What should I do when a loved one dies?
When death occurs, after you provide for the initial care of the body by calling the appropriate authorities, if applicable, and the physician, you then should call the funeral home of your choice to make an appointment to discuss the funeral arrangements. You then need to call the cemetery and make an appointment to finalize the burial arrangements. Once the “business” calls are made you should then call the relatives of the deceased to begin the process of notifying the family.
How soon after death should a person be buried?
Laws vary from state to state and some limit the maximum time allowed before final disposition of an un-embalmed body. However, today many funeral homes have refrigeration available and can keep a body for an indefinite amount of time. If a traditional funeral is desired some of the things that must be considered include; securing official permits and authorizations, placement of death notices, notifying friends and family, preparation of the burial site and religious requirements. Your funeral director will be well-versed on the regulations.
What happens to a grave site after burial?
Graves are filled in a three step process after the interment. After each third of the grave dirt is placed back into the grave, the soil is tamped and compacted. Settling may occur but is kept to a minimum due to the procedures used to compact the soil. Graves in grass areas are sodded or seeded in the Spring or in the Fall (generally during the months of March through May and September through November). If there is concern about the appearance of the grave, please notify the cemetery office and we can discuss it with you.
What are Interment Fees?
Interment Fees or “opening and closing charges” as they are mistakenly called, represent the cost of the services performed by cemetery personnel. When our office is initially called by a family member to alert us that a death has occurred a series of events begin.
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Administration and permanent record keeping
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Determine interment rights
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Meet with the next of kin to arrange burial
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Obtain permission and complete necessary documents
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Enter the interment details in the interment register
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Maintain all legal files
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Update existing files to reflect the pending burial
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Accounting services
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Physical opening and closing of the grave
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Locate and lay out the boundaries of the grave
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Remove and re-install existing grave marker, if applicable
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Excavate and backfill the space
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Install and remove the lowering device
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Place and remove canopy, artificial grass, chairs, water
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Level, tamp, re-grade, level and maintain the gravesite as it settles
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Maintenance for the heavy equipment necessary to perform this work
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Use of the backhoe, backhoe operator, dump truck, other equipment
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Lead-in service to grave on day of funeral
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Cemetery attendant at the Committal Service
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What is an outer burial container?
An outer burial container (OBC) is what the casket is placed into once lowered into the grave. OBC’s are a requirement of the cemetery. The main purpose of the outer burial container is to keep the surface of the grave from collapsing into the burial chamber, thereby, creating a safety and maintenance issue. Families have a choice of outer burial containers. They can be made of concrete and steel with a lid that seals to protect the casket and body from the elements. These types of outer burial containers are called sealed vaults. Outer burial containers can also be made of concrete and steel but with a lid that does not seal. There are also outer burial containers made of an artificial poly material.The time to get more detailed information about these products and others necessary for burial is before the time of need when you are thinking clearly.
May I make the necessary arrangements in advance?
Yes, you can make all necessary arrangements in advance. Planning ahead is highly recommended. It allows you the opportunity to plan the type of service you want. It is especially recommended to plan ahead if you desire cremation. When you make your decisions in advance, you are free of emotional stress and better able to make financial decisions. And, you relieve your spouse or children or next of kin of the burden. Another advantage is that by planning ahead you have the opportunity to pay for your needs over time, with monthly payments that will fit into your budget. If you wait until the time of need to make burial arrangements, you will be asked to pay all expenses in full, before the day of burial. Lastly, by planning today, you don’t pay the higher prices, due to inflation, tomorrow.
When I buy a grave, do I receive a deed?
No. The purchase of a grave is really the purchase of the “Interment Right” which is the right to designate who may be buried in that grave and what kind of memorial is to be placed, subject to what the cemetery’s rules permit. You’re not really purchasing the grave itself. The grave remains the property and responsibility of the cemetery.
What is care and maintenance?
Care and maintenance is the care and maintenance of the cemetery and the buildings. Maintenance can include mowing, weed eating, planting and maintaining trees, water supply system maintenance, roads, drainage, roofs, and more.
Endowed Care is different from the general, daily care and maintenance. Endowed Care or Perpetual Care, as it is sometimes referred to, is the fund from which monies will be drawn to care for the cemetery once the cemetery sells all of its graves and there is no more revenue being generated. The Endowed Care fund is built from the fee the cemetery charges purchasers at the point of the original sale of graves. The money is placed in a secure investment. Only the interest generated from the investment can be used and that money is only available once the cemetery closes. It is a guarantee that the cemetery will not become an eyesore over time and the roads, trees and grass will be maintained.
What are my in-ground burial options?
When selecting traditional ground burial for interment, there are three basic components: the grave, the memorial and the outer burial container. All are available directly through the cemetery.
Individual and family graves are available throughout our grounds.
Lawn-level bronze or granite memorials are personalized with the name and dates of birth and death.They provide a distinctive remembrance and are permitted throughout the cemetery. Upright monuments are allowed in specially designated sections of the cemetery.
Burial containers serve to maintain the earth above the burial from collapsing into the grave. They also protect the casket from the elements. Some outer burial containers are made of concrete and steel and seal to make them impervious to water and other elements under ground. These are commonly referred to as “vaults”. Another choice would be an outer burial container made of concrete and steel but do not seal. These are usually less costly than burial vaults that seal.
Must purchases be paid for in full at the time of selection?
If there is an immediate need, yes, you will be asked to pay for the grave the interment fee and outer burial container. If there has been no death, you can pay in monthly installments that would be calculated to fit your budget.
What is usually required for a crypt entombment?
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The Crypt
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The Entombment Fee
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A bronze memorial plaque or inscription
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Embalming of the body and a casket is required for entombment.
Does it cost more for an in-ground burial or crypt entombment?
In some cases, it can cost more for in-ground burial than it does for crypt entombment. It depends on the location of the grave, the type of memorialization and the outer burial container selected. However, mausoleum crypts are usually more expensive than ground burial. However, because of how mausoleums are built today, the cost is not as high as in the past and can be surprisingly affordable.
What are the mausoleum crypts like?
Once exclusively for the wealthy and famous, today the advantages of above-ground burial are well within the reach of all Catholic families.
Each crypt is a clean, dry, vented chamber constructed of steel reinforced concrete. There is a venting system built into the design of mausoleum crypts. The purpose of the venting system is to allow air to flow around the body to aid in the evaporation of the moisture the body will expel. Bacteria needs moisture to survive. Eliminate the moisture and you retard the decomposition process of the body.
After each entombment, the crypt is sealed with a panel and then the crypt front is put in place. The front is secured by bronze rosettes that require a specially designed hand tool to remove.
Crypt ownership provides year round visitation, regardless of the weather, in a beautiful, inspirational setting.
We offer a variety of configurations and styles for individual, companion and family crypts. The cost of these options depends on your selection of style, where the crypt is on the wall and the location of the crypt in the building.
Cast bronze memorial plaque and space for a floral tribute are available.
Do you provide Death Certificates?
We are unable to provide death certificates, They can be obtained through the Pima County Health Department, 3950 S. Country Club Rd. Suite 100, Tucson, Az., 85714. Telephone: 520-724-7770