ASHES OF MY LATE FATHER : BAREND P DE BEER

A short deviation from my daily research in Peacekeeping Ops to the sealing of my late father's ashes at the Pellisier Nether Dutch Church wall of remembrance. I publish these photos of my brother Pieter (left) my mother Meisie and my brother Ben and sister Annemarie who laid our father's ashes to rest in remembrance of his birthday on 26 May 1923. Much debate followed among conservative family members whether cremation is acceptable for Christians. Traditionally we are in favour of burying, however, my father prefered cremation due to unnecessary cost, space and especially the serious neglect of graveyards in South Africa. It became very dangerous to visit family graves because of thugs who attack and rob people of their personal possessions like jewelery, cell phones and car keys.

However, my mother initiated a new trend in the family and prepared her little place next to my father's. We agreed that nobody can escape God's eye, even in death. The holy Bible states it clearly that the spirit leaves the earthly body and returns to the Creator. Jesus assured us that there are many mansions in the kingdom of our Father and if it was not so, He would have told us.

To conclude: The English version says " from ashes to ashes and dust to dust". Many other arguments can be debated, inter alia burials at sea and people who got devoured by wild animals or who donated their cadavers to medical faculties and so on. It seems to our family that cremation will be the way forward.

The photo on the left is my Dad's younger brother, uncle Flippie De Beer. He was an excellent carpenter who lived and worked on the Witwatersrand. He died shortly after my father.