Month: August 2023

Cemeteries today are more than just a place to lay down your loved ones; they must be vibrant celebrations of life, family, history and individuality – integrated within a shared community. This requires a specific kind of design knowledge.

Cemetery master planning begins with programming and analysis of the site. This includes determining burial capacity, mausoleum requirements, cremation needs, chapels and parking.

Layout and Architecture

A cemetery is a special kind of land. Unlike a regular lawn, it is set aside specifically for burials and other memorialization. Cemetery landscape design takes into account the needs of visitors and the cultural traditions of the area.

Cemeteries are typically larger than church graveyards and are organized into sections or rows of burial plots. Each plot has a distinct identifier that helps friends and family members locate the grave. This information is usually displayed on a map in the cemetery or in a burial registry.

Mourners often leave flowers or small posies on columbarium walls. Newer designs of these walls usually incorporate a clip or loop beside each plaque that can hold one or two flowers.

The first step in the cemetery layout and architecture process is to survey the grounds. This is generally done using GPS technology, but can be accomplished manually by a cemetery surveyor or civil engineer. The data gathered is then used to create maps of the property.

Hardscapes and Softscapes

The opposite of hardscapes are softscapes, which are the organic, living elements in a landscape. These include trees, bushes, flowers and ground cover. Softscapes help soften and enhance the natural beauty of a cemetery while providing a more welcoming experience for mourners.

Creating a balanced landscape in Powell, OH requires both hardscapes and softscapes. Hardscapes are the permanent features in a yard and include retaining walls, patios, driveways and sidewalks. Softscapes are everything else, such as grass, flowers and bushes.

Cemeteries serve as a meeting place between life and death, and they must be designed to reflect a variety of cultures, beliefs and lifestyles. Some innovations include vertical burial instead of horizontal, sharing coffins and stacking urns. Other changes involve converting cemetery spaces into parks for the public or developing forestry along with burial grounds. These changes can help alleviate pressure on the world’s limited land resources. Achieving these goals requires a well-balanced design and thoughtful planning.

Signage

Incorporating the right signage into a cemetery allows visitors to locate specific graves. Care should be taken to ensure that the design of these signs is sympathetic with the surrounding landscape and not overpowering.

Cemeteries are unique spaces that bring people together from many different cultural, religious and social backgrounds. They must be designed to reflect this diversity while also encouraging people to connect with their heritage, community and culture.

A cemetery must be planned to maximize burial capacity with an attractive layout for both pedestrians and vehicles. Proper grading and drainage are critical to preventing water from pooling on the site.

Burial sites must be planted with appropriate species for long term sustainability. Tree planting is important for shade, habitat and to enhance the natural beauty of the cemetery. Incorporating green burial options, such as shroud burials, reduces the impact on the environment and also lowers maintenance costs. By providing these alternatives, a cemetery can attract families and new generations of visitors.

Master Plan

A cemetery master plan helps the owner identify short and long term goals. It also provides a roadmap for implementing a variety of projects based on need. It is also an opportunity to improve the aesthetics and increase the marketability of a cemetery.

Traditionally the allocation of burial plots and the construction of headstones and other grave monuments has been the responsibility of individual families or friends. This resulted in a wide array of grave markers which can be aesthetically unappealing. Many newer cemeteries now provide standard shaped markers to make the grounds more attractive.

A non-traditional form of burial is the natural or green burial. This allows the natural decomposition of body matter and can allow for re-use of burial sites sooner than conventional cemetery lots. This can help keep older cemeteries viable and prevent their permanent closure due to a lack of revenue for continuing operations.

Cemetery is a place where a person’s final resting place is located. It is a place for dignified burials, memorialization and commemoration of the departed.

When visiting a cemetery it is best to travel with a friend for safety reasons and they can help you read inscriptions that may be difficult to see due to age.

Gravestones

A headstone is an upright stone marker that contains information about a deceased person. It usually displays their name, birth and death dates as well as an epitaph. It also reveals their status in life and their close associates, a valuable source of ancestor data for future researchers.

Gravestones can be made of many different materials, such as sandstone, limestone and slate. They are often set up with their cleavage planes vertical, to the delight of sedimentologists, who can see traces of the original rock’s sedimentary bedding and features, such as fining-upward, load and slump structures and erosion surfaces.

