On The Grounds
Our staff will work during the three-day weekend and is available to assist you.
Four times a year, always on the same days (see details below), the city requests the removal of all grave decorations. This allows us the time to do any necessary construction-type maintenance and to thoroughly clean the cemetery to provide the most attractive atmosphere possible.
The decoration removal days are:
- The first Monday in February
- The second Monday following Easter
- The first Monday following Memorial Day, and The first Monday in October
Weather permitting, the cemetery maintenance staff mow every day from Spring to Fall.
Unfortunately, we cannot allow personal plantings upon the gravesites, however, you may contact the cemetery manager and he can work with you on an appropriate location where planting is acceptable.
As a city owned cemetery, a cemetery care fund exists for the purpose of on-going cemetery upkeep and maintenance and improvements.
Only if there are properties placed in our re-sale properly file. Upon that time the cemetery staff will re-sell the property for the owner for the amount not greater than the current pricing for a comparable new property price.
Once we receive your marker it is our utmost priority to get it set as quickly as possible, weather permitting. Our staff must do all of the setting of the flat markers. This is to ensure that it is properly placed and so that it doesn’t impede upon someone else’s grave space.
Burials
Contrary to common belief, graves are only 4-feet deep and are 18 inches apart.
Yes. A burial vault is used to line the grave before placing the casket or coffin in it, so as to prevent the ground above the casket from sinking in.
The maximum amount of persons that can be interred within one grave space is two (2). Either both must be cremains, or at lease one of the interments must be cremains. At G.A.R. Cemetery, we do not allow stacked burials.
No. G.A.R. Cemetery does not allow pets to be buried on their grounds.
By contacting one of our cemetery staff either on the grounds, in the office, or by phone or email and informing us of the issue. We will make note of your concern and address it as quickly as possible.
Yes, there are additional fees for a 10:00 a.m. Saturday service. Please refer to our G.A.R. Cemetery Rates and Fees pamphlet for details.
We don’t typically do burials on the following national holidays. Additional overtime fees will apply, but availability will be determined by staff schedules.
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Columbus Day
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving
- Christmas
Sunday is the only day of the week we are not able to do burials. This way we are able to provide our hardworking crew a much needed day of rest.
General Questions
It is important to remember those who have passed in a permanent resting place. In a cemetery, the remains will always be protected in a sacred place and remembered with dignity and respect. Information about the deceased will be kept permanently in cemetery records. A cemetery provides a link with our past.
Visiting the grave of a loved one honors the memory of that person. It is a way of showing that this life had significance on Earth that is not forgotten. Some people view the entire process as spiritual. Being on hallowed ground is a source of comfort and peace; a place where contemplation and prayer seem so natural.
Both a mausoleum and a columbarium are permanent public memorials for groups of people. Mausoleums, however, are designed for entire bodies in crypts. On the other hand, columbaria are designed to hold cremation urns in a niche.
As of the Fall of 2019 there were 234 Adopt-A-Flags flown at least 3 times a year. You can purchase an Adopt-A-Flag for a one time fee of $50.00 that will be displayed proudly at G.A.R. Cemetery on Memorial Day, 4th of July and Veterans Day. If you wish, the name of a person to be honored, it will be inscribed on a plaque that will be displayed with the flag. G.A.R.’s Adopt-A-Flag program is a great way to honor and to show appreciation for a loved one and your country.
G.A.R. Cemetery does not charge any fees for any of their events, all of our events are open to the public, and we encourage all to attend.
‘Remember My Journey’ is a program built into our interment data base that allows you to upload photos, documents, memories and so much more to your loved one’s profile to tell their life’s story.
You can sign up for our newsletter distribution list and one will be emailed to you as soon as it is released. This will also include you to receive other email notifications from G.A.R. Cemetery concerning our upcoming events. To sign up, email nbro@miamiokla.net to have your name added.
Absolutely! We would love to hear from anyone that has information about their family that we can highlight in our newsletter. We at G.A.R. know that everyone has a story and we want to share their stories to keep their legacies alive.
Yes, we have people walk our grounds on a regular basis. It has been said that walking through a cemetery can give you a new perspective on life. To be more grateful and appreciative for every breath we have, because our time on Earth is limited and we should make the most of it while we can.
We encourage walkers at G.A.R. Cemetery, and have plans in the future to have marked walking paths for your convenience to be able to keep track of your progress.