A Path Home
A Path Home
National Home Funeral Alliance
What is a home funeral? How can I have a green burial? Do I have to hire a Funeral Director? On this podcast we’ll be focusing on reclaiming our innate right to care for our own loved ones at death in natural, and often, environmentally friendly ways. We’ll demystify the tasks related to after death care through hearing stories from people who have ventured into culturally unfamiliar territory and cared for their own deceased loved ones at home, chose a natural burial or both. Hearing what’s possible and how lives have been transformed by engaging in this final act of love is one path towards changing our culture and our relationship to death. A Path Home is a production of the National Home Funeral Alliance.
Weaving a Life in Deathwork
Today, Sarah talks with India West, a farmer, willow casket weaver and natural burial advocate in Indiana. India made the funeral arrangements for their mother after her sudden death, followed by caring for their father at the end of his life and honoring his wishes to be buried in the conservation burial ground he was instrumental in developing in the state of Indiana. See the links below to view (and order!) India's handcrafted willow caskets and the Warren Prairie Sanctuary. https://www.ri...
Mar 1
50 min
On the Bones of Ancestors
On today’s episode I have a conversation with Noba Anderson, a resident of Cortes Island in British Columbia, Canada. Cortes has an active Community Death Care group that has provided death care education, helped greatly with navigating the paper trail that accompanies a death, and generally supports people to know their rights regarding home based funeral care. Noba shares her experience of tending to her dear friends, Kristen Scholfield-Sweet and John Shook, as they died in their home and t...
Jan 24
39 min
Meeting Grief at the Holidays
Updated audio as of 12/10/2025. On this episode we hear from death and grief doula, Joslyn Roadstrom, who shares with us the many ways she meets her grief five years after her son, Israel, died in the hospital just a couple of months shy of his second birthday. You can find and follow Joslyn on Instagram at sacredroaddoula. She posts helpful videos and offers one on one grief support. https://www.instagram.com/sacredroaddoula/?hl=en Support the show
Dec 8, 2025
29 min
Naomi and Doug Co-Creating Art with his Death
On today’s episode I have a conversation with Naomi Hayter on Cortes Island in Western Canada. The community-led deathcare group on the island provided the circle of support and logistical guidance that Naomi needed to get through the death of her life-partner, Doug, not long after she had tended to her mother’s dying and death in a faraway city. Naomi shares how the after-death care and the green burial they provided for Doug was a real eye-opener and a transformative experience for her.&nbs...
Nov 24, 2025
52 min
Reflections on NHFA Board work
On this episode, Sarah Crews has a conversation with Isabel Knight and Winx Gall as they reflect on the work they did while serving on the Board of Directors for the National Home Funeral Alliance. You can download the Home Funeral Guidebook, that they were instrumental in creating, at the link below. https://www.homefuneralalliance.org/ Support the show
Oct 31, 2025
52 min
Father in the Garden
On this first episode of Season 6, Sarah talks with Csenge Kolozsvari who, along with her four year old daughter, traveled from Montreal to her home village in Hungary to accompany her father on his dying journey. She shares the intimate and personal details of being present to her father's needs during his final weeks. Csenge is an artist and bodyworker. You can reach her here:https://www.thebreathing-room.com/en/homeAnd she mentions this book, Die Wise, by Stephen Jenkinson in our conversat...
Oct 12, 2024
1 hr 6 min
The Path Brent Took
On this episode Sarah has a conversation with Ed Nelson and his son, Erick Nelson. In February of 2023 Ed's brother Brent died from throat cancer. He had mentioned to Ed that he wanted a natural burial. Erick arrived in Kansas a couple of days before the scheduled burial and participated in an anointing ceremony with his dad, honoring his uncle. Support the show
May 21, 2024
45 min
Caring for Jeff at the Ashram
Naomi Worob and Tina Zuccarello share the story of bringing Jeff to the ashram he loved to spend his final weeks surrounded by people who loved him and bury him on the property. Support the show
Apr 12, 2024
39 min
Known for Her Smile
On today's episode, Carolyn Dehnbostel describes the home funeral she and her family provided for her mom, Betty, at their cabin in Minnesota, followed by a natural burial on their own land and the logistics involved in getting it all arranged.Support the show
Mar 8, 2024
50 min
Holding her Heart
Today, Sarah has a conversation with Leslie Stager about the after-death care she and a small circle of friends provided to her mom at her home in Maine. Leslie's mom died unexpectedly which made keeping her home a little challenging.Support the show
Feb 12, 2024
48 min
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