Those with epitaphs are usually decorated with symbolic reminders of death, such as skulls or winged skulls, the cherub head and heavenly crowns. They may also feature carved images of tools such as picks and shovels or emblems of trade and status. Using a headstone to memorialize your family members is an opportunity to create a beautiful monument.

Monuments

Monuments are larger forms of headstones and can be in the form of sculptures. These memorials are usually designed to tell a loved one’s story. Often, monuments can include more inscription space than headstones as well as additional images and designs. Most experienced monument dealers have indoor selection rooms displaying full size monuments to help families choose what is right for their loved ones.

A different finish from’steel’ and ‘pol’, it is achieved by frosting certain parts of the stone with a special machine. This gives a velvety feel to the stone and offers a more elegant look to your monument.

Standing taller than traditional headstones, these types of monuments may exceed cemetery height restrictions. They are typically engraved with a name, epitaph, dates and symbols. Slanted markers are a great alternative to upright monuments when trying to save on space or budget.

Maps

Most cemeteries have some sort of cemetery plot map for visitors. This could be a paper document or a computer spreadsheet. These maps are typically used by staff to help families locate their loved ones.

The biggest problem with using these documents is that they are prone to errors. This is due to the fact that managers often change hands and have different methods of doing things.

To overcome this issue, a more accurate and reliable map is needed. A digital cemetery map helps reduce these mistakes and makes it easy for families to find their loved ones.

Digital cemetery maps are also a great way to market your services to new audiences. By providing a comprehensive list of available property online, you can increase engagement and grow your business. This is all possible without reducing the quality of your service or sacrificing a family’s needs. By utilizing a cemetery mapping system that connects your owner and burial records to the maps, you can have more reliable data and improve your services.

Entrances

A cemetery’s entrance is its public face. This is where visitors are welcomed and comforted. It is also where the first impressions are made about a cemetery’s care and attention to detail.

Depending on its ownership structure, a cemetery may be private or public. It is important to know these differences when choosing a final resting place. Private cemeteries often have higher cost burial plot and service options, memorialization, and maintenance costs. Public cemeteries have lower cost options and may be subsidized by the local government.

In the 1870s, when Minneapolis stretched no farther south than Hennepin Avenue, Lakewood decided it needed to set itself apart from other graveyards. To do so, it built a grand brick gatehouse that proclaimed itself “the home of the dead.” It soon became a stop on the Twin Cities’ streetcar tour and even appeared on postcards of the day. This type of entrance is no longer common, but many cities still have impressive gatehouses as part of their cemetery systems.

A humbling sense of peace envelopes visitors at Memorial Park. This 673 acre park is known for its family camping areas and Tan Oak and Mt Ellen nature trails.

The Gold Star Monument is the newest addition to the Park. The void design of this structure honors those who have lost loved ones in service to their country.

Sense of Community

A memorial park provides a place for families to gather and pay their respects to their loved ones. It also gives them a sense of comfort and support when dealing with loss. This is a key aspect that needs to be taken into consideration in the design of memorial parks.

A strong sense of community is a force that is galvanizing in our culture now. This force seems to be driving people closer together and at the same time polarizing them into groups that are either supporting or attacking each other.

A memorial park is a great place for people to meet and bond with other members of the community. Whether they are there to play baseball, run, or enjoy the beauty of nature, a memorial park has something for everyone. There are many different athletic facilities at the park, including 2 youth baseball fields and 3 adult baseball fields with lights, 12 tennis courts, 3 basketball courts, a playground, and even a skate park.

Healing

Memorial parks provide a peaceful environment for families to visit and reflect on the lives of their loved ones. They also serve as a way to foster community and promote healing among those who have experienced loss.

Many memorial parks offer grief support groups and counseling services to help individuals cope with their losses. These resources help individuals share their emotions in a safe and supportive community and find comfort in their struggles.

In addition, memorial parks often host events and activities that bring families together. For example, the NYC AIDS Memorial commemorates more than 100,000 New Yorkers who died from AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome) and honors the caregivers and activists who mobilized to provide care for the ill, fight discrimination, lobby for medical research, and change the course of the epidemic. These efforts helped reduce the number of deaths from AIDS and helped save many lives. This type of activism is a powerful symbol of the healing potential of memorial parks.

Artistic Expression

Memorial parks often incorporate public art into their design, and this artistic expression is an important part of fostering community and promoting healing for families. These memorials can also provide a physical representation of the common culture and history of a community, making them an important source of inspiration and comfort for residents.

