I called mine my children even though it drew strange looks from people
They were Husband and Wife handfasted 11 years; they fought sometimes but loved each other always. 
I lost Patches in the beginning of the year; he was 10 and died after suffering brain injuries when we were in an accident. His wife Kurkur went into a funk looking for him everywhere. Then about two three months ago I noticed some lumps on her breast an took her to the vet who said my greatest fear was true; she had breast cancer. I was crushed but hopeful for about 45 seconds when he showed the X-ray telling me it was aggressive and had moved into her lungs so an operation was out.
So for the past three months she was treated like a Queen.
Monday morning I was working in the barn when something made me want to stop an go back inside a check on her. She was limp but still alive when I hugged her an breathed about three more times licking my hand then she went still. My boss said Kurkur waited for me to come in before she died so she could say goodbye.
I believe she was right.

I built a sturdy box for her and buried her deep encasing her in 9 yards of concrete just like her husband and right beside him.

We have coyotes here that will dig up horses an dog we bury so my boss insists on encasing them so we don't have to see them disturbed