Comments on: Dressing the Dead http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/12/dressing-the-dead/ Truth Will Prevail Thu, 24 May 2012 18:26:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Cristina Porto http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/12/dressing-the-dead/#comment-241387 Cristina Porto Mon, 05 Nov 2007 03:17:08 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3652#comment-241387 Hello, I was wondering if I could help prepare the deceased because I have my cosmetology licesnse. I plan on being a corner so I think it would be a good experience for me. Plus I want to open my own family mortuary. If your interested please reply back that would be great. Thank you. Hello, I was wondering if I could help prepare the deceased because I have my cosmetology licesnse. I plan on being a corner so I think it would be a good experience for me. Plus I want to open my own family mortuary. If your interested please reply back that would be great. Thank you.

]]> By: Alexandria Curtis http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/12/dressing-the-dead/#comment-219254 Alexandria Curtis Thu, 15 Mar 2007 04:07:42 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3652#comment-219254 I am the duaghter of Dawne Hole, who left a comment earlier. Thank you so much for sharing your story with, us my daughter was only 12 year old when she passed and you sharing your story with me is the first time i have really cried since she died. Thank you for helping me to let out some of my greif. i miss her so very much and your story is helping me in my healing process. Thank you so very, very much. Her spirit was stong in the room that early morning and i miss not having it with me all the time. I am the duaghter of Dawne Hole, who left a comment earlier. Thank you so much for sharing your story with, us my daughter was only 12 year old when she passed and you sharing your story with me is the first time i have really cried since she died. Thank you for helping me to let out some of my greif. i miss her so very much and your story is helping me in my healing process. Thank you so very, very much. Her spirit was stong in the room that early morning and i miss not having it with me all the time.

]]> By: Ardis Parshall http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/12/dressing-the-dead/#comment-219249 Ardis Parshall Wed, 14 Mar 2007 23:35:59 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3652#comment-219249 Dawne -- My sympathies for your losses. I'm glad you had the cooperation of the hospital to spend that time with your granddaughter, at least, and I hope it eased the transition a little. Sitting with my mother alone for those few minutes helped me calm down and get used to the idea that the day for saying goodbye had really come. Dawne — My sympathies for your losses. I’m glad you had the cooperation of the hospital to spend that time with your granddaughter, at least, and I hope it eased the transition a little. Sitting with my mother alone for those few minutes helped me calm down and get used to the idea that the day for saying goodbye had really come.

]]> By: Dawne L. Hole http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/12/dressing-the-dead/#comment-219246 Dawne L. Hole Wed, 14 Mar 2007 23:00:53 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3652#comment-219246 Ardis- Thank you so much for this beautiful site. A few years ago I lost my 24 year old son and then two weeks ago my daughter lost her 12 year old daughter. I was so touched by all that was said, one thing we did with our sweet 12 year old was stay in the hospital room when the staff had cleaned her up, it was so sweet to stay there for several hours. With my son they said they would clean him up but really didn't and I found that really made the time sweet with the 12 year old. Because they took all wires, and what ever she didn't have on when she came in, off. That didn't happen with my son, they left a tube in his mouth and such. And we didn't stay long. I now would ask the hospital staff to do this, clean them up, because there was real sweetness with being with the 12 year old as she moved on to heaven. Ardis- Thank you so much for this beautiful site. A few years ago I lost my 24 year old son and then two weeks ago my daughter lost her 12 year old daughter. I was so touched by all that was said, one thing we did with our sweet 12 year old was stay in the hospital room when the staff had cleaned her up, it was so sweet to stay there for several hours. With my son they said they would clean him up but really didn’t and I found that really made the time sweet with the 12 year old. Because they took all wires, and what ever she didn’t have on when she came in, off. That didn’t happen with my son, they left a tube in his mouth and such. And we didn’t stay long. I now would ask the hospital staff to do this, clean them up, because there was real sweetness with being with the 12 year old as she moved on to heaven.