For example, a bronze sculpture of three penguins by Blanca Will was recently installed in the Memorial Park’s Penguin Fountain, where it honors a longtime Gallery Council member and beloved teacher. This is one of many artistic works that can be found in the Memorial Park, which is also home to the Village’s most beautiful September 11th memorial.

Another public artwork is the Memorial Park’s centerpiece, a cantilevered pavilion of glass and fossilized Irish limestone that presents a theater of historical and contemporary sentiments about world hunger. This meditative space represents hope, unity and healing. The Pavilion is etched with a series of tablets featuring poems and quotations from Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan and Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, which encourage visitors to interact with the text by touching it.

Community Building

A memorial park can serve as a physical representation of a community’s shared history and heritage, fostering a sense of common cultural identity. This can help individuals process grief and loss, promoting healing and personal growth.

While a solemn ambiance may be maintained at a memorial park, it’s important to remember that these parks are also for celebrating life. By providing fun activities that help people connect with their loved ones, memorial parks can create a feeling of bonding and support among the community.

The NYC AIDS Memorial recognizes the contributions of more than 100,000 New York City residents who died of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome). It honors the memory of those who served as caregivers, volunteers and activists who mobilized to care for ill patients, fight discrimination, lobby for medical research and alter drug approval processes, effectively changing the trajectory of the epidemic. It inspires current and future caregivers, health professionals, and activists to continue their work.

When a loved one dies, grieving family members must make dozens of decisions under great emotional duress. They must decide whether to bury or cremate the body, where to have the funeral and how much it will cost.

This board licenses embalmers, registers funeral establishments and investigates consumer/provider complaints. It also oversees private cemeteries and crematories.

The Funeral Bureau

The funeral bureau enforces the laws that regulate funeral homes, crematoriums, cemetery sales, and preneed contracts. Its services include complaint processing from consumers and licensees, licensing funeral directors, embalmers, and apprentice embalmers; inspection of funeral homes and crematories; educating the public about advance planning for a funeral; and holding hearings on disciplinary matters.

Under the Funeral Rule, you must give price and other information to any consumer who inquires by telephone or in writing for at-need arrangements. However, you don’t have to provide the General Price List (GPL) in response to a request from anyone who is not a prospective consumer who wants to make funeral arrangements.

Some funeral establishments enter into agreements with government agencies to make funeral arrangements for indigent persons. These arrangements may require special considerations and you should follow all requirements in the Funeral Rule. You should also provide a written statement to a prospective client that includes an itemized list of goods and services selected, the prices for each, and any other applicable fees or charges.

The Cemetery and Funeral Bureau

The Bureau licenses and investigates complaints against funeral establishments; funeral directors, embalmers and apprentice embalmers; cemetery brokers, salespersons, and managers; and crematories. It also promotes advance funeral planning and protects a consumer’s right to choose a meaningful, dignified, and affordable funeral.

The office is staffed by an executive director, an audit program director, an administrative assistant and field representatives. Field representatives conduct inspections of funeral and cemetery establishments to verify that they comply with state statutes and regulations concerning price lists, disclosures and other issues.

Before making arrangements with a funeral establishment, consumers should visit Web sites and several cemeteries to compare services, restrictions, rules, prices and endowment care funds. Ask for an itemized statement that includes all goods and services selected (not just a bundled “funeral package”). If the funeral home sells caskets, it must include prices for outer burial containers as part of its General Price List or on a separate Casket Price List.

The Funeral Consumers Alliance

When faced with the death of a loved one, families often do not understand their rights and options for an affordable, dignified good-bye. They make hasty decisions that result in unnecessary costs.

Funeral Consumers Alliance (FCA) affiliates educate consumers to help them save money by maximizing their choices. These local nonprofit groups, which are also known as memorial societies, offer clear and objective facts so that people can shop for a funeral home and arrange a service that fits their values and budget.

The Cemetery and Funeral Bureau licenses and investigates complaints against funeral establishments, funeral directors, embalmers and apprentice embalmers, preneed funeral planners, mortuary science schools, and cemetery brokers, salespersons and managers; and it promotes advance funeral planning and protects consumers’ right to choose a meaningful, dignified, affordable funeral. It also publishes a bi-yearly comparison of funeral home prices. This data is extracted from price lists that are submitted to the Bureau. Important footnotes follow the tables of price data.

