Five years ago my friend, John Gough, told me he wanted to be buried in a “pine box” – just like in the old days. I hadn’t given the subject much thought myself, but John had lost his father at a young age and had begun to think about his own mortality. He asked if I would be willing to help build a pine casket for him, and I agreed that someday we would. Several years passed, and John’s mother became gravely ill. The casket that was intended to be John’s was now going to be his mother’s.
On a beautiful fall day, we got down to the business of building Mrs. Gough’s casket in my garage. We enjoyed the planning and construction but also the camaraderie of working together. A large wooden box being built in Kreighbaum’s garage piqued the curiosity of our neighbors. Of course when we explained, we generated even more questions and interest. The general consensus of the neighborhood – “What a wonderful and practical idea”! While attending Mrs. Gough’s funeral, it was heartwarming as well as rewarding to hear the comments about the simplicity and beauty of her casket. Other family members expressed interest, and we made three more caskets that fall.
Six months ago John was preplanning his own funeral. When he told the local funeral director that he wanted to be buried in a casket that he had made with a friend, he immediately inquired to see the prototype. The funeral director commented that many people were looking to simplify and minimize funeral expenses and he felt there could be a market for a casket like ours which is “simple,
yet dignified”.
The rest is history. John and I, along with our wives, decided to pursue this venture. The encouragement we have received has been overwhelming and certainly the reason we have gone forward in creating GK Caskets. We believe our product has evolved at precisely the right time. Our caskets are reaching out to a population looking for ways to simplify their lives, including reducing funeral costs. At the same time, people continue to want the dignity of burying their loved one or themselves in a beautiful casket.
