXPERIENCING A LITTLE BIT OF PHYSICAL PAIN AND IT'S VERY CATHARTIC TO. AND I HOPE I FEEL SHE KEPT MY FAMILY SAFE. >> AND I'M ABLE TO LOOK AT HER KNOW THAT SHE DID WHAT SHE WAS MEANT TO DO WAS PROTECT. >> HER LITTLE GIRLS. >> THEY DIDN'T WANT THEIR LOVED ONCE TO DISAPPEAR. SO ONE BECAME A FOREST. ONE BECAME PART OF THE OCEAN. ONE STAYED JUST BENEATH THE SURFACE. ALL OF THEM TRYING TO ANSWER THE SAME QUESTION. WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE PEOPLE? WE CAN'T BEAR TO LOSE. FOR WGCU NEWS. I'M ELIZABETH ANDARGE.