Hotelmaster theme file not found.{"id":4437,"date":"2016-04-26T16:18:29","date_gmt":"2016-04-26T16:18:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/laterrazab-b.com\/es\/?p=4437"},"modified":"2016-04-26T16:18:29","modified_gmt":"2016-04-26T16:18:29","slug":"an-ex-pat-widow-in-costa-rica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/laterrazab-b.com\/archives\/4437","title":{"rendered":"An Ex-Pat Widow in Costa Rica"},"content":{"rendered":"
An Ex-Pat Widow in Paradise<\/strong><\/p>\n When my husband and I first visited Costa Rica we had no plans of living life without each other. It seemed quite sudden that Charles, my husband of 47 years passed on to the next level.\u00a0 I believe\u00a0there are three levels to our existence on earth, birth, life and death. \u00a0We both envisioned a place beyond this earthly realm where our spirits would live on forever.<\/p>\n Charles and I moved to Costa Rica a little more than 12 years ago.\u00a0 Unlike many Ex-Pats who dream and plan for years about living in Costa Rica, we arrived in Paradise for a relaxing vacation and chose Costa Rica as our main retirement destination.<\/p>\n When Charles died, life in Costa Rica became a new beginning for me as a widow. The realities of being widowed in Costa Rica are a large part of \u201cliving\u201d in Costa Rica.\u00a0 For me it\u2019s no longer as a \u201cparadise\u201d for two love birds but a new beginning all alone.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0Some of my experiences after my husband\u2019s death were so very challenging\u00a0I\u2019ve decided to share them.<\/p>\n Charles died on our 47th wedding anniversary; we were married in Wildflecken Germany on January 2nd and 3rd 1962.\u00a0\u00a0 Charles died January 2nd\u00a0I think but don’t know for sure, it may have been on the 3rd, 2009 as he passed sometime during the night.\u00a0 Charles wanted so badly to be married 50 years.\u00a0 I guess that celebration was simply not meant to be.<\/p>\n On Jan 2nd 2009 the morning before Charles died, we went to the gym worked out and\u00a0even discussed dying in physically fit condition on the way home. During the ride home we promised each other that no matter what, we would continuously exercise and eat healthy foods.\u00a0 Looking back it seems as such a strange conversation to have had.\u00a0 Most of the time when we discuss things we are always thinking in terms of the future not knowing that the future is actually today.<\/p>\n That morning Charles\u00a0bench pressed about 350 lbs.\u00a0 Yes, my husband was what you would call a gym rat at 67, still very fit and active; he often played handball and basketball with the younger crowd.\u00a0 \u00a0 There were no previous indications that he felt bad or sick.\u00a0 That evening after dinner and light conversation, Charles went to bed.\u00a0 The next morning I awoke as the alarm clock would not stop buzzing.\u00a0 As I reached across my lovers chest to turn it off I realized that Charles, my love, the father of my children, my high school sweet heart had gone on to his final level.\u00a0 In that moment I was faced with the stark realization that all that was left of Charles was his body.<\/p>\n As I attempted to hold his large frame in my small arms, while staring at him lovingly, he appeared to have such a pleasant look on his face.\u00a0 It was an intense look of peace as if he was simply dreaming pleasantly.\u00a0 Then \u201cBAM!!\u201d my next thought was \u201cWhat am I going to do?\u00a0 \u00a0I began yelling for my workers.\u00a0 They all rushed into the bedroom and stared at Charles with great disbelief.\u00a0 \u00a0After we all gathered our thoughts a local doctor was contacted to examine\u00a0Charles.\u00a0 The doctor said that Charles had been dead for about 9 hours.\u00a0 That means he was probably dead when I joined him in the bed later the evening before or he may have died while I was sleeping, it will always be a mystery to me.\u00a0 When the doctor asked me if I wanted Charles to be embalmed, I said yes, he then made several phone calls but could not reach anyone\u00a0to perform the embalming.\u00a0\u00a0In Costa Rica death is treated quite simply,\u00a0not like in the US where it seems to always be a complicated affair.<\/p>\n For many years I had been toting Charles\u2019 Army uniform around with us everywhere we traveled after his retirement from the military.\u00a0 Charles did not know that I wanted to be sure that when he passed, where ever we were I could bury him in it. \u00a0 Charles’ Army uniform was hanging on the closet door the day he died.\u00a0 The day before, laughingly while talking to a guest Charles said he could not understand my reasoning for carrying the uniform around everywhere we went.\u00a0\u00a0 A few days prior Charles had sent his uniform out to be cleaned as it had been hanging in the closet and it smelled very moldy.\u00a0 It was hanging on the door so he could put his award pins back on.<\/p>\n The Doctor asked, Jeanetta have you ever considered cremation.\u00a0 \u00a0Immediately I began to stare at the uniform hanging on the closet door and thought about MY<\/span><\/strong> desire to bury Charles in his uniform.\u00a0 \u00a0 In my mind, burying him in his military uniform would be a continuing part of OUR story.\u00a0 Over the years we had spent much of our lives together while Charles was in the Army.\u00a0 For a moment I felt that if I cremated him I would lose the chance to recognize and acknowledge that very important part of our story.\u00a0 He would not have a white cross nor be buried in a Veterans cemetery.