Month: July 2025

A cemetery is a place for people to be laid to rest. Cemeteries are usually separate from churches and are often found in rural areas.

Various factors influence how a cemetery looks and functions. Some of these factors include: location, architecture, and history. Visiting a cemetery can be an emotional experience, and it is important to keep in mind cemetery etiquette.

Aesthetics

A cemetery is a place of memorial for the deceased and also provides an interesting source of historical data. Many local councils provide online indexes to their burial records. These typically include a list of names extracted from grave monuments and may include a low resolution image of the headstone.

Many people visit their family’s graves frequently and leave flowers and other objects on the monument or headstone. This creates a maintenance problem in the cemetery and can damage or degrade the monument or headstone. Newer columbarium walls may incorporate clips beside each plaque allowing a small posy of flowers to be left without creating the maintenance problems associated with leaving them on the tops of the wall of plaques.

Empirical aesthetics, a branch of philosophy, investigates how the physical properties of things provoke aesthetic responses such as pleasure and displeasure. This approach veers away from the definition of beauty given by the Oxford English Dictionary and more closely approaches the fields of cognitive psychology and neuroscience.

Function

A cemetery’s primary function is to provide dignified care to individuals buried within its grounds and to offer comfort to those who visit to remember and pay their respects. It is also responsible for the sale and management of physical burial rights (plots, crypts, niches), memorialization and ongoing maintenance of the cemetery grounds and facilities.

It may be owned by a religious order, municipality, fraternal organization or association, individual or corporation and the ownership structure determines the mix of available burial options, memorialization and legacy services offered. A cemetery’s policies, practices and Rules and Regulations govern the use of land within the cemetery.

A cemetery may include a columbarium wall for cremains interred in individual spaces, which are much more cost-efficient than traditional graves. A columbarium wall typically includes a number of niches, each with a plaque that can be purchased and engraved. The cemetery may also sell urns to hold cremated remains. Alternatively, families may choose to keep cremated remains at home.

History

During the 19th century, as populations rapidly increased, churchyard burial grounds became overcrowded and unsanitary. As a result, the cemetery–a separate location for the dead–became increasingly popular. These cemeteries usually included large areas of grass, and extravagant statues. Some were designed to look like parks, and people began to visit them for picnics and other activities.

Cemetery authorities often struggle with how to manage the graves of the deceased. They may need to re-use older graves when the space becomes too full, but they must do so carefully. There are often local descendants who object to re-use and will mount a public campaign against it.

The foliage in a cemetery has also undergone significant evolution over time. Initially Hillhouse planted Lombardy poplars in the New Haven Cemetery, giving the town its nickname of “the Elm City.” Today the cemetery is filled with a variety of trees and shrubs. Some are more than 100 years old and still bearing fruit. Others have been damaged by ice storms, high winds, and drought.

Location

A cemetery is an area that has been specifically designed and adapted to the burial practice of its community. It may be owned by a municipality, religious order, fraternal organization, association or individual. Its owners and their preferences determine the mix of services, memorial options and other legacy features available.

Graveyards and cemeteries vary in their appearance and functionality. They can be categorized according to the type of burial options and memorialization allowed, services provided, religious affiliation, and ownership structure.

It is not unusual for families to keep the graves of their ancestors at their homes (a burying ground), in a family plot next to their church (a churchyard), or even in a public space that was unaffiliated with a specific religion (a cemetery). Many of these early burial grounds have been absorbed into the larger modern cemetery system. These days, there are also “natural” burial grounds where graves are left to decompose in the wild.

More than a century ago, the site of Memorial Park was a military training camp. Today, it is one of the largest parks within a major city.

When visitors enter, they encounter a quiet space with a serene interior. This transition from the outside to the inner space evokes emotional tension.

History

Memorial parks are serene, beautiful spaces dedicated to remembering and honoring loved ones who have passed away. They also provide a peaceful place for quiet meditation and an environment that respects the natural world.

In 1945, Clarke County offered 54 and one-half wooded acres south of Athens for sale. The site had previously been the county’s Fairhaven Tuberculosis Sanitarium.

The park’s newest development, Clay Family Eastern Glades, preserves the site’s original ecosystem and includes 550 new native trees. It will also feature two “learning rooms” defined by low-lying perimeter shrubs. These are designed to align with cultural celebrations four times a year, including Hispanic Heritage Month and Diwali.

Submariners Monument

Across the world, submariners are commemorated in many ways. Whether the monument takes the form of a stately monolith, heroic statuary or grimly simple metal artifact, each conveys a sense of a nation’s pride in the deeds and heroism of its submarine service.

In Groton, Connecticut, a conning tower of the USS Flasher (SS-249) has been preserved as a memorial to the submariners who died in World War II. Other navies have also saved submarine conning towers as tributes to their submarine forces. A periscope, bridge and shears of the USS Batfish are in the National Museum of Submarine History at Den Helder, Netherlands.

Korean War Monument

The memorial’s centerpiece is a 15-foot-high black granite stele with a soldier’s shape cut out of its center. The stele is flanked by a mural wall and the names of 36,634 U.S. service members and 7,174 Korean Augmentation to the United States Army soldiers who lost their lives in the three-year war.

