Menu

A Family's Guide to Cemetery Burial

Cemetery in-ground burial has always been the most traditional form of final disposition.  Mount Harmony Memorial Gardens has many beautiful and serene gardens to select a final resting place for a loved one.  There are several choices available when choosing this option and a basic understanding of the terms can be very helpful in making proper choices.

Grave Space or "Plot"

This is the land space for burial. Typically, it is about three-and-half feet wide by eight feet in length. This can vary greatly by rules and regulations of the cemetery. The depth of a grave also can vary for many reasons. It is not always true that a grave must be six feet deep. This was probably the desired depth when a simple burial was done in a field or prairie, simply to protect from animals or vandals. Today there are better ways to protect and bury, so the depth can vary. The grave space will be the site of a permanent grave memorial. 

Double Depth

A grave can be designed to accommodate burial of two family members. This is very common and widely accepted. It allows for more burials while using less land space and can be a good option when space is limited. It may also be a less expensive option because of the space savings and the additional ease of care.

Burial Vault

The burial vault is what houses the casket.  In most cemeteries and memorial parks there is a requirement for this protection. The earth which is placed on the burial is extremely heavy. The standard vault is made of materials which provides necessary strength to support the site.  Upgrades are available for additional moisture protection.  These can be easily explained by your our staff at Mount Harmony.

Bronze Memorials

Memorials serve a much greater purpose than to simply “mark” the site. Our bronze on granite memorials can be customized for the individuals they represent. Our memorials are made of time defying elements which include bronze and granite. They can be as simple as consisting of names and dates or as complete as representations of lives that have been lived. A memorial serves one of the most basic needs of humankind. The desire to be remembered lives deep within all of us and is truly what separates the human spirit from all other life. Many families find great comfort in creating a personal memorial that reflects the individual being remembered.

Mausoleum

A mausoleum is any building which is designed to place human remains. Mausoleums can be constructed for a single individual or can hold many thousands. A mausoleum which has been designed for a single person or family is called a private mausoleum and represents one of the most grand and elaborate means of entombment. A mausoleum that has been designed for many entombments is referred to as a community mausoleum, and while it provides tremendous protection and stature, it can be quite economical due to space savings and many other factors. Mount Harmony has a community mausoleum and offers three types of crypts – Individual, Companion and Couch. Mount Harmony also offers limited individual  and companion niches for placement of cremains.

Lawn Crypt

Mount Harmony has a limited number of pre-installed double-depth crypts that provide burial space for two indiviuals in select sections of our cemetery.  
These underground crypts have been pre-installed.  At the time of burial, they simply dig down to the top of the crypt and remove the lid and place the casket. 

Perpetual Care

These are the funds set aside from the sale of each space, mausoleum or niche.  Monies collected are to maintain the cemetery grounds now and in the future according to strict state laws and guidelines. The funds are invested and the interest derived from these funds are there to pay for upkeep.  

Cemetery Regulations

The Georgia Secretary of State laws concerning cemeteries gives the owners of every cemetery the right to establish a set of rules and the authority to enforce them for the use, care, control, restrictions and management of all parts of the cemetery pertaining to interments, flowers, activities and the type of material and size of grave markers allowed in the cemetery.  These rules and regulations are available in the cemetery office.