All burial information is uploaded online you can click the button for burial locations, dates etc.
The Mount Pleasant City Cemetery is considered a public park. All rules, laws, and regulations in the Mount Pleasant City Municipal Code that apply to public parks also apply to the Cemetery.
Hours of Operation
The cemetery grounds are open every day of the year including holidays. Cemetery grounds hours are from Dawn to Dusk.
Visitors
Visitors are welcome and encouraged to walk the grounds.
Animals, at large are not permitted those restrained to aleash are permitted in the cemetery as posted and in accordance to Mount Pleasant Municipal Code.
General Information
The first burial at the Mount Pleasant City Cemetery was in 1860.
In addition to these duties, the Cemetery Division also maintains burial records and is charged with the duties relevant to the sale of burial spaces to the general public. Patrons have the option of purchasing a Full Burial/Cremation per grave, there are NO double burials.
Cemetery Division personnel are known for their extreme care and sensitivity to patrons and visitors alike. The Cemetery Division is also responsible for the perpetual maintenance of the City Cemetery grounds which include irrigation, mowing, edging, tree care, turf care, maintenance of service roads, and general upkeep of the grounds.
Prior Notice Requirement
To properly prepare the gravesite for interment a minimum of 72 hours (3 full days) notice must be given prior to the burial. In extreme weather conditions and during multiple overlapping requests additional time may be required to prepare the grave for burial. Always contact the cemetery staff for scheduling a burial.
Cemetery Holidays
The cemetery does not perform burials or schedule funerals on scheduled city holidays and Sundays.
Holidays Closures
New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Saturday before Memorial Day, Memorial Day, Independance Day, Pioneer Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Purchase of Burial Positions
The sexton has a list of burial positions that are available for sale. The cemetery has 2 categories of burial positions:
Standard interment
Cremains interment
Individuals come to the City Administrative Offices and meet with the sexton to decide the location of the positions they would like to purchase. The sexton will write down the Block, Lot and Position numbers for the individuals and then the individuals will pay for the positions. Full purchase price is required at the time of the sale. Partial payments are not accepted.
A Certificate of Burial Right, sometimes called a Deed, is then created by a city sexton that identifies the positions that have been purchased.
A copy of the Certificate of Burial Right is mailed to the purchaser.
Upon completion of the purchase procedures the sexton makes a plot sheet listing the positions purchased and the owner of the positions. The plot sheet is filed in the cemetery records office and used for recording the future grave assignments of the positions purchased by the plot sheet owner.
The current fee schedule is listed here.
The Mount Pleasant City Municipal Code concerning cemeteries is located here.
Opening and Closing of a Grave
Digging of the grave begins once the location of the grave has been established. A typical grave is 40 inches wide and 8 feet long. A template is used that measures the size of the grave. The template is cut around and the grass is lifted by using hand spades or a motorized sod cutter.
The grass is preserved and set off to the side to be replaced after the grave is completed. All full sized graves are dug with the use of a backhoe.
Graves are to be dug 6 feet to allow for 3 feet of cover. Graves should be deep enough to insure that there is sufficient room for the soil and grass to be placed over the vault after it has been placed in the grave to maintain protection of the vault and allow the grass to grow properly.
The soil removed from the hole is stored on the property at a remote location leaving the area around the gravesite level. Plywood is placed over the opening until the vault company arrives.
On the day of the burial the selected vault company arrives many hours in advance to set the vault and equipment in the opening and make the gravesite presentable for the service. The vault company places aluminum planking covered with artificial grass mats around the opening to prevent soil and people from slipping into the hole making the area as attractive and as safe as possible. They typically erect a shade tent with seating for the family of the deceased. The vault company personnel usually stand by until the graveside service is over, and then they complete the casket lowering and vault sealing processes.
After the vault lid is in place the cemetery staff shovel soil into the hole making sure that the soil around the sides of the vault are tamped to prevent the ground from sinking. A motorized compactor is used to compact the soil. Once the grass has been placed on the grave the grass and soil are compacted to level the burial spot to the original elevation. The grave is then complete.
Graveside Services
Cemetery employees will assist the family and morticians in any way possible during a graveside service. The operation of lawnmowers and other equipment will be discontinued if the noise they generate distracts from the graveside service. Cemetery employees will not approach the gravesite until the family has left the area. The cemetery sexton will provide protocol training to the other cemetery employees regarding these matters.
Vault Requirements
According to the Mount Pleasant City code, it is unlawful for any person to be buried in the city cemetery unless the casket shall be placed in a concrete, steel or brick lined vault substantially constructed and covered with a substantial concrete or steel top or lid. No wood shall be used in the construction of any part of any vault. All Containers must be sealed.
Grave Marker Placement
It is unlawful for any person to erect or place or cause to be placed any marker or markers on any lot in the cemetery unless the same is placed on a good concrete foundation four inches (4″) deep or deeper, and such marker shall be placed or erected under the supervision of the city sexton. All such markers so placed in the cemetery must be placed flush with the lawn. All Graves will be marked prior to placement of the gravemarker.
