Funeral Home in Alabama?

Saturday, January 2, 2010   1 Comments

A friend of mine, sent me a forward regarding a funeral home in Alabama. The forward describes a Steelers fan's funeral arrangement, complete with favorite recliner, black and gold pajamas, Steeler highlights on a tv and pictures to along with it all. Bama seems to be the butt end of a lot of southern jokes, but something didn't sit well.

After doing a little googling here's what I found:
The funeral did actually take place, however it took place at a funeral home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. James Henry Smith was a huge Steelers fan, and when he passed away from prostate cancer, his family was able to plan the unique viewing. For this viewing Smith lay in his favorite recliner, his feet crossed and a remote in his hand. He wore black and gold silk pajamas, slippers and a robe. A pack of cigarettes and a beer were at his side, while a high-definition TV played a continuous loop of Steelers highlights. That is a true die hard Steelers fan.

...and lets be honest. Alabama takes their football seriously. If this was truly an Alabama funeral, I'd expect to see the man in Alabama's Crimson Red or Auburn's Blue and Orange colors.

Links

• WPXI: Deceased Fan Rests In Recliner With Beer


• ESPN: Family has unique viewing at funeral home


• The Pittsburgh Channel: Dead Steelers Fan Laid Out In Black And Gold

Labels: Alabama, death, Football, Pennsylvania, Sports, United States, weird

Frozen Dead Guy Days and Grandpa Bredo

Thursday, September 17, 2009   0 Comments

Folks in Colorado must be hard up on things to do when the snow isn't falling. If 'Headless Chicken Day' wasn't weird enough, I hear about Frozen Dead Guy Days.

The town of Nederland, holds Frozen Dead Guy Days at the end of winter. Festivities include fund raisers, parties, a coffin race and a polar plunge. All good small-town celebrations must have a great back story and this one doesn't fail.

20 years ago a Norwegian man name Trygve Bauge, brought his recently decrease grand father Bredo Morstøl to a cryonic facility until 1993. At that time Bredo was transported to Nederland, preserved on dry ice with the intention of creating their own facility. Trygve was deported, yet Bredo remained frozen behind an unfinished home and cared for by Aud, Trygve's Mother. Unfortunately she would soon face an eviction, but upon the public hearing about Bredo still frozen in the backyard, an exception was made. A local company now maintains the mini cryogenic facility within a new shed.

Frozen Dead Guy Days is now celebrated every March with Coffin races, slow motion Hearse parades, Bredo look-a-like contents and a polar plunge. The highlight however is the tour of the Tuff shed where Grandpa Bredo still resides.

just too weird...

Links:

• Website: FrozenDeadGuy.com


• Website: Nederland Chamber


• Wikipedia: Frozen Dead Guy Days

Labels: americana, Colorado, death, United States, weird

Mike the Headless Chicken

Friday, September 11, 2009   0 Comments

Discovering new factoid, stories and oddities (in this case) can occur just about anywhere. I learned about Mike the Headless Chicken from the Wikipedia front page. 64 years ago yesterday Mike (then known as dinner) survived his would be execution, lived for 18 months and became a quite the sensation in Fruita, Colorado.

The story goes, a woman sent her son-in-law to fetch a chicken for dinner. Measuring the bird up, he strikes what should be a fatal blow, however, Mike shook it off and continued to live. The ax missed his jugular vein and a good portion of the brain stem. Most of the chicken's functions such as breathing and heart rate are controlled in the brain stem, not the brain, and this was enough to keep Miracle Mike alive. Mike lived a good live trying to do normal chicken things.

Fed small pieces of corn and water through an eye dropper. Mike's second life began as a sideshow attraction with his buddy the two headed cow. He was displayed with a floating head in a jar, which wasn't actually his, as the cat got a hold of it before it could be saved. Quite the local celebrity, Time and Life magazines both featured him. 18 months after his would be death, Mike choke on a piece of corn.

Fruita still celebrates Mike with a 'Mike the Headless Chicken Day'. Festivities include Egg Tosses, Chicken Bingo, Chicken Dance and I'm pretty sure a good serving of fried chicken.

Links:

• Website: http://www.miketheheadlesschicken.org/

Labels: americana, Animal, chicken, Colorado, death, United States, weird