The ICCFA

ICCFA is the international trade association representing all segments of the cemetery, funeral service, cremation and memorialization profession. Members include cemeteries, funeral homes, crematoriums, urn dealers, monument companies, suppliers and related businesses.

The ICCFA’s mission is to provide exceptional education, networking and legislative guidance and support to progressive cemetery, funeral home and cremation professionals worldwide. ICCFA members enjoy access to top-notch training and conferences, the industry’s most comprehensive business insurance program and other benefits that help them manage their operations and build successful businesses.

Poul Lemasters uses his unique background in deathcare and law to provide counsel to members regarding risk management, daily operational conflicts, form and contract review, valuations and other regulatory matters. In addition, he is available to answer members’ questions via the ICCFA Member Call Center. ICCFA also offers members the Cremation Central website, which provides training and resources in cremation operations, legal issues and arranging. In addition, ICCFA has partnered with Answering Service for Directors to offer the first-ever cremation hotline for members.

When a loved one dies, family members are confronted with dozens of decisions they must make in a short time and under emotional duress. Among the most important is choosing a funeral home, casket or urn and whether to bury or cremate the body.

The Board licenses funeral directors and embalmers; registers funeral establishments; and investigates consumer complaints. The Board also promotes advance funeral planning.

How do I find a funeral home?

Whether you’re planning ahead or making arrangements at the time of need, a funeral home can facilitate services that honor your loved one and fulfill your wishes. When choosing a funeral home, consider factors such as the location, price, and the staff.

If you visit a funeral home in person, under federal law the provider must provide you with a general price list (GPL) that itemizes the cost of the items and services the facility offers. In addition, if the funeral home offers caskets and outer burial containers, they must make those available to view and purchase.

Funeral homes often offer package funerals that may cost less than if you purchased the items and services separately. When comparing prices, be sure to take into account any additional fees for third-party services such as cemetery or crematory charges and obituary notices. The funeral home must also clearly disclose any state or local laws that require the purchase of certain products or services.

What are the benefits of working with a funeral bureau?

The funeral industry is an excellent career choice for those with interpersonal skills, a thorough understanding of the laws and practices that govern it and the ability to make sound business decisions. In addition, funeral directors are able to offer families pre-need funeral planning contracts that guarantee prices and services.

Consumers also have the right to choose a casket or urn they want, and providers must disclose this on their general price list (GPL). And, in accordance with FTC guidelines, the funeral home must allow consumers to wash and dress the body if that is part of their religious or cultural practice.

Moreover, funeral homes may help their clients arrange third-party services such as obituaries, flowers and cemetery and cremation services. This may be helpful for consumers who are making arrangements by phone or online.

How do I choose a funeral home?

Whether you’re planning ahead or in the midst of making arrangements for a loved one, knowing how to choose a funeral home wisely can save money and improve satisfaction. Here are a few tips:

Decide together with family members what you can afford. Then find a funeral home that can accommodate your budget.

Ask the funeral homes you’re considering to provide a list of prices, which they are required by law to do. This allows you to compare prices and services to ensure you are getting the best value for your money.

In addition to pricing, consider the funeral home’s facility. Is it clean and well-maintained? Does it have a chapel and space for a visitation, wake or viewing, if applicable to your arrangements? Are the staff compassionate and attentive to your needs? These are all important factors to consider. You can also ask for references from other families to gain an additional perspective. You can even ask friends and co-workers for recommendations.

What are the legal requirements for working with a funeral home?

The funeral industry is a high-risk workplace with a variety of occupational hazards. Whether you’re a funeral director, embalmer or mortician, or you work with them in some capacity, it is important to understand your state’s licensing and certification requirements.

Each person engaged in the business of funeral directing, undertaking or embalming shall have and maintain a funeral home license. The department may, after a hearing, revoke or refuse to issue any such license. Any person aggrieved by any finding or action of the board may appeal therefrom in accordance with section 4-183.

Each funeral home that conducts embalming must develop and implement a Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan designed to minimize or eliminate employees’ exposure to bloodborne pathogens. These plans must include the provision that employees be offered hepatitis B vaccinations, unless they have previously received the full hepatitis B vaccine series or antibody testing reveals that they are immune or the vaccine is contraindicated for medical reasons.

