Anyone have experience with the Neptune Society?

[DaveNV]

There comes a point in everyone's life when thoughts turn to what happens when we're gone. I'm not a morbid type, but I'm also a realist. I've signed us up to attend a presentation by the Neptune Society in a few weeks. I've heard different things about them, and I'm curious about reasonable cremation services, My sister went full tilt with them, and has some sort of plan with them where her remains will be landed in some underwater cemetery park in Florida, or some such. Not my style, certainly, but I'm still curious to know what they have to say. Oh yeah - they're also buying lunch, so it's all good.

Anybody have experience with them, and have an opinion, for or against? I'd like to know your thoughts.

Dave

 

[Luanne]

Dave, I got a plan for Steve and I last year. We chose an option that would take care of us wherever we are. We have a kind of bare bones plan, just cremation. Since we haven't had to use the service yet I can't tell you what our experience is. Before deciding I contacted a couple of local mortuary and found their prices would have been higher, and wouldn't have covered us if we were out of the area.

 

[DaveNV]

Dave, I got a plan for Steve and I last year. We chose an option that would take care of us wherever we are. We have a kind of bare bones plan, just cremation. Since we haven't had to use the service yet I can't tell you what our experience is. Before deciding I contacted a couple of local mortuary and found their prices would have been higher, and wouldn't have covered us if we were out of the area.

Thanks. I think that's kind of what we're after. Someone to handle the details of what we want, without a a lot of pomp and expense. Will be curious to hear what they say.

Dave

 

[slip]

I'll have to look into this too. We bought cemetery plots decades ago in a cemetery that .out of my wife's family is in. It is in a small rural setting in Southeen Wisconsin. It was very cheap. It was strange, you had to buy 3 plots but it was $350 for all 3 plots.

We decided we would bury some ashes there and have a place with a headstone and spread some ashes on Molokai.

We have actually seen 2 family's spread ashes in the ocean in front of our complex on Molokai since we have owned there.

 

[JudyH]

Yes we had experience with them summer 2021. I have posted here about our cousin in Fl who refused to write a will. She went into hospice June 20 and while there made arrangements with Neptune for basic no frills cremation. She died June 24. (We we’re off the grid in Alaska that week and didn’t even know about hospice). She must have given them my name because I got a phone call asking for contact. First they needed my husband to sign forms agreeing to take the remains. Then we arranged for them to be released to her girlfriend. Finally we picked them up mid-July. They were an easy company to deal with. We do not know what the cost was. My husband got appointed personal representative by the court, and as many of you warned us, it has been a PITA.
I found out they cannot legally be spread on a US beach. They can be put into ocean water two miles out. The local cemetery wanted $4000 to spread in their remains garden. We spread the ashes near our Maryland farm on the edge of a lake. Personally, spreading was way messier than I figured and I would never do that again and don’t want it for us.

 

[DaveNV]

I'll have to look into this too. We bought cemetery plots decades ago in a cemetery that .out of my wife's family is in. It is in a small rural setting in Southeen Wisconsin. It was very cheap. It was strange, you had to buy 3 plots but it was $350 for all 3 plots.

We decided we would bury some ashes there and have a place with a headstone and spread some ashes on Molokai.

We have actually seen 2 family's spread ashes in the ocean in front of our complex on Molokai since we have owned there.

I understand the desire to be where you most enjoyed your life. I want to have my divided ashes spread in three places: In the ocean off the Napali Coast of Kauai, in Lake Powell, Utah, beneath Rainbow Bridge, and the rest of me thrown into an active volcano in Hawaii - during an eruption. Madame Pele and I are old friends.

Dave

 

[JudyH]

I understand the desire to be where you most enjoyed your life. I want to have my divided ashes spread in three places:

Dave

Your remaining family should know that “dividing ashes” is very messy. As we found out.

 

[chellej]

I want my ashes made into glass paperweights...one for each of my children...there is a company in Seattle that does this

 

[Jan M.]

We also received something from the Neptune Society and agreed we should look into it. Dave, I'll be looking forward to reading about your experience with the presentation.

I've told DH and DS to cremate me and that I don't care what happens to my ashes. I figure it's one thing that will be easy on whoever has to take care of things. Unless I get busy on a notebook with everything about our finances, credit cards, insurances, timeshares, passwords, etc. they are going to want to resurrect me so they can kill me. Lol.

 

[bogey21]

I had a discussion with one of their salesmen more than 4 or 5 years ago. I came away feeling that they were an unnecessary money-grubbing operation and told my kids it would be a lot cheaper to call a few local funeral homes right after I die and get the best deal they could for a cheap cremation...

George

PS My recollection (remember this was years ago) is that what turned me off were the extras they tried to sell me. One I remember specifically was a fancy urn which I could have bought at the time for 1/10 the price at Peir One Imports...

 

[Icc5]

My entire family has been signed up and paid with Neptune for years. Lost my Dad 40 years ago and Neptune was great at handling his body and ashes placed in ocean. A few years ago the same was done for my Mother and 2 brothers. I feel the process was much easier on the remaining family.
My sister actually got a secretarial job with Neptune for about 2 years in between other jobs. She directly handled all the arrangements when Mom and brothers passed and made arrangements for several family members to be out on the boat to see the ashes be put in the ocean. Much easier dealing with their deaths instead of long extended arrangements frustrating all. We all feel Neptune does a good job of what they do.
Bart

 

[DaveNV]

Your remaining family should know that “dividing ashes” is very messy. As we found out.

