Your final farewell can be in a jon boat, thanks to this unique outdoors company

This Arkansas company has outdoor enthusiasts covered when they’re ready to go on life’s final fishing trip.

Glory Boats out of Little Rock makes small-scale versions of aluminum jon boats. But the vessels aren’t meant for the water. They’re intended to be buried.

Owner Joel Schmidt came up with the idea to create boat-like funeral caskets after his father, John, wound up in the emergency room after falling from a ladder a couple years ago.

The injuries were enough to make Schmidt question if his father, who was 74 at the time, had established any funeral plans or wishes.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Schmidt cracked a joke, telling his dad that without knowing those wishes he might have buried him in his fishing boat.

“I tried to joke with him about it and said well that’s not a joke – surely someone makes something like that,” Schmidt told The News & Observer on Friday. “But I looked on the internet and couldn’t find anyone making anything like that. It’s such a simple concept, I couldn’t believe it wasn’t being done.”

With help from a friend in the funeral business, Schmidt worked out a design for a boat-like casket that led to the product he’s sold at fishing and outdoors expos for about a year.

“It’s supported itself, but we haven’t quit our day jobs yet,” he said.

Glory Boats currently come in three different versions – Woodland Camo, Marsh Grass and Pink Camo. They’re priced at $2,800.

Schmidt expects three more options will roll out in the near future, including solid colors and a fish pattern.

This story was originally published July 27, 2018 at 1:56 PM with the headline "Your final farewell can be in a jon boat, thanks to this unique outdoors company."