Woody Guthrie was cremated and his ashes scattered (well, sort of) in the ocean at Coney Island - see Utah Phillip's beautiful song, "Ashes on the Sea". In Joe Klein's bio "Woody Guthrie: A Life", Marjorie (his wife) and Joady, Arlo and Nora took his ashes (sealed in a can) to the jetty between Coney Island and Sea Gate. "There were several logistical problems... like figuring out how to open the can... Marjorie located a beer-can opener and pried several holes in the top, but... the ashes just wouldn't pour out... so [Arlo] just heaved the can out into the ocean, where it bobbed insistently and, for a moment, seemed to be heading back toward the jetty rocks... before finally it submitted and went under. Marjorie and the kids stood there not knowing what to do next... 'Well,' Marjorie said, trying to imagine what Woody might suggest under the circumstances, 'Why don't we go to Nathan's and have a hot dog?'"

S. in Seattle