When his late wife died he had bought two ash plots in Helensville where they had spent their whole life until moving to Whangarei in 2008 but he has not been back there since that move. Doug had thought it through more than me and wondered whether we could purchase a burial plot and put their ashes in and ours as well when the time comes. He phoned the Undertakers and the lady thought it sounded a good idea and she, in turn, phoned the cemetery who got back to us and said we could do that. Next day we went to the cemetery and chose a plot.
When we asked the very nice man in charge of cemetery he said he was not allowed to recommend a stonemason but gave us a couple of cards and suggested we shop around. On the way home we went to a showroom in town and looked at some headstones. The following day we phoned another one in a village just out of Whangarei and went out there. No showroom but a lovely big workshop (I think Doug had workshop envy). He was a delightful young man and it turned out that the other stonemasons in town send him any headstones that need repair.
We chose a headstone and told him what we wanted as far as wording. Doug is putting his parents names on the stone as they don't have a headstone. The draft was done with our names on as well and we have approved it. (Our names don't go on until the inevitable happens)
Last Monday we went to the cemetery and buried the ashes. When the headstone is ready we will have an unveiling and any members of the family that want to can come then. There will also be room later for the ashes of any other members of the family that would like to be laid there.
We both feel that we have made the right decision.
