Cemetery Rules and Regulations

Thank you for choosing St. Mary’s Cemetery as the resting place for your loved one. The following is a list of regulations that will help us serve you to the best of our ability and to maintain the reverence and the beauty of the cemetery.

General Guidelines



Potted plants shall be positioned close to the front of the marker. Only one 6” or 8” will be permitted per grave.

Where monuments are allowed, only annual plants and artificial plants may be placed in a box directly in front of raised family marker. Beds may not exceed the width of the memorial or extend further out than 12”. Families are to provide regular care of plantings; otherwise, removal will be necessary should unsightliness prevail. ALL OTHER PLANTINGS ARE STRICTLY PROHIBITED AND WILL BE DISCARDED. THIS WILL INCLUDE ANY UNAUTHORIZED TREE, BUSHES AND EVERGREENS.

American flags may be placed on graves the week of Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veteran’s Day. ALL NATURAL DECORATIONS in boxes, pots will be removed around October 25. If you wish to save them, please make arrangements to pick them up before this date.

EVERGREEN BLANKETS AND PILLOWS ARE NOT PERMITTED AT ANY TIME because they tend to deplete the oxygen supply to the grass creating discoloration and loss.

The period from March 1 to April 25 is traditionally used by the cemetery to clean up the grounds and prepare the cemetery for spring. Insofar as possible, we ask that you refrain from placing new decorations during this period. All Christmas, fall and winter decorations will be removed by March 1. The removal of natural decorations will take place by October 25 for the beautification of the cemetery and to keep it as maintenance free as possible during the winter operation. 

Decorations are removed when they fail to comply to the size and /or material limitations stated herein.

When decorations become unsightly or withered, they are discarded on a regular weekly basis for the best appearance of your lot and cemetery at sole discretion of the Cemetery Maintenance Personnel. We wish to serve you to the best of our ability, keeping in mind the reverence and beauty of the entire cemetery. DECORATIONS WILL REMAIN ON THE GRAVES AS LONG AS THEIR APPEARANCE IS PRESENTABLE. Exception is all items will be removed during the spring/fall clean-up periods.

When several decorations are placed on a grave at one time, Quality, not quantity, makes beauty. Please arrange a schedule with the family members so that there is only one decoration placed on a grave at a time. On monuments lots, a single decoration in front of the headstone is preferable rather than one on an individual grave.

Since the cemetery is open to the public, it is difficult to control the activity of every visitor. We regret that we cannot guarantee decorations from damage or disappearance.  St. Mary’s is not responsible for any vandalism.

Note: Cemetery hours are dawn to dusk.

All decoration regulations exist to protect the conscientious lot holder. While we cannot agree completely on decoration rules, the cemetery has tried to establish and enforce them fairly and uniformly.

Please park on the roads, not on the grass.

Please do not outline graves or memorials by stripping a border of sod around the grave. Also outlining graves or memorials with metal frames or crushed stone is not permitted. This is destructive to mowers and can cause serious injury when metal or stones are picked up and hurled by the mower blades.

ALL FORMS OF DECORATIONS NOT SPECIFICALLY PERMITTED ABOVE WILL BE REMOVED. This includes jars, bottles, crockery, statuary, cans, ornaments, papier mache and similar items.

 Please use the refuse containers throughout the cemetery

MAUSOLEUMS

As attractive as mausoleums may be, there is not a practical way that individual crypts may be decorated. The appearance of flowers taped to crypt fronts hardly adds to the beauty of the facility, no matter how thoughtful the remembrance may be. So that the overall beauty of the mausoleum will not be marred, the placement of decorations or any other remembrances on crypt fronts will eventually damage the polished finish and are not permitted. Decorations in foyers, niches corridors, etc. are likewise prohibited.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

Prior to purchasing new gravestones for the cemetery, a diagram must be faxed to the rectory from the monument company. This draft must be approved by the cemetery committee before installation may occur.

Granite foundations are required for all stone installations, please call the rectory for details. Prices vary by size of stone. Graves may not be sold to another party.  Any unwanted graves must be sold back to St. Mary’s Cemetery for the original purchase price. St. Mary’s Cemetery then may choose to resell the grave sites. This is necessary so that proper records may be kept.

Newer Section of Cemetery

East of Road (Near Altar, Niches and Baby section)

In this section, only headstones are allowed. The headstones may be either single stones or double stones. Large family monuments of any kind are not allowed in this section.

Please contact the rectory at 815-467-2233 for more information.