Story

My name is Rick Zerbe Cornelsen.

In 2002 I began producing oak-veneer caskets in my home workshop and selling directly to families in Winnipeg, Canada. I continue to do so under the name The Village Casketmaker, which suggests simplicity, personal interaction and local production.

In recent years I became convinced that natural burial is a responsible environmental choice. It aims to put fewer toxins into the ground and air than do conventional burial and cremation. It also has the potential to generate income from land left in its natural state, thus protecting the land from more destructive forms of development.

One requirement of natural burial is a non-toxic, biodegradable container. I have developed a design--called TIMBERWISE—that uses softwoods that are readily available in North America. Softwoods are relatively sustainable in that they grow more rapidly and biodegrade more quickly than do hardwoods.

My primary goal was to create a casket that contains no glue, metal or toxic finishes, and consumes as few resources as possible. TIMBERWISE weighs only 85 pounds--compared to 135 lbs for my simple oak model--a testament to its prudent use of wood. But it is no weakling! It has withstood rigorous testing with over 550 lbs of bouncing load, thanks to its strong frame construction, hardwood dowels, and sisal rope handles. The design was inspired by the distinctive log homes built by nineteenth century settlers of the Red River Valley.

The natural burial movement is--at this time--small and dispersed. Thus, a second goal was to be able to ship TIMBERWISE to distant locations in a compact container, thereby reducing energy consumption and cost of transportation. Because its base carries all the load and because its sides are made of smaller, interconnected components, it is possible to disassemble TIMBERWISE partially, ship it in a shallower box, and then reassemble it at its final destination.

I invite you to consider TIMBERWISE and compare it carefully to the alternatives. I’m certain you will find it to be well suited to natural burial and a sensible and respectful choice for any kind of burial or cremation.