Natural funeral and burial: Sister Helen Gohres ‘simply’ returns to the earth

Sister Helen Gohres spoke these words months before her death, “This earth has nourished me all these years. It’s now my time to return that nourishment to the earth with my body.” On Sept. 28, 2010, Sister Helen, the first FSPA to express an interest in the simple service, returned that nourishment to the earth in what was FSPA’s first natural funeral and burial.

Three years of preparation, which included La Crosse County Board’s September 2009 approval of the natural cemetery on FSPA land near Villa St. Joseph, culminated in a simple and reverent service for Sister Helen. After her death on Sept. 26, the Villa St. Joseph staff, with assistance from Coulee Cremation Group, immediately put into motion the natural funeral and burial plans. Sister Helen’s body was immediately laid in the Villa’s temperature controlled room where family and friends could view her until the morning of the funeral. Her FSPA family and friends also gathered at the Villa for reflection and sharing the morning after her death and then later that evening for prayer.

Sister Helen’s funeral service was held in the Villa St. Joseph chapel less than 36 hours after her death. Sister Helen’s body was dressed in natural burial garments prepared by Sister Mary Ann Gaul. Her body was displayed and laid to rest in a simple wood burial container constructed by FSPA carpenter Jerry Moriarty. Wrapped in a cotton blanket Sister Helen’s body was returned to the earth “with as much dignity and respect as possible,” said Sister Lucy Slinger, FSPA ecological advocate. After the burial Sister Lucy invited others to sprinkle prairie flower seeds on the grave site. A portion of the prairie seeds came from Prairie-woods Franciscan Spirituality Center, Hiawatha, Iowa, where Sister Helen ministered.

Sister Lucy also pointed out the uniqueness of an FSPA simple return to the earth. “For us the protocol is that both the funeral and the burial are natural. The funeral plan implements natural practices—no transfer to a
funeral home, no caustic embalming fluids and only biodegradable garments without buttons and zippers—followed by the natural burial plan with minimal soil disruption—no vault or concrete grave liner and no casket or coffin.” Natural burial, Sister Lucy added, is another option to cremation which requires a high amount of fuel use. “We are grateful to Sister Helen who encouraged natural funeral and burial practices and leaves the FSPA legacy of a return to a truly Franciscan way of living out ‘ashes to ashes and dust to dust.’”

“Everything went so well thanks to thorough preparation by Villa staff, funeral directors and others,” said Sister Sharon Berger. “My greatest satisfaction, next to witnessing Sister Helen receive her wish, was to hear and feel the positive response from Villa sisters who found the experience so very meaningful and reverential. They were so grateful to have it all happen here where they could be part of saying goodbye and celebrating Helen’s life.”

In a special message included in her service guide, Sister Helen wrote, “I want my community, relatives and friends to know that I love them and am most grateful for all that they have been for me over these many years! In countless ways—little and big—they have been God’s angels furthering my human and spiritual growth, keeping me on course, happy and hopeful, and have been such dear companions on life’s journey.”