Cemetery Etiquette

A cemetery is a unique place. While it is part of the everyday scene, it is not part of everyday life. It is a place where tranquility and quiet are the desired norm, and activities of everyday life should be suspended.

Making the Most of This Unique Place

Cemetery visitors should:

Follow the roadways.  DO NOT drive on the grass.  NEVER park on the grassy areas within the cemetery! Parking is allowed on the roadway or on the ditch/grass to the east of the cemetery.

Drive slowly and obey any traffic signs posted in the cemetery. Be careful to watch for others. They might be upset and not paying attention to where they are going.

Follow cemetery rules.

Most have a sign near the entrance stating hours, rules about decorations, etc. Obey these rules. Rules about decorations serve to make sure the cemetery doesn’t collect too much debris that the caretakers need to clean up. Flowers and other items can blow in the wind. It would be especially nice if any trash along the way was picked up, regardless of who left it. Our cemetery has signs near the entrance as well as a display board with our Rules & Regulations. Thank you for following the Rules & Regulations!

Be sympathetic.

Do not play loud music in cars, with the windows down, for everyone to hear.

Be respectable.

Keep the volume of voices down, and don’t use offensive language.

Keep children in “check”.

No running, yelling, or rolling around on the ground. This is not a place for childhood games. Don’t let them play or climb on any of the monuments. While it is good to get children used to paying respects at a cemetery, they often don’t fully understand the meaning of everything in the cemetery.

Don’t touch any monuments or gravestones.

They are very meaningful to the families who placed them there. Some older memorials might be in disrepair and might fall apart under the slightest touch.

Do your best to not walk over the graves.

Common sense leads you to know the basic shape of a grave; walk in between the headstones, and don’t stand on top of a burial place.

Don’t litter.

This creates extra work for the caretakes and shows disrespect to the other families who come to mourn their loved ones. “Pack your trash” is a good rule of thumb: take your refuse with you when you go.

Leash your pets.

When you bring your pets, be sure they are on a leash and clean up after them.

Don’t be overly friendly when talking to strangers.

Other visitors may want to be alone.

Try not to remain in the cemetery after dark.

Most cemeteries are open from dawn to dusk.

We Thank You for your help in keep our cemetery a beautiful resting place for your loved ones!!