The markers must be securely set in a cement foundation and with a cement lawn strip not less than four inches (4″) wide around such marker. There shall be no other monuments or other structures placed upon any lot or lots except as provided in subsection B of this section.
Raised Markers: Such markers may be placed under the same conditions as are required for flush markers, except that the foundation for raised markers shall be six inches (6″) deep or deeper. Raised markers shall not exceed thirty-six inches (36″) in height above the lawn.
When a person is buried, the body is traditionally placed so that the head rests on the west side of the grave. Therefore, all headstones are placed on the west side of the grave, above the head of the deceased. A married couple is traditionally laid to rest with the man on the woman’s right. Care must be taken when planning for the headstone engraving. The names of the deceased may be engraved on either the west or the east side of the stone. No marker is to be placed on the east end of the grave. When a grave marker is being placed in the center of the grave, such as a military marker or an infant marker, it must be flush with the ground.
Flowers on Graves
The following procedures are followed for maintaining and disposing of flowers on graves:
Fresh cut flowers will remain on graves until they appear to be out of condition as determined by cemetery personnel. Once the flowers are no longer attractive, the cemetery crew will dispose of the flowers and the container provided for them.
Containers of flowers will remain on the grave for a period of at least one week following the graveside service. If flowers still look nice, they may remain longer. If family members request flowers to be disposed of at any time, cemetery personnel will accommodate them.
Plastic flowers are allowed to be placed in the cemetery, provided they are placed in the headstone flower holes so as to allow maintenance of cemetery grounds. Plastic flowers may be removed at any time if they are determined to be unsightly or create maintenance problems. Items placed in the cemetery for Memorial Day will be removed seven days after Memorial Day. All Holiday Decorations placed during the winter months need to be removed by March 1st or they will be removed by city crews.
Permanent Decorations
Permanent decorations are those intended to remain at the grave site for periods in access of 30 days. These items usually include shepherd hooks (vertical structures), solar lighting, artificial flowers, flags and memorabilia.
In order to provide a high standard of care with a limited staff it is necessary to implement guidelines governing all permanent decorations. All shepherd hooks, works of art and solar lights must be approved by the Sexton before installation. If not approved they cannot be installed!
Only one (1) Shepherd Hook (vertical structure) is allowed for each burial position.
We ask patrons to remove any shepherd hooks that violate this
We ask patrons to gain approval from the cemetery sexton before installing a shepherd
Shepherd hooks must be installed touching the concrete base or stone or inserted directly into the concrete base or
No shepherd hook or item hanging from the shepherd hook can protrude beyond the boundary of the stone or concrete
No shepherd hook or item hanging from the shepherd hook can exceed six feet in height from the ground
No permanent decoration may be placed on the grass outside of the headstone or concrete mowing
Ground Elevation or Flush Grave markers installed in the mow path must remain free from all decorations March through October. However, these markers may be decorated according to the Memorial Day
March through October: All decorations displayed on the grass or that spill out onto the grass will be discarded by the Cemetery
Outlining of the gravesite using bricks, rocks, concrete, flowers or any other decoration or device is prohibited. This prevents the cemetery staff from mowing and trimming the site.
All decorations are subject to removal and disposal by cemetery staff when they are determined to be unsightly or create maintenance problems. These guidelines are intended to provide a cemetery facility with the most pleasing and uniform appearance that is acceptable to the majority of cemetery patrons.
Tree and Shrub Care
In order to provide a high standard of care with a limited staff it is necessary to implement guidelines governing the planting of trees, shrubs and flowers at the headstone locations. Trees and shrubs are not to be planted, pruned or removed by the public without the consent of the cemetery sexton. No trees or shrubs are allowed at the grave site or in the middle of the cemetery.
All tree care is performed or overseen by cemetery staff. Diseased or damaged trees are removed by cemetery staff, and the staff plants all new trees. Pruning of trees is to be done under the direction of cemetery personnel. Requests for tree removal when the tree is intrusive to a grave or a grave marker will be honored. However, every attempt is made to save the tree if possible.
Mowing and Trimming
The cemetery has two gasoline-powered riding lawnmowers that are used to mow the cemetery’s grass. Excess grass around the grave markers is removed through the use of hand- held string trimmers. Generally the cemetery is mowed and trimmed weekly from April through October.
Irrigation
All watering is done by an automatic sprinkling system that is connected to a timing controller.
Snow Removal
All snow removal from the streets within the cemetery is the responsibility of the Public Works Department and cemetery personnel. When snow must be removed around a gravesite for a burial, the cemetery staff creates enough open space to accommodate those who may be attending a service.
Road Maintenance
Cemetery personnel maintain the service roads within the cemetery. If new roads are necessary or if problems exist that cemetery personnel cannot repair the City Street Department will be asked to assist. If new roads are paved or if general paving is done it is done through the City Street Department or bid out commercially.
Staff Training
Cemetery personnel take advantage of all general training that is provided by the City. Specialized staff training is done by the cemetery sexton or individuals appointed by the sexton. Training elements include equipment operation, safety procedures, customer relations, cemetery etiquette, and so forth.
Pictured: Memorial Day Mt. Pleasant Cemetery photographed by Jon Hafen facebook @jon.hafen2017