Not long after the columbarium was finished there was a funeral for a member who had died. His wife had died long ago, they had no other family except a niece who asked if they could place the aunt's cremains with the uncle. (niches generally have 2 spaces within them and you pay for the whole niche) The church said of course and that was how my wife got a 50 lb marble urn sitting on her desk that she couldn't open.
She wasn't expecting that. I mean.. you give an urn to have the cremains put in the niche you kinda expect to be able to OPEN the urn. But nope. This urn stayed shut. She asked the niece if she wanted the urn back "oh yes. I think it is lovely and would like to use it for a vase" ah.. ok. no destroying the urn to get the cremains.
It just so happened they were replacing the roof (slate) as well as updating the damaged stone of the exterior of the building. So it became a question she would ask foremen and workmen who came into her office. Can you open this urn was the question she asked random strangers who came in to do work on the building for months. Each person tried and each person failed. They even bought special tools that people suggested. Pipefitters tool was a suggestion from a plumber. NOPE. they didn't use a chisel, altho it was suggested many times. Different trials. all failed. She called the funeral home. Did they seal the urn? nope. We never seal them, was the reply. back to the drawing board.
As they got around the 6 month mark an architect came in to check the repairs to the stone and the slate roof. And while she was there Sue asked the question bc at this point.. she asked everyone. The architect took one look at it and said she would call her dad, who owned a funeral home. 5 minutes later she snapped her phone off. "It's superglued." she said. "dad says they super glue urns and you will need acetone to remove it"
Sue went out to the local store and bought about a half gallons worth of the strongest fingernail polish remover she could find. inverted the urn into a metal bowl and let it soak overnight. Came back the next morning and lifted the urn. Lid popped right off, contents inside were fine. (they always put the cremains in a sealed thick mm baggie) and she could put aunt and uncle together again in the niche. And the niece picked the urn up for her "flower pot" within the month.
no subject
She wasn't expecting that. I mean.. you give an urn to have the cremains put in the niche you kinda expect to be able to OPEN the urn. But nope. This urn stayed shut. She asked the niece if she wanted the urn back "oh yes. I think it is lovely and would like to use it for a vase" ah.. ok. no destroying the urn to get the cremains.
It just so happened they were replacing the roof (slate) as well as updating the damaged stone of the exterior of the building. So it became a question she would ask foremen and workmen who came into her office. Can you open this urn was the question she asked random strangers who came in to do work on the building for months. Each person tried and each person failed. They even bought special tools that people suggested. Pipefitters tool was a suggestion from a plumber. NOPE. they didn't use a chisel, altho it was suggested many times. Different trials. all failed. She called the funeral home. Did they seal the urn? nope. We never seal them, was the reply. back to the drawing board.
As they got around the 6 month mark an architect came in to check the repairs to the stone and the slate roof. And while she was there Sue asked the question bc at this point.. she asked everyone. The architect took one look at it and said she would call her dad, who owned a funeral home. 5 minutes later she snapped her phone off. "It's superglued." she said. "dad says they super glue urns and you will need acetone to remove it"
Sue went out to the local store and bought about a half gallons worth of the strongest fingernail polish remover she could find. inverted the urn into a metal bowl and let it soak overnight. Came back the next morning and lifted the urn. Lid popped right off, contents inside were fine. (they always put the cremains in a sealed thick mm baggie) and she could put aunt and uncle together again in the niche. And the niece picked the urn up for her "flower pot" within the month.