A Path Home
What is a home funeral? How can I have a green burial? Do I have to hire a Funeral Director? On this podcast we’ll be focusing on reclaiming our innate right to care for our own loved ones at death in natural, and often, environmentally friendly ways. We’ll demystify the tasks related to after death care through hearing stories from people who have ventured into culturally unfamiliar territory and cared for their own deceased loved ones at home, chose a natural burial or both. Hearing what’s possible and how lives have been transformed by engaging in this final act of love is one path towards changing our culture and our relationship to death. A Path Home is a production of the National Home Funeral Alliance.
Episodes
79 episodes
Father in the Garden
On this first episode of Season 6, Sarah talks with Csenge Kolozsvari who, along with her four year old daughter, traveled from Montreal to her home village in Hungary to accompany her father on his dying journey. She shares the intimate and pe...
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Season 6
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Episode 79
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1:06:20
The Path Brent Took
On this episode Sarah has a conversation with Ed Nelson and his son, Erick Nelson. In February of 2023 Ed's brother Brent died from throat cancer. He had mentioned to Ed that he wanted a natural burial. Erick arrived in Kansas a couple of days ...
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Season 5
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Episode 78
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45:11
Caring for Jeff at the Ashram
Naomi Worob and Tina Zuccarello share the story of bringing Jeff to the ashram he loved to spend his final weeks surrounded by people who loved him and bury him on the property.
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Season 5
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Episode 77
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39:26
Known for Her Smile
On today's episode, Carolyn Dehnbostel describes the home funeral she and her family provided for her mom, Betty, at their cabin in Minnesota, followed by a natural burial on their own land and the logistics involved in getting it all arranged....
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Season 5
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Episode 76
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50:05
Holding her Heart
Today, Sarah has a conversation with Leslie Stager about the after-death care she and a small circle of friends provided to her mom at her home in Maine. Leslie's mom died unexpectedly which made keeping her home a little challenging.
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Season 5
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Episode 75
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48:09
Grandfather Hank
Today, Sarah speaks with Krista Marshall in upstate NY who shares the story of the after-death care provided to an elder in the community she lived in for a time in Vermont. Grandfather Hank was beloved in the area for his presence and he...
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Season 5
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Episode 74
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37:26
The Deathwives on Grief
For today's bonus Winter Solstice episode, Sarah has a conversation about grief with Colorado-based Deathwives, Lauren Carroll and Erin Merelli. To listen to Erin's Tedx Talk click here:
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Season 5
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Episode 73
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47:08
Community Deathcare Ottawa
On today's episode Sarah has a conversation with three members of the Ottawa Death Care Collective in Ottawa, Canada. Kelly Butler, Heather Martel and Deb Charbonneau share with us the personal paths that led each of them to engage in the impor...
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Season 5
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Episode 72
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46:56
Glenda Villegas of Thresholds, Home and Family-Directed Funerals
Glenda Villegas is the funeral director at Thresholds, Home and Family-Directed Funerals, LLC. based in San Diego, California. Glenda represents a growing group of progressive funeral professionals who recognize the value of supporting fa...
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Season 5
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Episode 71
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41:12
Sally's Last Gathering
Sarah has a conversation with Anne Archbold and Paul Sommers about the plan Paul's mom, Sally made to donate her body to the medical school at the University of Minnesota after she died. Sally also requested a natural burial. Everything aligned...
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Season 5
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Episode 70
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39:12
The Weaver Boys Take Care of Dad
On this first episode of Season 5, Sarah sits down with three brothers, Zach, Kevin and Sky Weaver, who share the story of preparing their dad, Phil for a natural burial.To check out the music of The Gravy Ladles here is the link to their Y...
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Season 5
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Episode 69
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52:04
Following Sue's Lead
On today's episode Sarah has a conversation with David Schinsing about his wife Sue's experience with ovarian cancer and the home funeral they planned together. Sue was a nurse, a birth doula and home-schooled their children.
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Season 4
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Episode 68
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34:19
Nora "Bird" Takes Flight
Today I have a conversation with Lauren Sample about the home funeral and natural burial her family held for her daughter Nora, nicknamed "Bird," and the many final acts of love provided to Bird in her last hours of living and following her dea...
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Season 4
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Episode 67
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44:05
Dr. Annetta Mallon, Down Under
On today's episode I have a conversation with Dr. Annetta Mallon, founder of Gentle Death Education and Planning, in Tasmania. We talk about her work in the community and the state of green burial in Australia. For more information on Annetta's...
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Season 4
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Episode 66
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37:28
Changing Lives through Tending Death
On this episode I talk with Margaret Henderson and Robin Cottrell in Ukiah, California. The two serve as death midwives and home funeral guides in their community. They are also singers and members of a Threshold Choir who bring songs to ...
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Season 4
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Episode 65
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35:51
Precious Bird
A call to listeners to reach out and share their stories, followed by Sarah's original song, Precious Bird, in honor of her friend Puja.Precious Bird is Sarah Crews on guitar and vocals.Tim Crews on mandolin.
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Season 4
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Episode 64
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7:15
Ann's Last Act of Rebellion
On this episode, Sarah has a conversation with sisters, Lucinda, Maud and Cecily in Ashland, Oregon. The three of them share the story of creating a home funeral for their mother, former Civil Rights attorney turned Oracle, Ann Macrory. Wat...
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Season 4
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Episode 63
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42:56
A Soft Place to Land
Today I have a conversation with Donna Vidam about a home funeral she created for her mom, Janet. In 2020, Janet was hospitalized when it became clear that she wouldn't recover, so Donna made the choice to bring her home to die there. Following...
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Season 4
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Episode 62
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34:09
Making Space for Grief with Sarah Hines
Today I have a conversation about grief with Sarah Hines. Based in Canada, Sarah has founded The Lodge Project where she and her team, coach the leadership of organizations and corporations to respond to grief compassionately and include grief ...
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Season 4
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Episode 61
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35:37
Herland Forest: Natural Organic Reduction
On this episode Sarah has a conversation with Walt Patrick, the steward of Herland Forest in Washington State, a natural burial ground and licensed human composting facility, (also called natural organic reduction) and Elizabeth Fournier, a pro...
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Season 4
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Episode 60
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32:40
Holding Hands
Today I have a conversation with Karry Sawatsky. She shares with us the story of her grandfather’s death and how she supported her grandmother throughout the process. Karry is a full-time death doula and founder of Modern Deathcare. She works w...
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Season 4
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Episode 59
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48:50
Caring for a Baby Brother, Decades Later.
Today I have a conversation with Karen van Vuuren, founder of the educational non-profit, Natural Transitions, a founding member of the NHFA, and co-founder of The Natural Funeral in Lafayette, Colorado. Karen has been an integral part of the n...
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Season 4
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Episode 58
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24:10
Jen's Last Ceremony
Today I have a conversation with Darshan Stevens on Cortes Island in British Columbia. Darshan and her mother, Jennifer, lived on the same property when Jen was diagnosed with cancer. For two years they navigated her cancer treatments. In the e...
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Season 4
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Episode 57
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38:51
Bound by the Ropes of Love
In early December, 2021, Adrienne Parker discovered that her oldest child, Brandyn, had died in his car. Brandyn's life had been caught in a cycle of mental illness and incarceration, resulting in his being homeless and living in his car....
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Season 3
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Episode 56
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41:54
Arizona Community Death Care
Today we hear from two members of the Arizona Community Death Care collective, Dani LaVoire and Jade Sherer. This is another episode that will be of interest to those listeners who are either already engaged in or just beginning to form communi...
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Season 3
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Episode 55
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43:29