Mortuary science is an incredibly specialized field. People who choose to work in the mortuary industry are some of the most caring service workers, strongest managers and attentive planners out there.

A morgue is a refrigerated body storage space in hospitals, medical examiner facilities, cemeteries or some funeral homes. It is often directly adjacent to special ovens called retorts, used for cremation services.

Work Environment

Mortuary workers spend much of their time indoors, working alone or in small teams. This is a very sensitive career that requires people who have a compassionate demeanor and are able to work well under stress. They also need to be very organized and have good technical and numeracy skills.

A mortuary is a facility that prepares the body of someone who has died and arranges funerals. It is a large and lucrative industry that employs many different people, including morticians, embalmers, pathologists, and funeral directors.

This study explored the experiences of mortuary attendants in nine selected mortuaries in Volta, Oti and Bono East Regions of Ghana. The data was analyzed and three themes emerged: nature of the work; qualification and training requirements; and working conditions. The findings revealed that the mortuary attendants largely learned their job through apprenticeship and experienced challenging working conditions. They also noted that their job carries high occupational hazards. The results of this study highlighted the need for more formal training and education for the mortuary attendants.

Job Duties

Mortuary science professionals have a very specialized job that requires special knowledge and emotional stability. They must be able to comfort families, arrange funeral details such as obituary notice wording and casket selections. They must also consult with family members, friends and clergy to make arrangements.

These tasks can be very emotional and difficult to perform. They must be able to work quickly and efficiently under pressure. They must be able to prioritize and organize their work. They must be able to follow all departmental and company policies. They must maintain an excellent customer service attitude.

A mortician must be able to use their technical skills to prepare the body for burial or cremation. They must be able to provide excellent customer service and work under pressure. They must have good organizational skills as they must keep track of many files and documents. They must also be able to use their technical skills to operate and maintain the tools and equipment of the mortician.

Skills Needed

Morticians must have excellent interpersonal skills to deal with the many people who visit the mortuary after a loved one has died. They must be able to comfort those who are grieving, explain funeral arrangements and answer their questions. They must also have good medical knowledge, including anatomy, physiology and the chemicals involved in embalming. They may also receive training in restorative arts.

Aside from the medical and funeral service duties, morticians must have strong management skills to lead the team that prepares the bodies for burial or cremation. They must be able to work on call and meet the needs of families, often at short notice. Empathy and compassion are vital for the role, as is attention to detail and the ability to concentrate for long periods. Other skills include the ability to perform a basic autopsy and to follow strict specifications for preparing the dead for a funeral. Many states require a license to work in the field.

Career Stigma

There is a certain stigma associated with this job as people are often afraid of death and corpses. However, if you’re prepared for it, working in a mortuary can be a satisfying career choice. You can also expect to earn decent money and have pretty good job security.

However, the downside of this career is that you will have to work at nighttime which can be very annoying for many people. Moreover, you will have to think about death quite frequently which can cause plenty of stress and frustration over the long run.

In the context of dirty jobs, the present study aimed to investigate job demands and resources that may be relevant in explaining levels of emotional exhaustion among funeral and mortician workers. The results suggest that, in addition to stigma consciousness and meaningfulness of work, supervisor incivility and negative family-to-work spillover might be important in predicting the level of emotional exhaustion. This suggests that programs aimed at promoting awareness of these issues could be helpful.

As population growth began to outstrip church burial capacity, completely new places for burying people, independent of graveyards, appeared. These became known as cemeteries.

The word cemetery is more general, while graveyard is more specific. But a lot of people use the two terms interchangeably, and many dictionaries don’t distinguish between them.

Burial Ground

A cemetery is a collection of graves, mausoleums, crypts and monuments. It is often surrounded by trees, shrubbery and fencing. In some places, there may be a church or shrine.

Graveyards are frequent hauntings for legendary and mythical creatures. Some, like the buggane of Manx folklore, are terrified by churchyards and will flee into them. Typically, the monsters that haunt graveyards are the spirits of the dead.

Graveyard dirt is an invaluable ingredient in many magickal workings. It is especially useful in workings that involve death, banishing, protection and spirit work. It is also used to enhance psychic abilities and to assist in hedge riding, astral projection and dreams. It is sprinkled in the outdoor perimeter of a home to keep it protected from negative energy and spirits. It is also used in coven rituals to mark a change of leadership or a breakaway from a larger group. It is an excellent ingredient in curses and crosses.

