Urn for my Parents

Well from the title we know what it is about.

We took my parents ashes up to Medicine Hat, Alberta where they were raised, and held the inurnment at the columbarium.

In building it, I needed a the box to be large enough for both of them. The box dimension is 8 inches tall (excluding legs), 9 inches wide and 11 inches long
The lid gap in the first photo is because I didn’t yet press the lid down tight to seal it. It is finished with exterior spray poly. Though it will not experience weather, nor sun.
The box is cherry, the top insert is maple that I had laser engraved at a Wichita Trophy shop with the message and the photo from their 1960 honemoon in Hawaii. (first two photos were from before the engraving shop)

The legs, and arch are purpleheart.

In the second photo – you can see that there is space under the cap – where we could add photos, letters and momentos.

Final photo is my sister an I getting set to place the urn.

They were avid travelers, and like many headed out on their adventures leaving their small hometown behind. This is one of those projects that is difficult, both the gravity of the situation, but also it is for your parents, and to be displayed to extended family, so it adds to the stress of the project.

I would advise anyone making an urn to make sure you build it quite strong. The ashes are very heavy and dense. Imaging that you are going to fill the box with sand.

Needless to say I was chewing down my fingernails, as the laser engraving was being done, the morning we were catching our flight…. so any “oops” with the power, or to drop the lid would have been a disaster

-- "_If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astonish ourselves_." Edison