Pit  Stops

Smaller cemeteries will not accommodate us with restrooms. Some flower shops might, most will not.  All monument retailers will, but may insist that you be a customer. Funeral parlors can be found near rural cemeteries, not near grounds in major city areas.

            Especially during your first visit look for:

Gas up - you not only have to drive to the cemetery but through it. Consider you may also need to stop or make a side trip along the way. Keep an eye out for service stations.

Snack - If you do not bring a snack to consume at the cemetery, then spot all the nearby eateries while in the area. Families who “meet” at the grave often lunch together afterwards.  Know where to go.

Accommodations - If the cemetery has an office onsite, check with it concerning a restroom and other accommodations such as maps and escorts to the gravesite. If you or someone with you is handicapped, do not expect easy access to gravesites; most are in park settings with no predefined walks. Review the cemetery’s accommodations,  rules and regulations. Each cemetery has its own planting season and types of grave decorations permitted. I will assume there is already a stone or marker on the grave, and will review these later for you. Most cemeteries, even an old one, now have a website. Check that resource for detailed information and for grave location.

Flower Shops - You will eventually settle with one to your liking, yet visit them all. Most cemeteries have several flower shops around with stiff competition among them. Therefore each shop will target a specific customer. Find the niche that suits you best. Do not purchase from super markets or roadside stands. You can get deals from such, however, they are not in the business to support your visit to a cemetery. They don’t even know if the flowers they sell you are permitted. The quality of the flowers is pitiful. They also will not stock items exclusive to grave decoration. And, for the most part, these folks are visitors to gravesites like you; they don’t “walk the walk and talk the talk.”

NEVER BE PROMPT   &ldots;. When visiting major cemeteries on holidays it is best to visit early and late. Unless you want  your memories and mood destroyed by bumper-to-bumper traffic and road-rage. For example, for Father’s Day visit during the week before or after the holiday.   Drawing by permission of Derick Earp