Sometimes I feel like I have been a photographer for the past 100 years what with being an old man with a grey beard!

I'm sure I would have been comfortable with the old processes- even the ones that entailed dangerous and toxic chemicals and lethal mercuric fumes. As a kid, I always had a propensity to dabble with such things. My favorite darkroom chemical was always Pottasium Ferrocyanide!

As for postmortem portraits? Nowadays families and older folks usually procrastinate about having professionally made portraits made what everyone is alive and well. Just think about it- years ago, if great-grandpa came to his untimely demise in Winter, he would be stored in the icehouse until the itinerant professional photographer came to town in the Springtime so the corpse could be propped up and posed with the family! Now there's a marketing strategy! That was a big deal up here in Canada- especially Quebec. I have restored many old photographs for clients with rather ghostly or withered individuals in the group (ugh)!
Well- they didn't do "selfies" with old wet-plate cameras!

Up here we have long winters so when my time comes. I'll be prepared.

Right next to my building there is an ongoing excavation for new housing development. I've noticed a giant backhoe and a tractor with a jackhammer on its business end. I'll get those guys to come down to the cemetery- ice and snow might just require one extra scoop- instant grave! Old Jewish guys like me gotta get planted within 24 hours after the ticker stops!

Morbid humor is my specialty, especially theses days.

Up here we have long winters so when my time comes. I'll be prepared.

Right next to my building there is an ongoing excavation for new housing development. I've noticed a giant backhoe and a tractor with a jackhammer on its business end. I'll get those guys to come down to the cemetery- ice and snow might just require one extra scoop- instant grave! Old Jewish guys like me gotta get planted within 24 hours after the ticker stops!

Morbid humor is my specialty, especially theses days.

How many of us today would be enthusiastic photographers 100 years ago?

I ask because of reading, "Photographic Amusements, Including A Description of a Number of Novel Effects Obtainable with the Camera" by- Walter E. Woodbury, - Revised and Enlarged by Frank R. Fraprie-Ninth Edition- 1922  Copyright- 1896... and admit to a good bit of smugness when discussed is the hilarity of having the photographer- or others- appear to be shaking hands with themselves or flouting the laws of time and space. But, I also must allow a good bit of respect for these early shutterbugs given the difficulty of doing such things IN CAMERA!. Even a simple silhouette image becomes a major undertaking when background, reflectors- position of the window... lots of things must be considered...

There are fun things, too: "Photo in a Bottle" - that is, photographic emulsion being sloshed about to coat the interior of a bottle, letting it dry and taping a negative to the bottle's exterior then, heading into sunshine with a finger up the bottle's orifice so it can be turned for an even exposure. Simply pour developer, stop and fixer into the bottle for processing. And, "electric photographs" - various metal objects (coins a favorite) placed on a dry plate and passing a current "exposes" the silver halides without visible light..

One novelty offered is having an image of your favorite scenic, or perhaps Uncle Fred, that reveals itself only when its temperature reaches whatever temperature hog fat liquifies and turns transparent. I suppose, if the image was a bit risqué', it would be a hoot in some Wisconsin ice fishing shack. Regardless, instruction for making this delightful, "Disappearing Photograph" is provided and the materials list includes: white wax, hog lard, a strip of "gold beater's skin" and strong glue. Not mentioned is the point at which lard turns rancid... No doubt this novelty is best suited for cooler regions.

How 'bout "Post Mortem" photographs... First, have a negative of the departed one; either provided by the family or, taken yourself.  Then, mix together various amounts of, "... bichromate of ammonia, albumen, grape sugar, bichromate of potash, honey..." plus other ingredients which combined and gently heated over a spirit lamp, and, while still warm, is applied evenly to a glass plate, which, when dry, is ready to be exposed.  Place the glass plate and afore mentioned negative onto a printing frame and expose to the sun for two to five minutes.  Next, remove the negative and place the exposed plate in a dark, damp place to absorb moisture.   When the plate becomes tacky, evenly dust over it the cremated remains of the departed one (the guy in the negative)... which will, "  ... adhere to the parts unexposed to light, and a portrait is obtained composed entirely of the person it represents, or rather what is left of him." But wait! There's more!! "When fully developed the excess of powder is dusted off and the film coated with collodion.  It is then well washed to remove the bichromate salt.  The film can, if desired, be detached and transferred to ivory, wood, or any other support."  
For me... all I can imagine is something along the line of Elvis on black velvet...

So, again: Would you be a photographer 100 years ago?

I spent a lot of time in New England. There's a reason water lines are at least 4 feet down. I have seen frost at 2 feet.
Having used a backhoe in January, with only about 8 inches of frost I kind of doubt that one scoop would do the job for you. If the frost is down far enough, it will take some work, even with an excavator, to get through it. The resulting hole will not be the size of a single grave.

Maybe you could consider being buried on the surface by building a mound. Then in the spring, you could be moved to the appropriate spot. Is there a prescription for moving a body? What do old Jewish guys do who live in permafrost areas?