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N0KFQ > TODAY 25.05.17 14:09l 50 Lines 2191 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 33671_N0KFQ
Read: GUEST
Subj: Today in History - May 25
Path: IW8PGT<IZ3LSV<IV3SCP<IW0QNL<VE2PKT<N0KFQ
Sent: 170525/1206Z 33671@N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA BPQ6.0.13
1994
Pennsylvania man buried with his beloved Corvette
On this day in 1994, the ashes of 71-year-old George Swanson are
buried (according to Swanson's request) in the driver's seat of
his 1984 white Corvette in Hempfield County, Pennsylvania.
Swanson, a beer distributor and former U.S. Army sergeant during
World War II, died the previous March 31 at the age of 71. He had
reportedly been planning his automobile burial for some time,
buying 12 burial plots at Brush Creek Cemetery, located 25 miles
east of Pittsburgh, in order to ensure that his beloved Corvette
would fit in his grave with him. After his death, however, the
cemetery balked, amid concerns of vandalism and worries that
other clients would be offended by the outlandish nature of the
burial. They finally relented after weeks of negotiations, but
insisted that the burial be private, and that the car be drained
of fluids to protect the environment. "George wanted to go out in
style, and, indeed, now he will," commented Swanson's lawyer in a
report from The Associated Press. "We agree that this is rather
elaborate, but really it's no different than being buried in a
diamond-studded or gold coffin."
According to the AP, Swanson's widow, Caroline, transported her
husband's ashes to the cemetery on the seat of her own white 1993
Corvette. The ashes were then placed on the driver's seat of his
10-year-old car, which had only 27,000 miles on the odometer.
Inside the car, mourners also placed a lap quilt made by a group
of women from Swanson's church, a love note from his wife and an
Engelbert Humperdinck tape in the cassette deck, with the song
"Release Me" cued up and ready to play. The license plate read
"HI-PAL," which was Swanson's go-to greeting when he didn't
remember a name. As 50 mourners looked on, a crane lowered the
Corvette into a 7-by-7-by-16-foot hole.
"George always said he lived a fabulous life, and he went out in
a fabulous style," Caroline Swanson said later. "You have a lot
of people saying they want to take it with them. He took it with
him."
73, K.O. n0kfq
N0KFQ @ N0KFQ.#SWMO.MO.USA.NA
E-mail: kohiggs@gmail.com
Winlink: n0kfq@winlink.org
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