Burial Services

There are many burial options available in both upright and flat marker sections in our Cemeteries.

When you purchase a lot in a cemetery, you are not actually buying the property, but the right to use the land either for your own interment or for the interment of a loved one. An ‘Interment Rights Certificate’ describing the location, size monetary value and interment capacity will be issued to you within 30 days of payment. We advise our Interment Rights holders to inform the Cemetery of who will inherit this right in the future.

Casket graves in Mount Pleasant and Oakland Cemeteries will accommodate one casket and 4 cremation urns, however, you should consider the memorialization limitations per grave at the time of purchase.

Vaults for casket interments in our cemeteries are optional, but can be purchased from us. Mount Pleasant and Oakland Cemeteries accommodate burials year round.

Burial FAQ

What is opening and closing?
Opening and closing fees can include up to and beyond 50 separate services provided by the cemetery.  Typically, the opening and closing fees include administration and permanent record keeping (determining ownership, obtaining permission, and the completion of other documentation which may be required, entering the interment particulars in the interment register, maintaining all legal files), opening and closing the grave (locating the grave and laying out the boundaries, excavating and filling the interment space), installation and removal of the lowering device, placement and removal of artificial grass dressing and coco-matting at the grave site, leveling, tamping, re-grading and sodding the grave site, and leveling and re-sodding the grave if the earth settles. 

Why is having a place to visit so important?
To remember, and to be remembered.  A permanent memorial in a cemetery provides a focal point for remembrance and memorializing the deceased.  Memorialization of the dead is a key component in almost every culture.  Psychologists say that remembrance practices serve an important emotional function for survivors by helping them bring closure, which allows the healing process to begin. The provision of a permanent resting place is an important part of this process.

What happens when a cemetery runs out of land?
When a cemetery runs out of land, it will continue to operate and serve the community.  Most cemeteries have crematoriums, and some historic cemeteries even offer guided tours.

In a hundred years, will this cemetery still be there?
We think of cemetery lands as being in perpetuity.  There are cemeteries throughout the world that have been in existence for hundreds of years.

How soon after a death must an individual be buried?
There is no law that states a specific time-span for burial.  Considerations that will affect the timeline include: the need to secure all permits and authorizations; notification of family and friends; preparation of cemetery site, and religious considerations.  Public heath laws may limit the maximum amount of time allowed to pass prior to final disposition..

What options are available besides ground burial?
Besides ground burial, some cemeteries offer interment in lawn crypts or entombment in mausoleums.  In addition, most cemeteries provide options for those who have selected cremation.  These often include placement of cremated remains in a niche of a columbarium or interment in an urn space. 

What are burial vaults and grave liners?
These are the outside containers into which the casket is placed.  Burial vaults are designed to protect the casket and may be made of a variety of materials, including concrete, stainless steel, galvanized steel, copper, bronze, plastic, or fiberglass.  A grave liner is a lightweight version of a vault which keeps the grave surface from sinking in.The purchase of a vault is purely a personal choice. Mount Pleasant and Oakland Cemeteries do not require the use of a vault.

There are alternatives to burial. See Cremation Services

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