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 There would be no ceremonies on Memorial Day for me to attend.<\/p>\n Ultimately dreams are just dreams and reality sets in.\u00a0 It was simply impossible to bury a US Veteran in Costa Rica in US military fashion.\u00a0 I could have had him sent to the Veterans Cemetery in Panama but that would require a lot of details.\u00a0 Reality dictated that having a military burial\u00a0like I could have had in the United\u00a0States disappeared when we chose to live in Costa Rica. These were the type of thoughts I was\u00a0tossing over in my mind while my precious husbands body lye there in bed.<\/p>\n I decided to cremate Charles’ remains.\u00a0 My Attorney drove me to the crematorium in San Jose where I signed several papers and paid for the service.\u00a0\u00a0 After three days I received Charles\u2019 remains along with all the necessary documents needed for the Embassy. Even though it\u2019s been a few years now, \u00a0\u00a0I still find it difficult to repeat the words “he died or he is dead”.<\/p>\n I learned a lot about a wife\u2019s status when your husband dies in Costa Rica according to custom and laws.\u00a0 Take all the thoughts of what would happen at home in the US after your spouse\u2019s death out of your mind right now.\u00a0\u00a0 Once again \u201cBAM!!\u201d\u00a0 The reality of \u201cliving\u201d in Costa Rica set in.\u00a0 As we always had in the US, Charles and I had a bank account that I assumed was our joint account.\u00a0 I quickly learned that they do not have joint accounts in Costa Rica.\u00a0 My banker told me to take all the money out by using a cash machine.\u00a0 She informed me that once the bank discovers the main account holder is dead they close the account and you cannot withdraw any money until the estate is probated.<\/p>\n Don’t die in Costa Rica without a will. Charles’ will was just finalized in December 2008 and he died in January 2009.\u00a0 Don’t assume that because you are married, like in the United States, that all property would naturally go to the surviving spouse. If your property is incorporated, there will be no trouble if you have signing authority which requires both signatures.\u00a0 If your property is in an individual\u2019s name then that is where the trouble begins.\u00a0 The U.S. Embassy is some help but not\u00a0much.\u00a0 The U.S. Embassy\u00a0gave me a certified death certificate that\u00a0one of the insurance companies would not accept. \u00a0The Registrar de Costa Rica gave me one original death certificate and several copies.\u00a0 My insurance company also would not accept those copies because they were carbonized copies. In order to get another original\u00a0copy you have to submit to the Registrar de Costa Rica. It can take as long as 3 months to get another original.<\/p>\n Also you inherit telephone lines in Costa Rica as well.\u00a0 We had our telephones in our individual names and not the corporation\u2019s name and in order to transfer the service into the name of the corporation I needed to have a will that stated Charles left me his possessions.\u00a0 The many reasons for incorporating became very clear. Everyone talks about incorporating to protect yourself against lawsuits but from my experience, if you have property it makes the transfer of title, especially in the event of death or incapacitation very simple.\u00a0 The only things that need to be transferred are the shares.<\/p>\n My income dropped more than 50% upon my husband\u2019s death.\u00a0 One thing about death is that the person leaves but their financial obligations stay behind.\u00a0 If you are living in Costa Rica, perhaps by reading my story you will start making preparations for what will happen one day.\u00a0 If you are coming to live in Costa Rica or even coming for a long visit, check into what should be done if you or your partner dies in Costa Rica.\u00a0 Charles knew that one day he would leave me. \u00a0I don’t think he ever doubted that he would die first.\u00a0 He suffered from some conditions generated by Agent Orange and I think looking back at some of his conversations and actions he knew it would be only a matter of time. I was a military wife and a good soldier always prepares his spouse for the inevitable because one day he may leave and not return home and that is what my husband did.<\/p>\n Charles\u2019 remains are buried across the river in the back yard beneath a beautiful braided fichus tree in the center of several fruit trees in out central garden.\u00a0 He always enjoyed that garden.\u00a0 \u00a0All and all we shared a beautiful love story and it ended in \u201cParadise\u201d.\u00a0 As a widow I sit in my new \u201cParadise\u201d\u00a0enjoying what my husband provided for me.\u00a0 Reflecting on my life here in Costa Rica, I know we made the right choice when we decided to stay many years ago<\/p>\n Our guest house is growing and still going strong.\u00a0 Please come by and visit La Terraza Guesthouse upon your next visit to Grecia or Costa Rica.\u00a0\u00a0I would love to hear your story and share my experience.\u00a0 You can stop by and have lunch or simply book an overnight stay.\u00a0 I promise you I\u2019ll be here until Jesus comes and takes me to my next level (smile).<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" An Ex-Pat Widow in Paradise When my husband and I first visited Costa Rica we had no plans of living life without each other. It seemed quite sudden that Charles, my husband of 47 years passed on to the next level.\u00a0 I believe\u00a0there are three levels to our existence on earth, birth, life and death…. <\/p>\n