Policies and Guidelines
The board has agreed on several changes to normal policies and guidelines, in the interest of safety and convenience and tidiness. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Flags: The cemetery, in cooperation with local veterans groups, puts out American flags next to the graves of all veterans just before Memorial Day. The flags stay up for two to three weeks, and then the cemetery removes the flags until the following year. Families are free to place their own flags, at this time of year or at any other time, and leave those flags as long as they wish. The cemetery grounds crew reserves the right to remove any flag if it becomes unsightly.
Other decorations: Family members and friends are free to place ornaments, plastic flowers, etc., on or near the graves of their loved ones. If these decorations cause difficulties for the grounds crew, they may be moved slightly for convenience. If an item becomes faded or tattered over time, the grounds crew reserves the right to remove the item entirely, in order to maintain overall tidiness. Potted plants and flowers are actually preferred by our groundskeepers over planting in the ground, because the pot can be moved for weed trimming and then put back.
Headstone: Headstones need to be mounted on a base of poured concrete. Pre-cast concrete bases are proving to be unstable, due to the excessive rain that has been falling in our region recently. If you wish to add or improve a headstone on your lot, please contact the cemetery and they can provide specs for how to build a suitable base. Also, the board reserves the right to remove a headstone or monument, at the family's expense, if the design is deemed offensive. (For example, no swastikas or confederate flags or obscenities will be accepted.) If in doubt about the acceptability of your design, please send a sketch or photo to the board for advance approval before installation.
Cornerstones: Until recently, lot owners have had the option of purchasing cornerstones, or not. From this point forward, the cemetery is requiring all new lot owners to buy 4 cornerstones for their lot. These will be engraved with their initials and placed at the corners of their lot, making identification of the lot much easier for our volunteers. Lot owners who were not required to buy cornerstones in the past are not required to do so now, but they are certainly encouraged to do so.
Walkway: The area in the front of a headstone (the western side) is a walkway and not a part of the lot. To the right and left of the headstone are cornerstones and these stones delineate the western boundary of said lot. The cornerstones 10 feet to the east of these mark the eastern boundary of the lot. Maintenance of the cemetery becomes difficult when families make a memorial garden in front of the headstone in the walkway. Groundskeepers do their best but at some point, the cemetery has to ask families to restore the walkway.
Plantings: Please understand that planting is done at your own risk. Any trees, bushes or plants that die, get overgrown, or otherwise prevent efficient and effective maintenance of the cemetery, will be cut back or removed.
Lots: When a family purchases a lot for a loved one, this gives the family the right to bury their loved one(s) on that lot. The cemetery still owns the land. A single lot is 4 feet across and 10 feet long. A single lot can accommodate two cremations, one full burial, or one full burial and one cremation.
Deeds: Lot owners receive a deed from the cemetery. This deed can not be transferred to another individual directly. Any transfer or re-sale of a lot must be arranged through the cemetery, so that records can be kept up to date.
Thank you for your cooperation! Together we can keep the cemetery a serene, sacred place for all.
Flags: The cemetery, in cooperation with local veterans groups, puts out American flags next to the graves of all veterans just before Memorial Day. The flags stay up for two to three weeks, and then the cemetery removes the flags until the following year. Families are free to place their own flags, at this time of year or at any other time, and leave those flags as long as they wish. The cemetery grounds crew reserves the right to remove any flag if it becomes unsightly.
Other decorations: Family members and friends are free to place ornaments, plastic flowers, etc., on or near the graves of their loved ones. If these decorations cause difficulties for the grounds crew, they may be moved slightly for convenience. If an item becomes faded or tattered over time, the grounds crew reserves the right to remove the item entirely, in order to maintain overall tidiness. Potted plants and flowers are actually preferred by our groundskeepers over planting in the ground, because the pot can be moved for weed trimming and then put back.
Headstone: Headstones need to be mounted on a base of poured concrete. Pre-cast concrete bases are proving to be unstable, due to the excessive rain that has been falling in our region recently. If you wish to add or improve a headstone on your lot, please contact the cemetery and they can provide specs for how to build a suitable base. Also, the board reserves the right to remove a headstone or monument, at the family's expense, if the design is deemed offensive. (For example, no swastikas or confederate flags or obscenities will be accepted.) If in doubt about the acceptability of your design, please send a sketch or photo to the board for advance approval before installation.
Cornerstones: Until recently, lot owners have had the option of purchasing cornerstones, or not. From this point forward, the cemetery is requiring all new lot owners to buy 4 cornerstones for their lot. These will be engraved with their initials and placed at the corners of their lot, making identification of the lot much easier for our volunteers. Lot owners who were not required to buy cornerstones in the past are not required to do so now, but they are certainly encouraged to do so.
Walkway: The area in the front of a headstone (the western side) is a walkway and not a part of the lot. To the right and left of the headstone are cornerstones and these stones delineate the western boundary of said lot. The cornerstones 10 feet to the east of these mark the eastern boundary of the lot. Maintenance of the cemetery becomes difficult when families make a memorial garden in front of the headstone in the walkway. Groundskeepers do their best but at some point, the cemetery has to ask families to restore the walkway.
Plantings: Please understand that planting is done at your own risk. Any trees, bushes or plants that die, get overgrown, or otherwise prevent efficient and effective maintenance of the cemetery, will be cut back or removed.
Lots: When a family purchases a lot for a loved one, this gives the family the right to bury their loved one(s) on that lot. The cemetery still owns the land. A single lot is 4 feet across and 10 feet long. A single lot can accommodate two cremations, one full burial, or one full burial and one cremation.
Deeds: Lot owners receive a deed from the cemetery. This deed can not be transferred to another individual directly. Any transfer or re-sale of a lot must be arranged through the cemetery, so that records can be kept up to date.
Thank you for your cooperation! Together we can keep the cemetery a serene, sacred place for all.