A pond and pool of Remembrance lie beyond the statues, and a curb along one side of the memorial features an alphabetical list of 22 nations that contributed troops to the war. A kiosk containing the Honor Roll computer displays information and photographs for servicemen who were killed or missing in action during the conflict.

Gold Star Monument

The Gold Star Monument is a black granite tribute with four panels that tell the community’s story through the Pillars of Home, Family, Patriot, and Sacrifice. Each panel features a scene that reflects the community’s fallen heroes, and at the center of each is a simple cut out silhouette of a soldier standing in salute.

The term “gold star family” originated during World War I when families displayed service flags featuring a blue star for every immediate family member who was serving in the military. If a family lost a loved one in battle, the star was replaced with a gold star to honor their ultimate sacrifice and to acknowledge their loss and grief.

One Army Soldier Statue

The newest monument in the park, this smooth black granite memorial is a quiet and thought-provoking piece. It honors families who have lost loved ones in the service of our country and is a reminder of the need to serve and protect.

Unlike the usual soldier statues that depict them in heroic poses, this one is not a glamorized warrior, rather it is a gloomy figure pointing his gun downward and hoping for peace over combat. This is what a true memorial should be.

Sculptor Felix de Weldon created the full-size plaster model for this monument. It was then cut into 108 pieces, which were cast in bronze and welded at Bedi-Rassy Art Foundry in Brooklyn, a process that took nearly three years.

Peace Statue

The Peace Statue is the focal point of Memorial Park, and it embodies a shared desire for peace. The monument pays tribute to Sadako Sasaki, a young girl who died from leukemia a decade after the atomic bombing. She spent her final days folding paper cranes, which are believed to grant a wish.

The statue has become an international symbol for peace, and millions of origami cranes are offered each year. It also serves as a reminder of the horrors of nuclear war.

Designed by architect Tange Kenzo, the memorial museum teaches visitors about Japan before and after the bombing through pictures, movies, lifelike models, and exhibits.

The Bureau licenses funeral establishments and their directors; embalmers and apprentices; cemetery brokers, salespersons and managers; cremation facilities and their operators. It also investigates consumer/licensee complaints and provides examination services, licensing information and training for funeral professionals.

Job duties, education and pay for funeral service workers vary by state. Learn about these differences here.

Locations

The Bureau licenses and regulates 13 different licensing categories: funeral establishments and their directors; embalmers and apprentice embalmers; cemetery brokers, salespersons, and managers; cremated remains disposers and crematoriums; and burial grounds. It advocates consumer protection and licensee compliance through proactive education and consistent interpretation and application of the laws governing the death care industry.

A room in a funeral home where visitors view the body; also known as a visitation chamber. The remains of the deceased reduced by intense heat and flame to ash and bone fragments; also known as cremation.

A book made available by the funeral director for recording names of people who pay their respects to the deceased during the visitation period and at the service. The names are used to notify relatives and friends who may wish to attend. A portion of the burial plot cost set aside in a trust fund to pay for future funeral expenses. Typically, a family’s choice of funeral provider is indicated in the obituary.

Services

The funeral services profession prepares the body for burial or cremation; arranges funeral ceremonies; provides support and assistance to family members; records and files legal documents; assists survivors with insurance and social security claims; and helps communities adjust to loss through after care services. Professionals in this field are licensed by State boards and follow strict health related rules.

Licensing requirements for funeral directors and embalmers vary by State. Those interested in entering this career should contact the licensing agency for their State for specific information. In addition, the American Board of Funeral Service Education offers a Scholarship program to help students with tuition costs.

HRA’s Office of Burial Services (OBS) can provide financial assistance for funeral expenses incurred by low-income New York City residents. Payment may be authorized for funeral expenses that have already been paid or pre-approval for payment may be granted for the cost of a planned funeral. To apply, you must submit an original itemized funeral contract signed by the Funeral Director and stamped “Paid-in-Full.” You also must submit an affidavit that verifies your income.

Pricing

Planning end-of-life arrangements is a complicated task that can involve many decisions and expenses. Many consumers have questions about how much things cost, and they need accurate information to make choices that fit within their budgets.

The federal Funeral Rule requires that funeral homes give you a General Price List (GPL) at the beginning of any face-to-face discussion about funeral goods and services. The funeral home must also show you a Casket Price List if you ask for it. If you ask for a GPL by telephone or mail, the funeral home must send it to you to keep.

Some funeral homes try to hide their prices by lumping them into other charges. For example, some have “required” casket fees that are the same as or higher than the price of a casket they sell. This is an illegal practice, and you should refuse to sign a contract with such a charge. It is better to choose a funeral home that openly discloses their prices.

Insurance

Millions of Americans enter into pre-arrangement contracts and prepay for funeral goods and services. Many states have laws to help ensure that these advance funds are available when needed. Some require that a percentage of the advance payments be placed in a state-regulated trust or in an insurance policy assigned to the funeral establishment.

A funeral trust is a good option if you want the peace of mind that comes from knowing your final arrangements are paid for. The downside is that your beneficiaries could end up paying more in premiums than the death benefit they receive from the trust.

Burial insurance, on the other hand, is a life insurance policy that pays out a guaranteed amount to your funeral home or other provider. It can offset inflation and save your loved ones from having to make decisions at a time of grief. However, burial insurance policies typically have lower death benefits than life insurance plans and are more expensive to buy.