Gasoline Alley by Jim Scancarelli for July 26, 2015

I told my kids that when it comes to the funeral cortege, just slip me into a long envelope and mail me outta town..

In one way, it’s nice to see the family together. In another, it’s good to see Walt still has his sense of humor!

How old are Judy and Corky now? Wasn’t Judy hanging around with a motor cycle gang a few years ago?

I think it’s time Walt goes off to the old comic’s retirement home – he’s 115 now!

This kind of advance planning is very helpful. Now, Walt—who is the Executor/Trustee? Assuming it is Skeezix, does he know all the contacts and account numbers, the retirement funds and benefits?

Some of the info that will need to go on the death certificate may be hard to find, and it’s good to look into that now, before everyone is grieving.

For my mother’s funeral, we all agreed to no limo.

I told my wife to cremate me and carry the ashes in the trunk of the car for when she gets stuck in snow.

Skeezix is 94Corky is 87Judy is 80

Medical research gets my vote.(and my body)

Judy! I don’t think we’ve seen her since Phyllis’ funeral! I wonder how her grouchy husband, Gideon Grubb, and their son, Gabriel, are doing?

Stevero, the woman hanging out with a motorcycle gang was Eve Wallet, Hope’s and Corky’s daughter (and Nubbin’s and Adam’s sister).

I’m surprised no one has discussed… is this a warning that UW will be dying soon?

The old comics retirement home is for characters in comic strips that no longer exists and does not include characters from Gasoline Alley that have passed on. Phyllis, for example, is not there.

Walt Wallet isn’t dying or near death as of yet!

Thanks Jim for bringing back the family instead old Joel and Rufus. Judy was not in the motorcycle episode. It was Corky’s daughter Eve Stevero.

Walt is doing okay for 113. I know of a woman in her 50’s who used to read comics. She has talked about her wishes to her family she wants cremation not really a grave side. Does not bother her at all to talk of her unknown death. Matter fact Doctor’s and specialist’s love her she has her medical records in order and CD they just down load. She has a very unique body issue.

For my mom if my sibling where to talk of planning my mom who is 90 would go unglued. I may have to get her known funeral expensive paid for ahead of time.

Unbelievable!!! Corky and Judy!!! Is this a portent that characters rarely or never seen for years will start appearing?

My father in law donated his body to science. After the autopsy, the research center took the body at no charge. It would be nice to know what they did with it (thorough examination of the brain for starters – he had Alzheimer’s).

Around here there are regulations about the proper internment of cremated remains. These set a time period (one year I believe) in which the remains must either be buried in a cemetary or other approved facility such as a columbarium. So no dumping them in a landfill or putting them in the trunk of a car for when you get stuck in the snow.

As for donating your body to medical science, it is true that examination of the brain in Alzheimer’s patients may be done, a lot of bodies donated to medical science (at least in the United State) are sent to “Body Farms” such as the University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility at Knoxville or the Forensic Anthropology Center at Texas State-San Marcos. Most donated bodies are used to train medical students in gross anatomy.

There are only two people on earth left who were born in the 1800s, both women. Walt’s world includes this one man, the only surviving WWI veteran.

I know he will have to “move on” soon, and that’s why it’s been so frustrating wasting a whole summer with Rufus and Joel. I want to see Walt, while his being alive is even marginally plausible.

More Walt, please! Then, if he gets a dignified send-off, so be it. But the past five years have been wasted. Why, even Walt’s picture icon on this comic has been replaced by a buffoon.

I quite agree.