As I was strolling through a used book store a book title jumped out at me. It seemed to be saying, “Read me, read me.” The title of the book is “Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral.” It was written by Kris Radish.

I have three trunks of books sitting at my house waiting patiently for me to read them. I love to read. I always seem to find new books to add to my “to read” trunks. This particular day I had vowed not to buy anymore books and then “Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral” just happened to jump right into my hands. It was meant to be.

First, I have to tell you that I haven’t finished the book. I can’t tell you the ending, but I can tell you what intrigued me about this book. Radish tells you that this book is not about dying, but it is about living. It is for every woman who has lost something or someone she loved.

Annie G. Freeman is dead and she wants a traveling funeral. She has her ashes sent to one of her friends in her red shoes and she asks her friends one last favor. Annie’s friends are to take her ashes to six different places where something grand and remarkable passed into and through her life. They were to scatter Annie’s ashes in these six places.

I am just starting the trip with these women. This story intrigues me because as I get older I have been pondering the instructions to leave my family. I certainly hope they do not need to use these instructions for many years, but my wishes need to be known. I have to admit I have been thinking about the scattering. Where do I want to be scattered? I am already scattered in life so I might as well be scattered in death.

It is a sign of respect to visit the graves of the loved ones buried in the cemeteries. I have asked my children if they need the comfort of a grave to visit. Visiting the grave of a loved one gives many people comfort. It is not important to my children. They know I will not actually be there. I asked if they wanted me to find a cool vase so I could sit on their mantel and decorate their life after I am gone. Kate felt her cats might enjoy the vase more then she would. Of course, then there would be the problem of my children fighting over who gets the vase. I would not want to cause a family feud. That gets us back to the scattering and the book.

Annie Freeman had a traveling funeral. That was it! It would be perfect. Annie chose six places where something grand and remarkable had passed into her life. What places would I choose?

The names of places started strolling slowly through my mind. Walnut Lake, an old 57 Chevy, my grandmothers farm, the Wells Hospital, Disneyland, Pikes Peak, the drive-in movie theater in Albert Lea, my uncle’s Christmas tree lot, my dad’s shoe store and the beach at Santa Monica were places where remarkable or fun things passed through my life. However, most of these places no longer exist. Therein lies my dilemma. It is a problem I have been wrestling with for months. I do not know where the scattering should be.

I still love the idea of a traveling funeral, of course not until the year 2050. At that point in time my friends would be too old to travel and my family would be getting a little decrepit too. It would not be the same to have strangers attend my traveling funeral.

I guess I should finish the book and see how it ends before I make up my mind. I wonder how many people are out and about and scattered around. Perhaps that explains why some of my friends feel they have ghosts living with them. Today someone told me their business has always had spirits in the building. They can feel them and other people have reported strange things happening too. Was someone scattered?

My question is this? If someone is scattered in many different places, what part is where?

And does it make a difference?

“I am the whisper of the wind at every stop. I am there — with you.” — Annie Freeman, written by Kris Radish.

Wells resident Julie Seedorf’s column appears every Monday. Send e-mail to her at

thecolumn@bevcomm.net.