]]> By: shawn cordner http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/12/dressing-the-dead/#comment-217064 shawn cordner Fri, 26 Jan 2007 05:10:59 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3652#comment-217064 in a small alabama branch you get to do this sometimes. as a piece of advice... for endowed members ... go and buy a one piece garment and a white jumpsuit to be buried in. a stiff body is quie hard to dress in two piece and shirts but a one piece and jumpsuit slide right on. the idea of clothes slit up the back to make it easy repulses me in a small alabama branch you get to do this sometimes. as a piece of advice… for endowed members … go and buy a one piece garment and a white jumpsuit to be buried in. a stiff body is quie hard to dress in two piece and shirts but a one piece and jumpsuit slide right on. the idea of clothes slit up the back to make it easy repulses me

]]> By: tuckbox http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/12/dressing-the-dead/#comment-216702 tuckbox Wed, 17 Jan 2007 20:14:02 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3652#comment-216702 what a beautiful post. I was a RS President when a sister without family died in our ward. It was the first time I had ever seen a dead body, let alone dressed one. However I was guided by several older sisters who attended and gently showed me what to do. The whole experience was a beautiful one. I was interested too to watch one of the more experienced sisters produce a little workwallet, which contained needles, thread,scissors, velcro, stitch remover. When we experienced difficulty with one particular item of clothing, the sister was able to deftly and quickly alter the clothing to enable us to complete the task.Just a little hint which might help others in future. thank you. what a beautiful post. I was a RS President when a sister without family died in our ward. It was the first time I had ever seen a dead body, let alone dressed one. However I was guided by several older sisters who attended and gently showed me what to do. The whole experience was a beautiful one. I was interested too to watch one of the more experienced sisters produce a little workwallet, which contained needles, thread,scissors, velcro, stitch remover. When we experienced difficulty with one particular item of clothing, the sister was able to deftly and quickly alter the clothing to enable us to complete the task.Just a little hint which might help others in future.
thank you.

]]> By: JaneAnne http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/12/dressing-the-dead/#comment-216226 JaneAnne Tue, 09 Jan 2007 05:41:59 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3652#comment-216226 When I attended a small branch several years ago, I was once asked, because the RS pres was nine months pregnant and thereby incapacitated, to help dress the body of a sister who had died and had no living family members. I had never met her in life, but the branch president\'s wife had, and as we wrestled to perform our task she was able to tell me what she knew of her. It is an intimate service, to be sure, and one I greatly appreciated having the opportunity to undertake. Not that I would want to do it regularly, certainly, but I think it was good for my first experience to be with someone I wasn\'t mourning. There were two things from my experience that I don\'t think you mentioned, Ardis. One is the inevitability of humorous moments. I don\'t think there\'s really any way to avoid them, and I also think that\'s okay. The other thing goes along with your notes about dead weight and stiff joints: humans are animals, and like all other animals our fat is solid when refrigerated. We are also subject to gravity, and the shape of a person (particularly a woman) on the heavy side who has been in the cooler for a while is not and won\'t be the shape that same person would have had when alive and standing. This can complicate or even render impossible putting on certain items of clothing (I hope that\'s helpful without being too graphic!). When I attended a small branch several years ago, I was once asked, because the RS pres was nine months pregnant and thereby incapacitated, to help dress the body of a sister who had died and had no living family members. I had never met her in life, but the branch president\’s wife had, and as we wrestled to perform our task she was able to tell me what she knew of her.

It is an intimate service, to be sure, and one I greatly appreciated having the opportunity to undertake. Not that I would want to do it regularly, certainly, but I think it was good for my first experience to be with someone I wasn\’t mourning.

There were two things from my experience that I don\’t think you mentioned, Ardis. One is the inevitability of humorous moments. I don\’t think there\’s really any way to avoid them, and I also think that\’s okay. The other thing goes along with your notes about dead weight and stiff joints: humans are animals, and like all other animals our fat is solid when refrigerated. We are also subject to gravity, and the shape of a person (particularly a woman) on the heavy side who has been in the cooler for a while is not and won\’t be the shape that same person would have had when alive and standing. This can complicate or even render impossible putting on certain items of clothing (I hope that\’s helpful without being too graphic!).

]]> By: Ardis Parshall http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/12/dressing-the-dead/#comment-216188 Ardis Parshall Sun, 07 Jan 2007 16:26:47 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3652#comment-216188 P.J.S., and all others who have shared their personal experiences here -- Since I've never heard this topic discussed in a Relief Society meeting, or even in gossip with LDS friends and extended family, I never dreamed this would connect so well with so many. These personal stories combine to form a shared testimony that goes beyond what any of us have written in plain words. I don't care how old this post gets -- whenever anyone discovers it in the archives and wants to add their own personal experience, please do. P.J.S., and all others who have shared their personal experiences here — Since I’ve never heard this topic discussed in a Relief Society meeting, or even in gossip with LDS friends and extended family, I never dreamed this would connect so well with so many. These personal stories combine to form a shared testimony that goes beyond what any of us have written in plain words.

