Gravedigger

Anyone who’s ever been to a graveside funeral has seen the casket perched above the grave, carefully prepared for the family and friends’ final goodbye. Beneath the casket, the grave is already dug out, most likely lined with a concrete slab waiting to encase the casket.

This is the handiwork of a Gravedigger. When you’re a Gravedigger, it’s your job to dig out the grave in preparation for the ceremony, line it with concrete, and cover the casket once the funeral is over.

Discretion is your middle name. Most mourners will never see you if you do your job well. That’s because, in addition to preparing the plot, you create a peaceful atmosphere for the family.

No one wants to show up to his or her beloved grandmother’s funeral to see a tractor digging out her eternal resting place. So you make sure your job is done hours before the first guest arrives. Similarly, you wait until the last person has left before you begin the process of lowering and covering the coffin.

Next to discretion, your most important tool is a digging device. Some Gravediggers carve out the hole the old-fashioned way—one shovelful at a time. Others use more modern techniques, meaning heavy equipment.

However you get the job done, you take special care to make sure the hole is just the right size. That means you calculate the desired length, width, and depth, and produce accurate results.