THE HAMMER, THE URN AND A SANTA

Santa shows up at Walt’s graveside service

The day was overcast, with a chilly breeze sweeping through the cemetery, carrying with it the crisp scent of approaching winter. I gathered with Friends and family for the graveside service of Mr. Walter "Walt" Johnson, a man known for his infectious love of Christmas and all its festive cheer. His love for the holiday had been a defining trait, one that his family wanted to honor in a very special way.

In keeping with his spirit, the family had chosen an unconventional urn for Walt's cremated remains: A qqqSanta Claus cookie jar. It was a bright, jolly figure, complete with Santa's red suit, rosy cheeks, and a cheery smile, topped off with a tall red hat. It was the perfect representation of the man who had brought so much joy into their lives every holiday season.

As the family and friends gathered around the small burial vault meant for cremated remains, they shared stories of Walt's legendary Christmas parties and his role as the neighborhood Santa. Laughter mixed with tears as they reminisced about the man who had made every Christmas magical. This was an easy graveside service. There’s was no drama and there was an appropriate lite hearted joy amongst all of us.

When the time came to place the urn into the vault, a problem quickly became apparent. The burial vault was designed for a standard urn, and not a Cookie Jar Santa. The awkwardness of the moment hung in the air as everyone stared at the oversized urn, realizing the grave couldn't be closed. They all looked at me and in turn I looked to Bill the funeral director.

Bill stepped up and with that smooth voice of a funeral professional he said, “I'm so sorry, folks. It seems the urn won't fit into the vault as it is."

The family exchanged glances, each knowing that Walt would have found humor in the situation. After a brief discussion, Tommy, Walt's son, spoke up. "Dad loved Christmas more than anything, and he would have laughed at this. Let's do what we need to do to make it work."

With a mixture of solemnity and practicality, Bill retrieved a hammer. Everyone watched as he carefully positioned it over Santa's hat. With a few well-placed taps, the hat and head separated into several pieces. It was a delicate process, but eventually, the urn was reduced in height enough to fit into the vault.

As they placed the modified Santa urn into the vault, a sense of peace settled over the group.

They all knew that Walt would have appreciated the lengths they went to honor his love for Christmas, even if it meant smashing Santa's head to make it work.

A chuckle rippled through the crowd, mixed with tears of both sadness and joy. In that moment, they felt Walt's presence more than ever, his laughter echoing in their hearts.

I offered a brief prayer and the service concluded with the lowering of the urn into the grave. They sang Jingle Bells followed by Silent Night, then the family with friends left the cemetery. They had a story to cherish forever—a story that perfectly encapsulated the spirit of a man who had brought light and joy into their lives, just like Santa Claus.