Please tell me this can't be true!

[JaffaCake70]

My Mum visited this afternoon, we were talking about wills and things that the departed have left in trust for their loved ones. During the course of the conversation Mum told me the following:

When my Grandmother passed away a few years ago at the age of 82, my Mum's older Sister wanted her wedding ring (for sentimental reasons).

When my Auntie went to collect the ring the undertakers gave it to her and told her that it had been stuck on my Nanna's finger so tight that they had cut her finger off in order to retrieve the ring.

I feel sick. Please please please tell me that this can't possibly be true? Has anyone else had experience of anything like this? I just can't believe it's true.. but if it's not true why would my Auntie, who isn't one for making things up, say it is?

She gives the context because she is saying that the undertaker might not have told the truth to a close family member, but told her as she was further removed.

Thread title: what do you think of disneyland

Poster A: my friend said her friend said it was really boring and don’t bother going

other posters express skepticism

Poster A: I have been to disneyland and i think it was really boring and i say don’t bother going

Apologies

I am mistaken

Sorry @notafruit

??

@spearthatbroc here's an earth shattering bit of news for you.

Different people give different amounts of detail when they're describing something. Because (second bit of earth shattering news) we're all different.

You misunderstood the post. Stop trying to deflect by criticising how the post is written. You're wrong.

EDIT - crossed posted with you recognising this

Agreed

I wrongly interpreted who did what

but ultimately i do not believe undertakers would desecrate a corpse like this without explaining to the family what would be necessary in order to get the ring

Exactly - it's not common practise and OP can rest easy that corpse mutilation of her beloved family member didn't happen.

Kudos for admitting it.

I've read some daft things on here but this might be a winner

Whilst I think it’s unlikely the finger would be cut, I can’t really see it would be of any concern after reading the post mortem result of my late father and knowing what goes on for a post mortem to happen. A sliced finger is nothing compared to the post mortem.

A sliced finger is nothing compared to the post mortem.

I can see your point but the thought was upsetting the OP - and I think at 82 and with no mention of autopsy that wasn't a consideration for the OP. * *

My DMum had to give permission for autopsy with GM - she was in hospital for something else and the death was unexpected in late 60s. Not a decision taken lightly by anyone because it is invasive - but it did give family and doctors answers - basically there was a lot wrong that hadn't got symptoms for yet but nothing was missed by medics.

I honestly believe that's what the undertaker did. Like I said he's a family friend and did say that sometimes it's what they have to do (or had to do, again it was 20 years ago). I can't be certain but I expect he'd of asked BIL before he did it. There is no damage to the ring whatsoever. MIL had grown from around a size 8/10 to a size 26 over the years of her marriage, and her hands were incredibly swollen due to her various conditions/medications. It had been suggested to her many times over the years that she have the ring cut off but she refused.
The family were just pleased to have the ring before the step family got there to claim it.

I wasn’t asked, I was told. No death certificate til post mortem. And then it was inconclusive and I was told further tests were to be done. The only bit they asked permission about was the cells they took to test further - did we want them putting back in his body (some religions apparently require this), incinerated, or saved for medical science!! I was quite taken a back by that bit. He had died suddenly in his 70s after being given the all clear in hospital a few months earlier when he’d fallen. I was also asked if I wanted to have a full copy of the post mortem and my curiosity for the better of me and I was slightly shocked.

Did she mean they cut the ring? If not then ask to see the ring. If its really upsetting you (understandably!) Ring the directors

Rest assured. Having dealt with many dead bodies and difficult to remove rings, this is highly unlikely. They use a string threaded thro the ring and pull it off that way. If that wasn't possible the ring would be cut..not the finger! These days anyway. As it was the 60s and given the size change they probably did. Its no biggie. Its 60 years ago

Cutting the ring would be much easier. It must be a weird family legend.

Undertakers have this special cutter that they can slide únder a ring to cut through it. I've never neard they cut of a finger to retrieve a ring.

I doubt this is true. When my nana died they cut the ring to get it off her finger, maybe there’s a misunderstanding here?

The undertaker may have said , I had the cut it off meaning the ring not her finger, think there have been cross wires somewhere along the line.

Are you suggesting that after cremation you were given melted gold and burst tones (whatever that means)!? This isn't even slightly possible after a cremation.

My mother had her ring cut off her swollen finger by a jeweler, using a ring cutter, while she was alive. I don’t see why the same cannot be done after the person has died.
Ring cut off finger not finger cut off.

I think your aunt has a very active imagination; there are rules as to what acts can be performed on a deceased person’s body & lopping a finger off would almost certainly fall into the category of desiccation of human remains; so I very much doubt there’s an ounce of truth in what she’s said, they might have cut the ring off for her & then given her the cut ring.

The thing that I find somewhat concerning is that your Aunt would tell your Mum this. Even more that your Mum would then tell you.

I've sent a message to my daughter-in-law asking how they get them off (she is a funeral director) I'll add a message when she replies.