Churchyard

The churchyard is the land around a church and contains both graves and a church building. It is often a very historic and interesting landscape feature, with a wide variety of materials, structures and features. These include tombstones, sculpture, fences, paths and roads, hedges, fountains and pools, and land forms (terracing, berms and grading).

The features of the churchyard should be conserved as far as possible. If a part of the churchyard needs to be changed, any alteration should be made in keeping with its historic character.

Particular care needs to be taken over the trees in the churchyard, especially yews which can be difficult to date. Any tree work should be subject to faculty jurisdiction, and if the churchyard is within a Conservation Area or has a Tree Preservation Order on it, a Tree Consultant should also be involved. The churchyard should be well-documented, and the deterioration of features should be recorded as it happens.

Cemetery

A cemetery is an area of land that has been specifically designated as the final resting place for those who have passed away. It is typically independent of church property and may include graves, crypts, or columbariums for cremated remains.

Today, many cemetery grounds are sprawling landscapes that offer multiple burial styles to accommodate diverse religious and cultural practices. In addition, there are different types of memorials to choose from and various other ways to pay tribute.

A modern cemetery layout software solution like byondpro provides an all-in-one system to help with the management of all these features. Its cloud-based system ensures data security and is accessible from any location. It also offers a fully integrated financial system so that trust funds can be tracked. This allows for more precise budgeting and better overall cemetery management. Find out more by booking your free demo.

Graveyard Shift

A graveyard shift is a work shift that runs through the night. It can be a difficult shift to adapt to, but there are many benefits to working the graveyard shift. For example, it is usually quieter and more peaceful than a day shift. This makes it easier to focus and get your work done.

It is also beneficial to have a graveyard shift if you are a person who needs to sleep well. The melatonin produced at night can disrupt your sleep cycle, so it is important to make sure that you have a good bedtime routine.

In addition, some industries require round-the-clock operations and need workers to work overnight. These include restaurants, hospitals, and retail stores. People who work the graveyard shift often receive premium pay in order to compensate for the extra hours they work. They are also sometimes offered a flexible schedule to suit their needs. This can be especially helpful if they have children or other responsibilities outside of work.

A cemetery is a place to mourn and remember. It should be designed with sensitivity to the primary purpose of the place.

The lot layout should be adapted to local conditions and the desires of the lot buyers. Generally, lots should be 17 feet front and 18 feet in depth.

Site Analysis

The site analysis is a key step that helps inform every other aspect of the design process. It helps you identify opportunities, constraints and the main design considerations moving forward.

It should cover all relevant information that relates to the specific site including its location, size, topography, existing buildings, zoning regulations, infrastructure and climate. You should also consider any cultural landmarks, historic sites or other contexts that could influence the design.

Once you have gathered all this information, the next step is to examine your findings and find relationships between them. This can be a visual or iterative process that combines a number of tools to help understand the site. You should then make a list of the main information points that are most important for your project.

Programming

Cemeteries are an intriguing cultural collision point. They straddle multiple concerns such as crime, historic preservation, environmental problems and burial traditions.

Another issue is the desire to re-use older graves. While the authorities may assume that a family no longer cares about their ancestors’ graves and that re-use will not cause distress, many people view this as desecration.

More sustainable cemetery designs include green burial sections that retain native vegetation and minimize the need for excessive irrigation. These also allow for re-use of space more quickly than traditional lawn cemetery sites. However, there is a trade off between sustainability and the need to mark graves with some form of memorialization. In general, family members want to place flowers and other items on their loved ones’ graves. This reintroduces clutter to lawn cemeteries and is difficult for staff to maintain with their smaller mowers.

Theming

A cemetery or memorial park needs a variety of hardscape features to create visual impact. These include entrances, directional and cemetery rules signage, memorial plaques and personalized memorial benches.

As a result of the growing preference for cremation rather than burial, many cemeteries are offering columbarium walls. These are a space-efficient alternative to a grave and each niche in the wall can be marked with a small plaque.

Historically, the cemetery landscape was designed to be dreary with little room for native grasses. Over time, families have come to expect a manicured lawn in a cemetery. This can make it difficult for the cemetery staff to maintain the grounds. In addition, flowers and other items are often placed on the graves. This can cause distress to some family members.

Layout

The layout phase is where the cemetery design begins to take shape. The various program elements are placed in areas amenable to development and related to each other based on functional relationships.