I wonder if they’d divide ashes and deliver them in three containers? I can’t be the only one who wants to do something like this.

Dave

 

[geist1223]

Patti and I have discussed that we both want to be cremated. Then the survivor will take a small amount of ashes on each trip and spread them around the world.

 

[MrockStar]

Those of you who are veterans can be buried free in national veterans cemeteries, not sure about cremations remains i will check on that.

 

[DaveNV]

Those of you who are veterans can be buried free in national veterans cemeteries, not sure about cremations remains i will check on that.

They provide a "cremains garden" thing at many cemeteries. I've had a number of Vet relatives who have been cremating and had their ashes spread that way.

Dave

 

[Talent312]

I recently attended a funeral service at our church. The minister poured half the ashes from a clear plastic baggie into a hole in the ground at the memorial garden. He put the rest of the bag into a box and handed it to the widow. She said, "Now I can visit him here every Sunday, and have part of him with me at home."

My thought: Which half is in the ground, and which half is at home?
.

 

[TheHolleys87]

Following this thread for Dave’s report - I had not heard of the Neptune Society. DH and I have told our kids we want to be cremated and have given them instructions for surreptitiously dumping our ashes in a lake near to where we’ve spent a lot of time, but I don’t know that our plan will work. My mom’s ashes are in a metal box inside a velvet bag, sat at the end of Dad’s couch for years and has now been moved to the fireplace mantle in the center of all the family photos. When he passes we’ll have both their ashes placed in a columbarium nearby. My sister has signed papers to donate her body to one of the agencies studying natural decomposition, but I’m not sure that’s what I want to be done with my remains.

 

[Quiet Pine]

I have no experience with Neptune, but we have made final arrangements. We prepaid with Smart Cremation and have two cherry wood boxes on a shelf in the garage. They have an 800
# to call, and they'll come pick up the body, including if you're traveling internationally.

 

[Brett]

Thanks. I think that's kind of what we're after. Someone to handle the details of what we want, without a a lot of pomp and expense. Will be curious to hear what they say.

Dave

I have no experience with the Neptune Society but would like to know their prices for cremation

 

[amycurl]

Before making any arrangements, I would take the time to read the book "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes." It's a memoir of a young woman who worked at a funeral home. It's an engrossing and entertaining read, believe it or not, and I think it's getting made into a movie. At the end, she has some good recommendations about how to approach end-of-life planning, and, because you've followed her on this journey, you understand the wider context.

 

[DaveNV]

Following this thread for Dave’s report - I had not heard of the Neptune Society. DH and I have told our kids we want to be cremated and have given them instructions for surreptitiously dumping our ashes in a lake near to where we’ve spent a lot of time, but I don’t know that our plan will work. My mom’s ashes are in a metal box inside a velvet bag, sat at the end of Dad’s couch for years and has now been moved to the fireplace mantle in the center of all the family photos. When he passes we’ll have both their ashes placed in a columbarium nearby. My sister has signed papers to donate her body to one of the agencies studying natural decomposition, but I’m not sure that’s what I want to be done with my remains.

My Mother was cremated and her ashes were interred in a crypt in her grandparents gravesite. She was very close to them, and wanted it that way. When we were at the funeral home that handled the cremation and interment, the Funeral Director asked if Mom had a favorite teapot or sugar bowl or something that her ashes could be placed into prior to interment. He said a lot of people did that, and it brought a sense of closure to the family.

We thought for a moment, and everyone smiled when I suggested a ceramic Victorian house cookie jar I'd made for Mom about twenty years prior. I did hobby ceramics at the time, and I'd spent hours and hours making this "Painted Lady" Eastlake Victorian style cookie jar for her. Very San Francisco style, and it came out really nice. Mom cried and cried when I'd given it to her. She'd always wanted a Victorian house, and that cookie jar sat right on the kitchen counter where she saw it every day for the rest of her life. It had been a perfect gift.

We put her ashes in that cookie jar, sealed the lid on it, and placed it in the crypt in the ground. She now has her Victorian house.

Dave

 

[Luanne]

I understand the desire to be where you most enjoyed your life. I want to have my divided ashes spread in three places: In the ocean off the Napali Coast of Kauai, in Lake Powell, Utah, beneath Rainbow Bridge, and the rest of me thrown into an active volcano in Hawaii - during an eruption. Madame Pele and I are old friends.

Dave

Steve wants his ashes spread on Kīlauea (or actually any volcano on Hawaii will do). I decided I want to be with him. Our daughter asked if it was okay for her to wait until we're both gone and make one trip. As I said our agreement with Neptune is for the cremation, and our daughters will get a container with the ashes. Several years back we buried the ashes of Steve's aunt on Waikiki. That was her wish. His brother was the one who brought the ashes from Virginia. He said it was "interesting" but not difficult.

 

[Luanne]

I have no experience with the Neptune Society but would like to know their prices for cremation

They are very nice to talk to. I did everything over the phone and was sent some brochures. That's the easiest way to start a conversation with them. Their cost depends on how much you want done. As I said I added the part that covers us wherever we happen to be.

 

[Luanne]

I had a discussion with one of their salesmen 4 or 5 years ago. I came away feeling that they were an unnecessary money-grubbing operation and told my kids it would be a lot cheaper to call a few local funeral homes right after I die and get the best deal they could for a cheap cremation...

George

I did that. Call the local places I mean. Found they were going to be more expensive. At least it was more expensive for a pre-paid cremation.

 

[dioxide45]

Attending a presentation with a free gift (lunch)? Kind of sound like timeshares....