Burial Services
When your loved one has chosen to be buried, the ceremonies you design revolve around the casket being present. Traditions may be followed, with a viewing, and then a funeral service in the chapel.
A private service at the graveside could then follow these more public events. But let’s just say this: there is no ‘hard and fast’ formula for honoring your loved one when burial has been selected. We’re here to listen to your concerns, share our experience, and help you to arrive at the perfect way to gather together, prior to your loved one's interment in a cemetery of your choice.
Cemetery Types
Cremation refers solely to the manner in which you or your loved one has chosen to deal with the physical remains. It doesn’t limit the ways you can honor your loved one's life. We heartily suggest that you have a funeral or memorial service because your need for such a healing experience is not lessened by the decision to be cremated.
Monumental cemetery: A monumental cemetery is the traditional style of cemetery where headstones or other monuments made of marble or granite rise vertically above the ground. There are countless different types of designs for headstones, ranging from very simple, to large and complex.
Lawn cemetery: A lawn cemetery is where each grave is marked with a small commemorative plaque that is placed horizontally at the head of the grave at ground-level. Families can still be involved in the design and in choosing the information contained on the plaque, but in most cases, the plaques are a standard design.
Mausoleum: A mausoleum is an external, free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb, or the tomb may be considered to be within the mausoleum.
Columbarium: Columbarium walls are generally reserved for cremated remains. While cremated remains can be kept at home by families, or scattered somewhere significant to the deceased, a columbarium provides friends and family a place to come to visit. Columbarium walls do not take up a lot of space and a cheaper alternative to a burial plot.
Natural cemeteries: Natural cemeteries, also known as eco-cemeteries or green cemeteries, are a new style of cemetery set aside for natural burials. Natural burials are motivated by the desire to be environmentally conscious. While natural burials can be performed at any type of cemetery, they are usually done in a natural woodland area. Conventional markings, such as headstones, are generally replaced with a tree, bush, or the placement of a natural stone.
Burial FAQ
What is opening and closing, and why are there fees for it?
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.
Can we dig our own grave to avoid the charge for opening and closing?
The actual opening and closing of the grave is just one component of the opening and closing fee. Due to safety issues which arise around the use of machinery on cemetery property, and the protection of other gravesites, the actual opening and closing of the grave is conducted by cemetery grounds personnel only.
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. Contact your local funeral provider for more details.
Does a body have to be embalmed before it is buried?
No. Embalming is generally a choice, one which depends on factors like if there is to be an open casket viewing of the body, or if there will be an extended time between death and internment. Public health laws may require embalming if the body is going to be transported by air or rail.
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.
Must I purchase a burial vault?
Most large, active cemeteries have regulations that require the use of a basic grave liner for maintenance and safety purposes. Either a grave liner or a burial vault will satisfy these requirements. Some smaller rural or churchyard cemeteries do not require use of a container to surround the casket in the grave.
Local Cemeteries
HILLSIDE CEMETERY
"Hillside is a non-sectarian, not-for-profit cemetery governed by the laws of the State of New York. We offer traditional burial as well as mausoleum crypts. Those choosing cremation have the choice of mausoleum niches or cremation graves. One of our staff will be happy to meet with you to walk the grounds, explore these options, and answer questions you may have. "
1033 Oregon Rd.Cortlandt Manor, NY 10567
(914) 737-2929
Rose Hills Memorial Park
"Established in 1930 as a non-profit organization, Rose Hills Memorial Park is located on a mountainside overlooking the lovely, wooded hills of Westchester and Putnam Counties. Rose Hills is non-sectarian and serves all faiths. Encompassing nearly 100 rolling acres, both Rose Hills and King David are widely considered to be among New York’s most naturally beautiful cemeteries."
101 Mill St, Putnam Valley, NY 10579
(845) 528-3516
ASSUMPTION CATHOLIC CEMETERY
"Our Catholic beliefs teach us that all human remains shall be interred in a proper burial space. Assumption Cemetery provides the option for burial of cremated remains, both in the ground, and now, in an above ground columbarium. The Stations of the Cross Columbaria Garden will be available for the entombment of cremated remains. In addition to the purchase of a niche, the Memorialization of each Station will also be available."
1055 Oregon Rd. Cortlandt Manor NY 10567
(914) 736-5981
GATE OF HEAVEN
"Over the course of its existence, Gate of Heaven Cemetery has interred over 190,000 Catholics and members of their families in graves, private family and community mausoleum crypts, and cremation niches located within the community mausoleum complexes. Today the cemetery averages over 2,200 interment services each year."
10 West Stevens Avenue Hawthorne, NY 10532
(914) 769-3672
