Hazel Faye Raven

  Noted events in her life were:

• Residence, 15 Apr 1910, Knox, Waldo, Maine, United States.

• Residence, 22 Jan 1920, Knox, Waldo, Maine, United States.

• Residence, 3 Apr 1930, Monroe, Waldo, Maine, United States.

• Residence, 4 Apr 1940, Monroe, Waldo, Maine, United States.

• Residence, 14 Apr 1950, Monroe, Waldo, Maine, United States.

• Newspaper Article: Bangor Daily News, 24 Jul 1984, Bangor, Penobscot, Maine, United States.
"Son ignores cemetery rules, buries mother in pine coffin" by Walter Griffin
MONROE -- Hazel Woodbury lies at rest beside her husband Omar in the Pilgrim's Home Cemetery and her son Leon is determined that her body will remain there undisturbed. Woodbury knows he raised the wrath of cemetery officials because he freely admits that when he buried his 75-year old mother last Saturday afternoon he broke all their rules.
"I did it in respect for her religious principals[sic]," Woodbury said Monday.
"She must have told me 5,000 times that when she died she wanted her body put in a pine box, close the cover and have it closed for all eternity. She wanted to blend into the ground and be part of it the way God said. There's nothing in the Bible about any eternity cannister."
Woodbury said that when he attempted to tend to his mother's dying wishes he was blocked by a cemetery regulation preventing burial of a coffin directly into the ground. The rules state that a separate, concrete burial vault must also be used. Despite that rule, Woodbury decided to bury his mother in Pilgrim's Home Cemetery. The family has owned a plot in the cemetery since 1942 and Hazel Woodbury's mother, father and husband are buried there.
Alden Kenne, president of the cemetery association, said he was both concerned and disappointed by Woodbury's actions. He said that while the trustees may not "go as far as having the body removed, he (Woodbury) did break the rules. This is the first instance we've ever had of someone breaking the rules."
In order to break those rules, Woodbury had to be very persistent. When his mother died last Friday, her body was taken to the Rackliffe Funeral Home in Belfast. Funeral director Phil Rackliffe said he agreed to Woodbury's wish that his mother not be embalmed and be buried in a pine box before sunset the following day.
When Rackliffe arrived at the cemetery for graveside services Saturday and learned that Woodbury refused to abide by the rule requiring a burial vault he said he would not be a part of the funeral. Rackliffe informed Woodbury that as a funeral director he had to abide by the cemetery's rules. He offered to purchase the vault himself so the burial could proceed.
Woodbury said he declined Rackliffe's offer and instead fired him. In order to hold to state law, Rackliffe then returned to Belfast with Mrs. Woodbury's body, prepared a burial transit form, had Woodbury sign a release, then transferred the coffin to Woodbury's care.
Although the sight of a coffin sticking out the back of Leon Woodbury's 15-year old Toyota station wagon as it drove through town must have raised a few eyebrows, he did it in order that his mother's soul rest in peace. The family placed Hazel Woodbury's coffin beside her husband as she had requested and covered her for all time.
Rackliffe said that, while most people have the impression that burials are governed by laws, in reality there are very few laws pertaining to burial. He said as long as people file a request with the town clerk, loved ones can be buried at home. Racklife can recall burying someone in their front yard once and said using a coffin is not a requirement.
"You can do it just like they used to do in the old West -- just roll the body into the hole," Rackliffe said. "The law only states that human remains must not create a menace to the public health."
As far as Woodbury is concerned, his rights to the cemetery were established more than 40 years ago when the family plot was purchased.
"A lot of people would knuckle under when they start talking rules, but not me. There ain't no knuckle-under built in me at all," he said.

Hazel married Omar Linwood Woodbury on 24 Jan 1928 in Brooks, Waldo, Maine, United States. (Omar Linwood Woodbury was born on 22 Aug 1908 in Knox, Waldo, Maine, United States, died on 16 Oct 1957 in Prospect, Waldo, Maine, United States and was buried in Pilgrims Home Cemetery, Monroe, Waldo, Maine, United States.)