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Wednesday, April 6, 2005

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  But her husband, Michael Schiavo, ordered her cremation and said her ashes will be buried in his family's plot in Pennsylvania, the state where Terri Schiavo grew up and met her future husband.

Michael Schiavo has not said when his memorial service will be held, but is under a court order to notify the parents of his plans. Schiavo's attorney, George Felos, did not return a call Tuesday for comment.

The 41-year-old brain-damaged woman died Thursday after a long, bitter legal battle between her husband and parents.

Court-appointed doctors said she was in a persistent vegetative state, and Michael Schiavo said his wife would not want to be kept alive artificially.

Her parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, doubted she had such end-of-life wishes and also disputed that she was in a persistent vegetative state. They claimed she laughed, cried, interacted with them and tried to speak.

The dramatic case reached all the way to Congress, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Vatican and White House in recent weeks as the Schindlers tried to block the court order that allowed Michael Schiavo to remove the feeding tube. The world watched as news organizations followed every new development during the final dramatic weeks.

The Schindlers had asked a judge to allow her body to remain intact and have her buried in Florida so they can visit the grave. But a judge refused to intervene in the dispute.

Terri Schiavo was 26 when her heart stopped beating temporarily in 1990, causing monumental brain damage. Doctors later attributed it to a chemical imbalance possibly brought on by an eating disorder.

© 2005 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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