Are cemeteries open for visitation at any time?
All cemeteries are accessible 365 days a year, including major holidays.  Typical hours are from 7 a.m. until dusk. If individuals or families are in need of assistance locating a plot, representatives are available to guide them to the proper location.

Will the grounds always look this nice?
Special care is taken to ensure that the grounds are always well-maintained. Routine land maintenance is done on a regular basis, as well as landscaping improvements, planting annual/seasonal flowers and other beautification projects. For each burial plot sold by a cemetery, a percentage goes to an endowment care fund reserved exclusively for maintenance purposes. The interest from these funds are used to pay for maintaining the property. Periodically, each cemetery's finances are audited to make certain it is contributing the proper amount to these funds.  Ownership transfers have no effect on the status of these funds, thereby assuring that maintenance practices will not vary if ownership changes.

What is the difference between a cemetery and a memorial park?
Memorial parks allow only flat markers, while cemeteries allow markers of varying heights. Visitors can experience a park-like, tranquil setting while remembering their loved ones. In many memorial parks, there is also bench property where memorial benches can be constructed to provide an alternative to flat markers. The advantage of a cemetery is that there is more flexibility to create a memorial one believes is an appropriate remembrance to the deceased. As you can see, choosing a memorial park or a cemetery is left to one's personal preference. Cemeteries and memorial parks have sections to accommodate each type of memorialization.

What are the various burial options?
Ground burial, mausoleums, and lawn crypts are among the burial options. In ground burial, a protective container, called a vault, constructed of various materials protects the casket and prevents ground sinkage. Contemporary mausoleums are above-ground entombment sites which contain concrete or stone crypts in which the caskets are stored. Lawn crypts are combination of ground burial and mausoleum interment.  Essentially, lawn crypt interment is a one- or two-level mausoleum in the ground.  Lives are commemorated - deaths are recorded - families are reunited - memories are made tangible - and love is undisguised. This is a cemetery.
Communities accord respect, families bestow reverence, historians seek information, and our heritage is thereby enriched. It is often said cemeteries are "the guardians of our nation's heritage."

Testimonies of devotion, pride, and remembrance are carved in stone to pay warm tribute to accomplishments and to the life - not death - of a loved one. The cemetery is homeland for family memorials providing a sustaining source of comfort to the living.

A cemetery is a history of people - a perpetual record of yesterday and a sanctuary of peace and quiet today. A cemetery exists because every life is worth loving and remembering - always.

Interment Options: Many options are available, which are dignified and respectful to the deceased.

Ground Burial
The space for ground burial is called a plot. The size of the plot can vary from an individual space to a family estate. A family custom estate is traditionally set apart from other plots and typically surrounded by trees or other flora, creating a distinctive setting for future generations to visit.  A protective container called a vault can be constructed in a variety of materials. A vault is necessary to protect the casket and prevent ground sinkage when ground burial  is chosen. In addition to different material choices, there are a variety of designs to choose from as well. Vaults are required in most cemeteries.

Mausoleums
Some of the most well-known monuments in history are mausoleums, which contain concrete or stone crypts in which the caskets are stored. Famous above-ground entombment sites include the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Great Pyramids, Taj Mahal, Westminster Abbey and the Tomb of Christ.  Mausoleums offer an enduring peace of mind that the sanctity of the deceased is fully protected. A mausoleum crypt offers secure protection, is clean and dry, and the burial containers entombed do not come in contact with the earth. Private mausoleums offer prestige and personalization, as they can signify your family
has been an important part of the community. Family estate (private) mausoleums give dignity and honor to the family name since a distinctive and separate structure is reserved for remembrance and reflection.

Lawn Crypts
Lawn crypts are the perfect compromise between ground burial and mausoleums, allowing you to combine the beauty of nature with the mausoleum environment.  Essentially, lawn crypt interment is a one- or two-level mausoleum in the ground. Although individual lawn crypts are available, they are frequently double-depth in order to accommodate both husband and wife.

Markers
Another element of ground burial is the gravestone or marker, which is important since it is the most visible sign of the memorialization process. Markers are made of either bronze or granite. Bronze memorials highlight the enduring beauty of semiprecious metals, while granite markers offer a variety of colors. Granite also allows rubbings of the gravestone, which is an important tradition for families.  The size of the marker can range from individual to custom estate. Custom designs that are tailored to individual needs are available in both types of memorials. Traditional designs and carvings include dogwood, floral and rose. Meaningful emblems can adorn the marker, such as a cross, Bible, an association or military emblem, or a depiction of two hands clasped together praying.

Cremation Memorialization
Cremated remains are often placed in a memorial urn, which can be placed in a mausoleum niche or a wall niche. The urn may also be buried in a family burial space or urn garden where a marker may be used to memorialize the site. A relatively new alternative for a permanent resting-place is a cremation garden. Within these gardens, there are a variety of options for memorialization.

Cemetery Service
Graveside services are an appropriate way to say final good-byes to a loved one. The type of service can vary depending upon the person's religious affiliation and the family's personal preference. Cemeteries will make every effort to accommodate any special requests and meet every logistical need of the family being served.

Complete Funeral & Cemetery Arrangements from one Location