Being a pall bearer

[Smallpotatoes]

My uncle died this evening after a long illness. My aunt asked me to be one of the pall bearers.
Has anyone here been one? Is there anything I need to know?

 

[slappy4428]

My uncle died this evening after a long illness. My aunt asked me to be one of the pall bearers.
Has anyone here been one? Is there anything I need to know?

Don't drop the casket. I was a pallbearer once... nothing difficult, but don't drop the casket.
Sorry about the loss, spuds...

 

[Bubbler]

Been a pallbearer for my grandfather and my father-in-law. Nothing to it. Consider it a honor that you were asked.

 

[zebracoy]

Sorry about your loss.

The only time that I was asked was when I was 11, and it was for my maternal grandmother. It was me being asked as much as me trying to be a big shot and prove my worth, so to speak.

I couldn't lift the thing very much, of course, but there were six other guys chosen alongside me. It's an easy task, and one as simple as it looks. No practice, nothing.

Consider it an honor.

 

[mustangj17]

My uncle died this evening after a long illness. My aunt asked me to be one of the pall bearers.
Has anyone here been one? Is there anything I need to know?

Don't drop the casket. I was a pallbearer once... nothing difficult, but don't drop the casket.
Sorry about the loss, spuds...

Yeah easier said than done. I had a very obese aunt who died when I was about 15. My uncles and cousins and I had one hell of a time trying to keep that thing off the ground.

 

[slappy4428]

My uncle died this evening after a long illness. My aunt asked me to be one of the pall bearers.
Has anyone here been one? Is there anything I need to know?

Don't drop the casket. I was a pallbearer once... nothing difficult, but don't drop the casket.
Sorry about the loss, spuds...

Yeah easier said than done. I had a very obese aunt who died when I was about 15. My uncles and cousins and I had one hell of a time trying to keep that thing off the ground.

My grandmother weighed 90 pounds...

 

[playthrough]

My favorite uncle had cystic fibrosis and might not have weighed 90 when he passed. I was 19, and being a pallbearer alongside my dad and his three brothers (darn, I can't remember the sixth man now >:( ) was a big deal.

 

[mustangj17]

My uncle died this evening after a long illness. My aunt asked me to be one of the pall bearers.
Has anyone here been one? Is there anything I need to know?

Don't drop the casket. I was a pallbearer once... nothing difficult, but don't drop the casket.
Sorry about the loss, spuds...

Yeah easier said than done. I had a very obese aunt who died when I was about 15. My uncles and cousins and I had one hell of a time trying to keep that thing off the ground.

My grandmother weighed 90 pounds...

My great grandmother was about that light too when she passed. It was easier to carry, but harder at the same time.

 

[Just_An_SID]

My only suggestion is to do whatever possible so that you are on the left side of the casket (When facing the direction that you are going). That way, you will be able to hold the casket with your right hand.

Sorry for your loss.

 

[forever_town]

I'm sorry to hear about your loss.

Don't drop the casket's about all the advice I can give. I've been a pallbearer for my grandfather's funeral. Possibly also for my aunt's. I gave a eulogy at my aunt's that was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.

 

[JBHawkEye]

My dad is good friends with one of the funeral home owners in my hometown. It got to be that if they ever needed a pall bearer, they would call my dad and he would go do it (Dad knows pretty much everybody in town anyway, so it was no big deal).

When my grandfather died, I was one of the pall bearers. First thing my dad said was, "Whatever you do, don't drop it." And, echoing Just_an_SID, he said to get on the left side of the casket.

 

[Angola!]

Hopefully it's not raining wherever you live.

I was a pall bearer at my best friend's funeral and it had been raining a lot in Seattle at the time. When we were carrying him through the cemetery, I stepped in some sort of mini sink hole and nearly dropped my end. Luckily some stronger buddies were able to shoulder the weight until I righted myself.

At my grandpa's funeral I nearly got knocked into the hole at the grave site because I was so young -- I think I was 15 or so. I assume you aren't that young or small so you should be OK, but be careful for sure.

 

[buckweaver]

Unless, of course, you're left-handed. :P

Sorry for the loss, SP. As for the pall-bearing, it's an honor. Nothing you need to practice for, just wear comfortable shoes if you're going to be walking with the casket at any lengths.

 

[StevieNicks]

I carried four of my friends to their spots by the time I turned 18.

All I can say is it doesn't matter if it's right side or left. Just don't get caught up in the emotion of it all. Stay focused on your duty.

 

[93Devil]

I carried four of my friends to their spots by the time I turned 18.

All I can say is it doesn't matter if it's right side or left. Just don't get caught up in the emotion of it all. Stay focused on your duty.

Whoa.

Sorry about that Stevie.

Some caskets are heavier than others. Look around at the other guys. Hopefully they can lift their weight.

 

[WildBillyCrazyCat]

Lift with one hand on the rail, the other on the bottom of the casket.

If you're at the back, keep walking the casket forward while putting it into the hearse, even though you'll be trying not to crush your fellow pall bearers while doing so.

 

[Huggy]

Have done it several times. My borther-in-law is a funeral director and he has asked me to fill in as a pall bearer the odd time when they need one. I always make sure I get on the right side.

 

[Batman]

I've been a pallbearer at my grandfather's, grandmother's, and father's funerals. Once you get past the weird feeling that you're putting a loved one in the ground, it's a simple job.
Grandmother's funeral was weird, though. We had all of her grandchildren (about 10 of us were there) as pallbearers. It was all I could do to put a hand on the casket, let alone do any heavy lifting.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

Did somebody say Paul Bearer?

 

[outofplace]

Sorry for your loss, smallpotatoes.

I was one of the pall bearers at my aunt's funeral about a month ago. My experience was a bit like mustangj's. She as a large woman and the casket was a heavy one to begin with. It had rained most of the day, so the ground was very muddy. It was a struggle, but it was also important to me to be a part of it.