Three times is a charm. The striking Breda native Cor Vermeulen was buried for the third time on Saturday. On the birthday of his favorite artist Elvis Presley and in the presence of family and friends, Vermeulen still found his peace.
Vermeulen, who died in May, was given a ‘royal funeral’ at the time. He was laid out in royal clothes in the coffin.
He went as he had lived. In the world of re-enactment, the re-enactment of historical events, Cor Vermeulen was the absolute king. He liked to put himself in the shoes of the Breda Nassau monarchs and did a thousand other things in addition.
Knights, damsels and other medieval figures were also present at his first funeral. At the chosen resting place in a burial vault, intended for the entire Vermeulen family, he was to lie forever. Four weeks later, however, the 5,000-pound burial vault surfaced in a huge downpour.
Vermeulen was taken to a temporary grave while his relatives renovated the crypt. The renovation took months. “We wanted to prevent flooding again due to high water pressure,” explains daughter Lisa-Marie (named after Elvis’ daughter). “We drilled 15 piles ourselves, made a reinforced concrete floor and painted.”
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In the meantime, the family had no time to mourn and her father had no rest, says Lisa-Marie. “That is also the reason that we are tackling the reburial so extensively. Again with horse and carriage, again with knights. This morning we dug up the old coffin in a private circle. It has been placed in the new burial vault. My father deserves such a beautiful permanent burial.”
And so there were speeches again and medieval knights and other people in costume stood around the grave again, while Elvis music and historical music were heard. All attendees could also write a memory on a card. They were hung on a tree.
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