Once a section has been laid out, it should be divided into plots of sizes adapted to the desires of the lot buyers. This is not an easy task and must be based on accurate knowledge of local conditions.

The design should consider decorative features, different shades of green and various species of flowering trees. The layout should also include directional signage to help orient visitors. In addition, the layout should provide hardscapes in proportion to softscapes, and fencing designed to follow standard protocol. The landscape should also feature special water features and memorial furniture designs.

Master Planning

Cemeteries and memorial parks need signs that help people navigate, share information, and create connections. These can include entrance signs, directional signage, cemetery rules signs, and personalized memorial plaques.

A well designed master plan optimizes land use, allows for the future expansion of a cemetery based on inventory and enables a client to balance development costs with revenue. It also increases the marketability of a cemetery by creating a beautiful and cohesive design.

Adding sustainable elements such as natural vegetation, native trees, and a green burial section can help to make a cemetery more attractive and less expensive to maintain. A green burial site uses shrouds instead of caskets, reducing the amount of grave preparation and soil erosion. This type of burial is becoming more popular as people seek to honor their ancestors in environmentally sensitive ways.

A cemetery is a place where people are buried. It is a special and unique place that requires respect for the dead and those who visit.

Many modern cemeteries are expansive landscapes located far from densely populated areas and outside of town or city centers. They are also often independent of churches and religious organizations.

Definition

A cemetery is a place where people are buried. It may also be known as a graveyard or burial ground. Cemeteries are primarily responsible for the sale of physical burial rights such as plots, crypts or niches and providing labor to perform the opening and closing of the ground in conjunction with a burial as well as memorialization of the deceased through a designated marker (headstone, tomb stone or mausoleum). These services are typically provided by individuals who work at the cemetery and are commonly referred to as cemeterians.

Burial records are kept in a cemetery and can be accessed by the public. This is an important resource for genealogy research. However, there is a practical problem with this approach because it is extremely difficult to locate living descendants of older graves decades after their initial purchase and re-use may occur without family awareness or consent. In some cases, families will pay additional money to avoid the re-use of their loved one’s old grave but this is not always possible.

History

When people die they are typically buried in cemeteries. Until recently, they were buried in church graveyards but as population growth caused these burial grounds to fill up, independent sites called cemeteries began to appear. They are usually located away from towns and cities as they are not affiliated with any particular church or religion.

The earliest cemetery landscapes were inspired by the rural cemetery movement that was established because urban churchyards had become unsightly, overcrowded and unhealthy places. They were considered breeding grounds for disease and had a general unkempt appearance.

The next phase of modern cemetery development was inspired by public parks. During this time, cemetery landscapes were designed to look like lush gardens. Mourners would often leave flowers on the headstone of their loved ones. In the modern era, some of these floral tributes are taken care of by family members while others are handled by the staff. There are even new designs of columbarium walls that incorporate clips beside each plaque to hold a single flower or small posy of greenery.

Locations

In a city as teeming with life as New York, it should come as no surprise that the five boroughs house one of the most populous graveyards in the world. While a visit to the cemetery is often not high on tourists’ list of things to do in NYC, many of the locations are becoming park-like green spaces where people can come to relax and explore.

The most common type of cemetery is a public cemetery, which is owned by the city or county and offers more options than a traditional graveyard. This type of cemetery is typically accessible to all people and may offer a range of services, including burial planning and monuments.

Private cemeteries are also common, and some families choose to bury a loved one on their estates rather than at a public cemetery. Extremely accurate burial plot maps are critical for ensuring that all available space within a lot is being utilized.

Rules

Most cemeteries have specific rules about flowers, decorations and other items. Call or visit the office to find out what those rules are. In general, the cemetery caretakers want visitors to keep flowers, plants and other items neat, tidy and free of trash and debris. They also like to avoid having to work around unruly children running and playing in and around the graves, monuments or other markers.

If a burial vault or casket is damaged in the course of disinterment, the cemetery will try to restore the entombed remains and the grave, lot or plot to the condition in which it existed prior to disinterment. If not possible, the Cemetery will bill the owner of the lot or grave for the cost of restoration. The same is true of memorials, if they become unwieldy or otherwise difficult to maintain. Likewise, any private contractors working in the cemetery should be prepared to interrupt their work if a funeral procession is nearing.