Man buried in custom school bus casket donated by friend

Glen P. Davis spent most of his life as a farmer in Grand Meadow. He was also a school bus driver for 55 years of his life and he did not get into a single accident according to Global News.

Jim Hindt from Hindt Funeral home made a special donation of a Custom casket to Davis. The casket was painted as a school bus to show appreciation for all of the dedication that Davis brought to his job and to the children throughout the years.

Davis came up with the idea himself about 20 years earlier and told it to his friend, Hindt. Hindt remembered the idea and followed through with it after all those years.

“Glen had always just joked with me about wanting to be buried in a casket that looked like a school bus,” said Hindt to the Minneapolis newspaper.

“We just kind of put it together out of friendship for him. I wasn’t sure whether Glen really wanted to use it.”

The first time the idea came to Davis was while he was talking to Steve Durst, his son-in-law, according to Steve’s wife, Dawn. He mentioned that he had seen the idea of a school bus casket in a magazine.

“It never left his mind,” noted Dawn.

The yellow casket was painted by one of Hindt’s family friends. It says “Grand Meadow Schools — ISD #495” on the side which is the same writing that his school bus had on the side. Some of the casket details were also added by his niece.

Davis drove many kids to and from Grand Meadow Schools throughout the years and they nicknamed him “Glennie.”

The coffin was actually shown to Davis six years ago and Lisa Hodge, his daughter, saw the unveiling.

When talking to the Star Tribune Hodge said, “He was speechless. He was just overjoyed, and he couldn’t believe somebody was actually able to do it for him.”

After his retirement from bus-driving in 2005 Davis became a volunteer for Meals on Wheels.

“He just enjoyed the kids and driving the bus so much,” Hodge said to Post Bulletin.