He always did like being out in the fresh air. We buried him not 100 yards from the sea, with a good view of it. As an old sailor, that seemed appropriate. Em was remembering that recently when she said to me "we buried him where he could see the sea." Em's elder siblings were squeamish and didn't want to go near the coffin but Em wanted to see him and give him a picture of a dragon she had drawn for him. We let her put it in the coffin herself and she laid it gently on his chest and said "Goodbye Grandad." She was just 9 days after her 6th birthday.
This sounds like a place where I'd love to be buried once my time comes!
I'd also very much like to have a picture of a dragon put on my chest when I go. Dying is a pretty scary thing, and a dragon might be perfect for some extra courage.
On the different approaches from different grandchildren, again, it's all about being able to make choices. Wanting or not wanting to see a deceased loved one are both perfectly fine choices, no matter your age. Like your grandchildren have shown, 6 is not too young to make an informed choice fitting your personality, and there are 80 year olds feeling strongly either way.
I once had a good friend tell me he absolutely didn't want anyone to see him after he died because he felt seeing a dead person was horrible. I tried to explain it's not about the deceased but about the living but he was adamant. We mostly lost touch in years following, despite still being good friends.
When he suddenly died I chose not to tell his close relatives about his wish. I'm glad I got to say goodbye in person.
With my father, the coffin was open in my barn where we gathered before going to the crematorium with lunch sandwiches and stuff, and I made sure everyone knew so they wouldn't suddenly be confronted with something they rather wouldn't see. A couple of people stayed out of the barn until we closed the coffin, most were happy to have a sandwich and coffee or a beer right there. I had prepared plates of childrens paint so people could leave a goodbye wave handprint on the outside of the coffin, and it were the children (children of my cousins mostly) who decided those goodbyes should be on the inside of the coffin as well, which I found the sweetest thing.
The smallest children made a large brown blob on one side of the coffin as happens whean you smear all colours of paint, and everyone involved with carrying the coffin at one point or other got their clothes smeared with paint, good thing there are very few in my family with any sense of fashion.
