Hyattville Man Builds Old West Coffins For Those Who Want A Simple, Western Funeral

Hyattville carpenter Kirk Odegaard is growing his business in a seemingly morbid way. He’s expanding from building kitchen cabinets into coffins.

For $750, Odegaard will make anyone a high-quality, Old West casket or coffin. A basic wooden box that’s appropriate for any funeral, whether it's a friend’s, family member’s, or your own.

“It clicked with me,” he told Cowboy State Daily. “It's really no different than building cabinets or bookshelves. We all provide services for fellow mankind. 

"This is another service I can provide for people who just want to be put in a pine box.”

A Humbling Request

Odegaard hadn’t thought about building coffins until a neighbor walked into his one-man cabinet shop. 

His wife was dying, and he had a heart-wrenching request.

“He wanted me to make a casket for her,” he said. “They had contracted with somebody elsewhere, but that person was sick and couldn't fulfill the contract. I said I'd never done that before, but I'd do whatever I could.”

Odegaard’s neighbors had already discussed an eco-friendly, “dust-to-dust” burial on the family ranch. 

All they wanted was a simple wooden casket that would eventually return their mortal remains to the earth.

While he immediately agreed, Odegaard admitted it was “kind of creepy” to build a casket he knew would soon be occupied by someone he knew. 

However, his outlook completely changed as he commenced with the construction.

“It opened my eyes to a needful thing,” he said. “Some people, especially in Wyoming, just want to be put in a pine box. They want to go back to the earth. 

"It’s the way of the Old West.”

When his neighbor died, Odegaard delivered the finished casket to her home. She was buried in a small, private service on the family’s ranch outside Gillette.

That request is what inspired Odegaard to enter the coffin-making business.

Dust To Dust Burial

So far, Odegaard has built and buried one casket. He’s only recently started to offer his coffin carpentry services more widely as an alternative to large, lavish funerals.

“I don't know the demand or the business, so I don’t know how many requests I’ll get,” he said. “I've been in contact with the local funeral homes, and I'm working on getting a brochure out to them. 

"Some of them are kind of interested, others not so much.”

When Odegaard lost his parents, he experienced how expensive funerals can be. 

He hopes his coffins can offer a cheaper alternative that’s just as respectful and, hopefully, give family and friends a more positive experience as they grieve.

“I know what funeral and casket costs are,” he said. “With the way things are right now with the economy, I think people are going to start seeking and thinking about more economic ways to bury their loved ones.”

Just Winging It

The casket Odegaard made for his neighbors was a simple box made of pine planks glued together. The interior was quilted by his wife and the woman who was ultimately buried in it.

“She had a part in some embroidery that we did on the inside lining (before she died),” he said.

The result is an economically and ecologically friendly coffin that evokes the aesthetic of the Old West. 

They could even brand it if they wanted to.

A basic rectangular casket made of pine or any other wood costs about $750. A classic “toe- pincher” coffin with a trimmed-out interior is less than $1,500.

“I realized there's kind of a rush to get things done when someone passes,” Odegaard said. “I would tell someone that I could get one built within three days. 

"Everything has to be sanded and finished before it's assembled, but it’s not that complicated.”

Odegaard doesn’t have a business model or statistics showing people want Old West caskets and coffins. Nevertheless, he believes the demand is there, either for themselves or loved ones.

“I guess I just want to get tapped into that market, if you can even call it a market,” he said. “I think a lot of people have the same mindset.”

Use It When You Need It

Odegaard hopes his Old West caskets and coffins might help people overcome the distance they put between themselves and death. It’s something he’s experienced firsthand.

“In our modern world, we're so far removed from death,” he said. “If a loved one dies, you say your goodbyes, walk out of the room, and probably never see them again. 

"They’re stuck in the ground, and you really don't have any involvement with it.”

Learning from his neighbors, Odegaard believes people will see the value in having an active role in their own funerals by ordering coffins while they’re still alive.

If someone wants to be buried in one of his coffins, he’d be happy to assemble and deliver it to their home as soon as they’d like. 

At the very least, it’s a conversation-starter.

“A coffin is going to cause discussion, especially amongst kids,” he said. “If grandpa just bought a coffin and put it up inside his home, they’ll think that’s creepy. Then, it’s time to sit down and have a discussion. The whole family can learn about it.”

As he starts offering his new service to Wyomingites, Odegaard has already put his money where his mouth is. 

He could very well end up in the coffin he’s now using as a bookshelf in his man cave.

“If I don't get cremated, I'll be buried in it,” he said. “A lot of people are creeped out by it, others ignore it, and some people are willing to look at it. 

My mindset is that death is a fact of life, so I’ll use it when I need it."

Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.