Muskingum Church Cemetery

4545 Gorsuch Road

Nashport, OH 43830

RULES AND REGULATIONS

Approved and Adopted by the Muskingum Church Session, June 4, 2019.

Organization and Administration

General

    1.0. A member of Session shall oversee graveyard operations.  Any conflicts or questions not covered in the rules will be resolved by Session.

Funding

    2.0.  Monies donated for the graveyard shall be held in the church’s savings account and used as needed for the perpetual care of the graveyard.  Graveyard funds shall not be used for the maintenance of the church.  

  Burial Privileges

General

    3.0. Burial privileges will be granted to those persons who are members of the church.  Burial privileges for those who used to be members shall be granted upon approval of Session.  If Session so approves, burial privileges will be granted to deceased non-members who are related to current members.  No burial privileges shall be granted to non-members unless Session votes unanimously in favor.  

    3.1.   Plots bought by members are intended for use by the purchaser and/or his/her immediate family.  Immediate family members include the spouse, children, and parents.  Exceptions may be granted at the discretion of Session.

    3.2. Burial privileges may be obtained by contacting Session and/or the Graveyard Caretaker.  A Burial Privilege Certificate will be issued upon receipt of full payment.  Data from the certificate will be entered in the church Record Book.

    3.3. Each plot shall cost $250.

    3.4  In addition to the cost of the plot, an additional Perpetual Care Fee of $250 will be assessed to help support ongoing care of the cemetery.

    3.5. Burial vaults are required for all traditional casket burials.  Cremains may be buried or placed in an urn attached to the memorial headstone.  Vaults for traditional burials and cremains are to be buried so that the top of the vault is 18” to 24” below grade.  All interments must be marked by an appropriate head or foot stone.  No burial site is to be left unmarked.

    3.6  Authorization by the Graveyard Caretaker and/or Session is required before a burial site may be opened.  Upon request, satisfactory evidence of burial privilege must be furnished, such as a Burial Privilege Certificate or a receipt.  A record of issuance of burial privilege entered into the church Record Book per Section 3.2 will be acceptable in the event that no document is available

3.7 Every reasonable effort will be made to honor the burial site already chosen; however, conditions may prevail rendering this impractical, for example, a tree, subterranean obstacles, or finding an unmarked grave may preclude the use of a site.  To remedy the conditions described above, the Certificate holder may choose one of the following options:

    (a) an alternate burial plot

    (b) such other options as may be presented by Session

    (c) repurchase by the Church of the plot in the amount of the original cost of the plot.

    3.8. The work of opening and closing of traditional casket burial and cremains burial sites and obtaining the required burial vault must be arranged through a funeral home. The Church does not have staff to do the work of opening/closing burial sites and/or supplying vaults.  The Church must be notified upon making arrangements for a burial and/or a funeral service in the cemetery.

    3.9 Headstones, foot stones and other markers are to be installed at the expense of the Burial Privilege Certificate holder or the estate of the deceased.  Headstones, foot stones, and ground-level stones/markers shall be mounted on a concrete sub-base foundation below grade for stabilization.  The top of the ground-level stones/markers shall be no higher or lower than one inch above ground in order to allow sufficient clearance for mower blades and to prevent markers from becoming covered by grass overgrowth.  Monuments are permitted, but the footprint of the monument may not extend beyond the boundaries of the burial plot, or plots that are adjacent to each other, as noted on the Burial Privilege Certificate.

    3.10 Current and future owners of burial privileges are encouraged to have corner markers installed to mark the perimeter of the plot to prevent accidental use of the plot by others.

    3.11 The Church reserves the right to authorize the removal of such markers, etc., that may include what the Church deems as inappropriate language or graphics, at the plot holder’s expense.

    3.12. Upon written request by the plot holder, the Church may repurchase unwanted plots for the amount of the original purchase cost of the plots.

 3.13 The Burial Privilege Certificate is non-negotiable and non-transferable except to the Church.  Upon the death of a certificate holder, remaining plots may be transferred to the legal heir(s) or devisee(s) upon written request.  No sale of a Burial Privilege Certificate is permitted except a sale back to the Church. 

    3.14 The Church is responsible for the general maintenance of the cemetery.  Certificate holders, or if deceased, their immediate family members, are responsible for care and maintenance of the marker associated with their cemetery burial plots.  

    3.15 There is no on-going assessment or charge for perpetual care of plots.  Each person owning a plot and people who have family members interred in the cemetery are encouraged to make annual free-will donations to the Muskingum Church to support continued perpetual care of the cemetery.

Floral and Decoration Regulations and Restrictions

4.0  Muskingum Church encourages families to honor their loved ones with flowers and decorations.  In order to maintain an atmosphere of dignity and serenity, and to provide for safety of visitors, volunteers, and contractors, everyone is asked to respect the following regulations and restrictions.

    4.1 In order to accommodate grass-cutting, and to prevent over-growth on adjacent plots, the following rules must be followed:

Allowed

    1) Fresh cut or silk flowers are preferred.  Plastic flowers fade quickly and will be removed when faded.  Flower containers must be secured in the ground in an unbreakable pot or vase.

    2) Stable and unbreakable containers.

    3) Miscellaneous items, such as keepsakes, trinkets, statues, shells, toys, metal designs, or similar items are allowed if such items are placed in an unbreakable planter, which can be placed directly on the ground within the boundary of a grave.  The items must be anchored in dirt in the planter.  The unbreakable planter must not exceed 20” W x30” L x 12” H.  The items listed above present safety issues if they are hit by lawn mowers; they can also damage lawn mowers and other equipment. The Church reserves the right to remove such objects if they are not in an unbreakable planter as described, not maintained, or are deemed by the Church as offensive or inappropriate.  

Not Allowed

    1) Plantings, such as trees and shrubs are not allowed.  Planted flowers are allowed if they are maintained.  The Church reserves the right to remove planted flowers and other plants if they are not maintained or if they become overgrown and interfere with an adjacent plot.

    2) Glass vases and jars or other breakable containers, such as lightweight pottery, and pictures in picture frames are not allowed.  

    3) Artificial flowers stuck directly into the ground are not allowed.  A suitable vase or pot is required.  

    4) Rod iron plant hangers, rod iron garden flag holders, garden flags, and trellis frameworks are not allowed.  These items pose a hazard for maintenance personnel.  They will be removed by the Church.

    4.2. Placement of real flowers and/or wreaths is encouraged for Memorial Day, Easter, Veterans Day, and Christmas.  They will be removed after 30 days.  Small American flags may be placed on graves of known veterans.

    4.3. The Church reserves the right to remove dead flowers, faded arrangements, and unseasonal arrangements as the next season approaches.

    4.4 Watering cans and buckets are not to be left in the cemetery.

    4.5 Any grading or landscape work must be approved in advance by the Church, in writing.

    4.6 The cemetery shall be open from dawn to dusk daily.  Trespassing after dark may be subject to prosecution.  No drinking, smoking, or picnicking is allowed within the cemetery.

    4.7 In the event that any condition is in non-compliance with these rules and regulations, the Church reserves the right to remove items and correct any condition without notice.  Removed objects will be stored for 90 days at the Church building and then disposed of.

Questions

5.  Questions about these rules and regulations may be addressed in writing to the Session of Muskingum Church, 4545 Gorsuch Road, Nashport, OH 43830. Any issue not covered in the rules shall be resolved by action of the Session of Muskingum Church.