Blog - Page 3 of 5 - Carolina Memorial Sanctuary

Steward’s Log: Sacred Space

Posted on Aug 03 2018 by Anthony Pranger

Log with mushrooms and moss growing on it, with text "Steward's Log" on top

One of my most difficult challenges working at Carolina Memorial Sanctuary over the years has been expanding my understanding of the space to include others’ ideas and visions for it. Even before the land was purchased, a significant part of that vision was to create a natural setting that would […]

Natural Burial: Embracing Nature

Posted on Jul 11 2018 by Caroline Yongue

When hearing the phrase “being in nature” or “natural setting”, each of us will likely manifest our own unique mental image of what that means to us. This image can change through the years, as we age or as our physical capacity for outdoor enjoyment/activities diminishes or increases. “Natural” is […]

Burials Can Be Beautiful, Healing & Transformational

Posted on Jun 16 2018 by Cassie Barrett

Beautiful. Transformational. Healing. A funeral can actually be all three of those things, when families and friends are invited to participate in the process. I love my job SO MUCH. I get to help promote and practice a way of burial that is kind to the earth. I get to […]

Mountain Xpress: ‘Seniors hesitant to engage in end-of-life conversations’

Posted on May 25 2018 by Carolina Memorial Sanctuary

Source: Mountain Xpress Written By: Monroe Spivey Publish Date: May 18, 2018 Our Director, Caroline Yongue, was recently interviewed for an article published by the Mountain XPress. Here is the start of the article: Asheville resident Sharon Evans, 66, had an unexpected brush with death five years ago. “I was cooking […]

How To Dig A Grave By Hand

Posted on May 21 2018 by Anthony Pranger

Collage of Cassie and Anthony digging a grave

We’ve all seen it a dozen times in the movies… Someone digging a grave. Usually it’s done with one shovel and finished in an hour. Ha! Ha, I say! As if it were only that easy. When we dig graves at Carolina Memorial Sanctuary, everything is done by hand, and […]

Picking Your Final Resting Place: “How will I know when I’ve found my spot?”

Posted on Apr 16 2018 by Caroline Yongue

natural burial in the meadow at Carolina Memorial Sanctuary with mountains in the background

I’m often asked “How will I know when I’ve found my spot?” It takes a little bit of time, a quiet mind and an open heart and then, you will simply know. If you’ve made the decision about whether you want your body to be cremated or buried and communicated […]

A Better World: Center for End of Life Transitions & Carolina Memorial Sanctuary

Posted on Mar 15 2018 by Carolina Memorial Sanctuary

A Better World, WPVM 103.7 Asheville Broadcast Date: March 1st, 2018 Death is easy to turn away from but it can also be an opportunity to open your heart. McNair Ezzard, host of A Better World, interviewed Caroline Yongue, Director of Carolina Memorial Sanctuary and Center for End of Life […]

Letting Go, Moving On: Reflections on Winter & Loss

Posted on Feb 13 2018 by Anthony Pranger

Blurred and blue winter scene of birch trees with snow underneath

Moving into 2018, we have all felt the bitter cold of winter. This season of raw, vast reflection is not an easy time for me, working primarily outdoors. I’m certain it is a challenging time for many as the cost to heat homes and maintain vehicles often increases in Winter. […]

Steward’s Log: Winter 2018

Posted on Jan 22 2018 by Anthony Pranger

Log with moss on it and the words "Steward's Log, Winter 18'"

A surprising number of families have been out to the Sanctuary in the last month. On cold and blustery days, guests bring their relatives who are in town for the holiday or vacation. While many of them have certainly been uncomfortable riding around in the golf cart with a blanket […]

Looking Back & The Road Ahead for 2018

Posted on Jan 04 2018 by Caroline Yongue

Joe pie weed with path running behind it.

3-½ years ago, the conversation began about a conservation burial ground in Mills River. Fast forward to today, and it is hard to believe how far we have come in such a short period of time. In December of 2015, we purchased the property. Most of 2016 was devoted to […]