central australia

The Coffin with a Difference

@JudyEv (381837)

Rockingham, Australia

January 8, 2017 7:27am CST

Coober Pedy in Central Australia has had its share of characters. One of these was Karl Bratz. Fifty-two year old Bratz had a sense of humour and a practical outlook on life, even though he was dying of cancer. He was the eldest son of an Irish Catholic family who lived in Sydney. He was originally intended for the priesthood. It is not known how he made his way to Coober Pedy but he worked there firstly as an opal miner. Later he became a surveyor for the council. One of his projects was to survey and design the cemetery. Later he had a coffin made of corrugated iron as he said that throughout most of his life the majority of the buildings he encountered were of this material. Another of his claims to fame was that he made a magnificent home brew but because of his illness was unable to drink it. When he passed away he was placed in the cemetery he designed and his headstone was an 18 gallon beer keg. Do you have a particular headstone you would like when you go?

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18 responses

@rebelann (117206)

• El Paso, Texas

8 Jan 17

That is definitely original. I won't need a headstone, I'd rather they remember me by looking through my photographs of my kritters.

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@rebelann (117206)

• El Paso, Texas

10 Jan 17

jeepers creepers neither would I @JudyEv

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

9 Jan 17

@rebelann I always have good intentions to visit graves but I rarely do.

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

10 Jan 17

@rebelann Fair enough. I wouldn't want to spend the night in one. :)

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@LadyDuck (502208)

• Italy

8 Jan 17

It's an original headstone for sure. I do not want a headstone, because I do not want to be buried, I want to be cremated and I am asking to disperse my ashes in the nature. I want to be free even after I die.

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@LadyDuck (502208)

• Italy

9 Jan 17

@JudyEv For no reason I want to be buried. I am scared at the idea to be buried alive, this is something I fear since I was a very little girl. It's weird, I wonder why.

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@LadyDuck (502208)

• Italy

9 Jan 17

@JudyEv May be that I have read something or seen a movie that has scared me. I remember stories about people buried alive by mistake when I was a kid.

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

9 Jan 17

Cremation is very common here too. We'll be cremated.

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@allknowing (153544)

• India

8 Jan 17

I wonder if that was his last wish. But quite unique though I am more for cremation and therefore the question of a headstone would not be there.

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@allknowing (153544)

• India

9 Jan 17

@JudyEv Interesting really that it was his wish.

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

9 Jan 17

As far as I know it is what he wanted.

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@SIMPLYD (90717)

• Philippines

9 Jan 17

I would like to be cremated . So there's no need for a tomb .

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@SIMPLYD (90717)

• Philippines

9 Jan 17

@JudyEv Oh here they have mosuleums . And also have elaborate tombs .

@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

9 Jan 17

Very few have tombs here but many have a headstone. Some are small and neat but others are quite elaborate.

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@Freelanzer (10782)

• Canada

8 Jan 17

What a way to go out in style. I haven't given any thought to how I want to leave this world yet?

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

9 Jan 17

@Freelanzer @teamfreak16 We've got as far as wanting to be cremated. That's about as far as we got. We did think about the music we'd like which is relevant to both of you (the music that is not the particular titles) but we couldn't get past 'So Long It's Been Good To Know You' and 'Wish Me Luck As You Wave Me Goodbye'.

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

9 Jan 17

@teamfreak16 It was Spike Milligan and he is buried in Queensland. Yours sounds 'Milliganesque' too. A great one.

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@teamfreak16 (43571)

• Denver, Colorado

9 Jan 17

@JudyEv - Best headstone I ever heard of was a writer, I don't remember who, had "I told you I was sick" put on it. If I get buried, I think "I have had better days" would be kind of funny.

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (323168)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

10 Jan 17

Now that's an interesting headstone. No, I haven't given my headstone any thought.

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Valerie J. Routhieaux

@just4him (323168)

• Green Bay, Wisconsin

11 Jan 17

@JudyEv I don't know. I've only ever seen the standard headstone.

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 Jan 17

@just4him But they vary in height and shape. You can have a slab over the grave, maybe a little fence round it or just a headstone.

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

11 Jan 17

I guess there is a lot of choice there as there is here.

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@snowy22315 (208774)

• United States

9 Jan 17

I saw a story about Cooper Peddy on CBS Sunday AM. A very interesting place. No, I am going to be cremated. A small plaque by a tree might be nice..No headstone for me!

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

10 Jan 17

How coincidental that you saw Coober Pedy! We're being cremated too.

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Arthur Chappell

@arthurchappell (44941)

• Preston, England

9 Jan 17

I want a full size Egyptian style pyramid - not that i'm vain or anything ... no, a simple cremation for me

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

9 Jan 17

Now that would be something wouldn't it? We will be getting cremated too.

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@valmnz (17095)

• New Zealand

8 Jan 17

Australia has produced so many characters! About when did he live? By the way, is Coober Pedy where they live underground because of the heat?

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

9 Jan 17

He lived from 1940 to 1992 and yes, they live underground. We had a night underground in a hotel just for the hell of it and also toured an underground house. I have posts and slideshows about the area. If you search for Coober Pedy they should come up.

@jaboUK (64346)

• United Kingdom

8 Jan 17

That's an original headstone. Personally I couldn't care less what they put on mine, or even whether I have one or not. I won't know anything about it, after all

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

9 Jan 17

That's true. I think we'll just be scattered to the four winds or maybe fertilise a rose bush somewhere.

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@Inlemay (17712)

• South Africa

10 Jan 17

my headstone must be the waves of the ocean for my ashes need to follow the seven seas

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

10 Jan 17

I like that - ocean waves. Cool! :)

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@PainsOnSlate (21845)

• Canada

8 Jan 17

Very interesting, I've already told my children I will be back to haunt them if they put me in the ground. I want my ashes to be blowing in the wind.

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

9 Jan 17

Were being cremated too. Not sure if we'll fertilise a rose bush or just blow in the wind too.

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@fishtiger58 (29819)

• Momence, Illinois

8 Jan 17

I will not be buried, cremated is my choice. Morbid as that is.

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

9 Jan 17

We'll be cremated too. We have got that far with our planning!

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@fishtiger58 (29819)

• Momence, Illinois

9 Jan 17

@JudyEv Yup us too, our sons know our wishes

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@teamfreak16 (43571)

• Denver, Colorado

8 Jan 17

No, I really haven't thought much about it, honestly. It's not like I'm going to know.

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

9 Jan 17

No, that's true. And there is no guarantee that people will respect your wishes anyway.

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@shaggin (74988)

• United States

8 Jan 17

That is awesome! I love seeing interesting headstones. When I die I want to be creamated. I want the dirt over my late husbands grave dug up to sprinkle my ashes over his coffin.

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

9 Jan 17

That's sounds a good ending. We'll be cremated too.

@Madshadi (8840)

• Brussels, Belgium

9 Jan 17

I don't have any particular headstone in mind. I don't think it would matter much as I won't be there to see it, or feel it. People would remember me as I was regardless of how my headstone would look like.

@Jessicalynnt (50523)

• Centralia, Missouri

8 Jan 17

I want to be cremated and my ashes used to fertilize a tree that can be visited.

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

9 Jan 17

That's pretty much what will happen to us.

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@JohnRoberts (109841)

• Los Angeles, California

8 Jan 17

I wouldn't notice a headstone after I'm gone.

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@JudyEv (381837)

• Rockingham, Australia

9 Jan 17

That's true. It won't matter much at the time will it?

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