I don’t care how old this post gets — whenever anyone discovers it in the archives and wants to add their own personal experience, please do.

]]> By: P.J.S. http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/12/dressing-the-dead/#comment-216186 P.J.S. Sun, 07 Jan 2007 15:04:43 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3652#comment-216186 I so appreciate this post and the oppurtunity to share my own experience with dressing a loved one. I lost my beloved mother 6 months ago tomorrow and as Iam reading your comments that beautiful memory of dressing her comes flooding back to me. The mortician was so kind. He asked if I and family members who could would want to do this. He said yer it may be uncomfortable but look at it as being able to assite and pay honor and respect one last time for your dear mother. I know this nexted comment my sound like Imay be alittle off but it is how I feel.I jumped at the oppurtunity to this for my mom because 1.She loved the gosple with all her heart and loved and respected her temple ord. And secondly I loved her with all my herat and to beable to do this for her out of love and respect meant the world to me.I would do it all over again. Before we dressed her the mortician asked if we couldstart with a prayer, I offered the prayer and I felt the spirit with us -I felt it any way.- The person who made the comment about the veil being pulled over the face may I say after the veiwing of my mother\'s body and before they closed the casket my sister pulled her veil over her face, I had never seen my mother look more beautiful and serene then at that moment. It mde me think of my father-who passed away for years ago-I could see him looking at his bride and eternal companion with aheart full of love and gratitude. I am sorry if this went on and on, because I could still go on and on at how beautiful it was and to feel the spirit once again bear wittness of the truthfulness of the gospel and the sacred temple ord. we do was the icing on the cake. I miss her dearly but I know we will be together again one day soon. Thank-you I so appreciate this post and the oppurtunity to share my own experience with dressing a loved one.
I lost my beloved mother 6 months ago tomorrow and as Iam reading your comments that beautiful memory of dressing her comes flooding back to me.
The mortician was so kind. He asked if I and family members who could would want to do this. He said yer it may be uncomfortable but look at it as being able to assite and pay honor and respect one last time for your dear mother.
I know this nexted comment my sound like Imay be alittle off but it is how I feel.I jumped at the oppurtunity to this for my mom because 1.She loved the gosple with all her heart and loved and respected her temple ord. And secondly I loved her with all my herat and to beable to do this for her out of love and respect meant the world to me.I would do it all over again.
Before we dressed her the mortician asked if we couldstart with a prayer, I offered the prayer and I felt the spirit with us -I felt it any way.- The person who made the comment about the veil being pulled over the face may I say after the veiwing of my mother\’s body and before they closed the casket my sister pulled her veil over her face, I had never seen my mother look more beautiful and serene then at that moment. It mde me think of my father-who passed away for years ago-I could see him looking at his bride and eternal companion with aheart full of love and gratitude.
I am sorry if this went on and on, because I could still go on and on at how beautiful it was and to feel the spirit once again bear wittness of the truthfulness of the gospel and the sacred temple ord. we do was the icing on the cake. I miss her dearly but I know we will be together again one day soon. Thank-you

]]> By: Chloe http://timesandseasons.org/index.php/2006/12/dressing-the-dead/#comment-216054 Chloe Wed, 03 Jan 2007 06:25:21 +0000 http://www.timesandseasons.org/?p=3652#comment-216054 I\'m not certain why I\'m crying...perhaps because you captured death and the procedures following so eloquently? I experienced two deaths last year, my beloved grandmother and a friends young brother. I was present in the room years ago when my grandfather died and it was an awe inspiring experience to watch him pass from this life into the next. There is a part of me that hopes I never have to dress a member of my family or a friend in death...but with this post I am not afraid to face that time when it may come. Thank you Ardis - wonderful post. I\’m not certain why I\’m crying…perhaps because you captured death and the procedures following so eloquently? I experienced two deaths last year, my beloved grandmother and a friends young brother. I was present in the room years ago when my grandfather died and it was an awe inspiring experience to watch him pass from this life into the next. There is a part of me that hopes I never have to dress a member of my family or a friend in death…but with this post I am not afraid to face that time when it may come.

Thank you Ardis – wonderful post.

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