A fight over Puckett's ashes

[Lynch]

Fiancee says Kirby Puckett wanted ashes spread on ball field

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The fiancee of baseball Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett says the former Minnesota outfielder often told her he wanted his ashes spread over an inner-city baseball diamond.

Jodi Olson, who was to marry Puckett next month, told the Star Tribune of his wishes in a phone interview Monday.

Attorneys representing Puckett's children have filed a petition in Maricopa County, Ariz., where he lived at the time of his death, asking that his ashes be given to his children, Catherine and Kirby Jr. Puckett's former wife, Tonya, is listed as the petitioner in the court papers.

The petition was filed Monday after an agreement couldn't be reached over who should get the ashes, which have been kept by a Twin Cities funeral home.

Puckett, 45, died at an Arizona hospital March 6 after suffering a stroke a day earlier at his home in Scottsdale. His body was cremated after March 12 services in Wayzata and at the Metrodome.

In his 2003 will, Puckett named his children, who live in the Twin Cities with their mother, as his primary beneficiaries. But he didn't leave written instructions on what should be done with his ashes.

Puckett's children have said that they want the ashes. Five of his siblings have signed court papers saying they want the children to have them.
Olson said she has talked with the executor of Puckett's estate about dividing the ashes with Puckett's children.

"The children and his siblings do not want the ashes divided," said Bridget Logstrom, the attorney representing the children.

Olson said she is "devastated" that the issue has become so public.

She said that she "just assumed the ashes would be left with me as Kirby was going to be my husband in just 90 days." The couple, who had lived together in Arizona since November 2004, planned to marry June 24. They became engaged in October 2005.

She said that in addition to spreading some of his ashes over an inner-city baseball field, she also wanted "a small bit" to wear in a locket "so I could feel Kirby close to my heart."

source

[Lynch]

I've got mixed feelings on this whole thing.

1) I firmly believe that Puckett would have wanted what his fiancee is describing. He loved baseball with all his heart and soul. He was an inner city kid without much of anything and spent a lot of time as a kid on the baseball diamonds. I can easily see him wanting this. I can see why his fiancee would want this for him, if they really were his wishes.

2) I also believe she's telling the truth. If this was a selfish thing on her part, she's be saying "I should have his ashes because I was living with him and was about to marry him". Instead, she seems to want to do what he wanted.

3) Is the Tanya being selfish here in fighting for the remains for her kids? I dunno. I can see how some may think so. If the kids truly want their dad's ashes, then as a parent, I can see them having some right to them too.

4) Jodi Olson may have been engaged to Puck, but does that give her right to fullfill his wishes? Legally, I'd guess that she may not have much claim to them and that at the very least, the kids would have the right to do with them as they please.



Could it be too far fetched to come to a compromise for both sides. Half to Puck's kids and half to his fiancee. They can do with their half as they like, and Jodi can take the other half and sprinkle them on some inner city fields, just as Puck wanted.

[DiamondGirl]

I'd go for the half 'n half way. Since his life was clearly divided in the end between his kids and his new life with Jodi. It was left to her in the end to make decisions when he had the stroke in the first place she certainly deserves what she can get.

I truly feel that Tonya is being unreasonable on this but that seems to be her way. Sure the bulk of his estate and remains belong with his kids but let's not trample all over the fiancee for God's sake, she made him happy in the end - that's worth something!

RIP Kirby!