CEMETERY: FAQs

If no prearrangements had been made by your loved one, the best place to start is by contacting a local funeral home. All of our City’s funeral directors are well equipped to care for you in your time of need and will help you make important decisions, including what type of burial and services you’d like, if any.

Of course! The Cemetery Division has options to help you design a private service that meets your needs, including on-site chapel or graveside services, with or without a pre-service visitation hour. Please call the Brookdale Office at 440-322-3896 with questions or to set up an in-person appointment.

Perpetual Care is a cemetery fund dedicated solely to the routine maintenance of the cemetery. The State of Ohio requires a minimum of 10% of the purchase price of each plot be placed into an interest-bearing trust account for which that accrued interest is used to maintain the cemetery grounds. Cemetery staff will keep the grounds mowed; will add topsoil and reseed graves as needed; will raise or level headstones upon request; and may remove or replace landscaping as deemed necessary. Perpetual Care does not cover repair or replacement of a headstone or vase.

Brookdale Cemetery has full-size plots, cremation spaces, and Columbarium niches available; Ridgelawn Cemetery has Columbarium niches available; and North Murray Ridge has full-size plots available. Please see the price list for more information.

Payment plans are not available at this time, and all grave spaces are available on a first-come-first-served basis; however, there is plenty of availability at Brookdale Cemetery. If you’ve just lost a loved one, please discuss with the office staff whether you intend to purchase a space or spaces next to that individual in the near future. No spot is guaranteed unless it has been purchased through the Cemetery Office.

Payment for a plot or columbarium niche is due in-full at the time of purchase. You will receive a Deed for the Burial Rights of the space(s) purchased via mail in 4-6 weeks – that’s it! Be sure to store your deed in a safe location, as it may need to be presented to the Cemetery Office to confirm ownership prior to burial.

The burial fee is a service fee which must be paid at the time of service – it cannot be collected in advance. Please discuss with your funeral director whether he or she can include the burial fee amount in the cost of your prearrangements. This will ensure funds are set aside for the funeral home to remit to the Cemetery after your passing. *Pricing subject to change as determined by City Council

Yes! Just be aware that if you’ve chosen to have a casketed burial, your headstone will be removed from your plot immediately prior to the digging of the grave space, a resetting fee will be due to cover the cost of a new concrete footer, and the headstone will not be re-set on the grave until the ground has settled enough to support the weight of the concrete footer plus headstone (typically 6 months).

The short answer – fresh or artificial flowers only! See the Rules & Regulations section for full guidelines.

On the last Friday of every month, any decorations left on graves are removed and disposed of per City Ordinance. Anything placed on a gravesite other than fresh or artificial flowers may be removed and disposed of by staff at any time, especially if it interferes with grounds maintenance. The decorating of trees and releasing of or decorating with balloons is strictly prohibited in order to protect and preserve the cemetery’s natural habitat and wildlife.

Brookdale Cemetery’s Section J is dedicated for servicemen and servicewomen and their spouses. A bronze Battle Cross sculpture sits at the center of a brick pathway, surrounded by the proudly-flown American Flag and the flags of each of the military’s branches. This tribute to our military provides a peaceful spot for reflection and reverence of the sacrifices made by those who served for our Country’s Freedom.

The Cemetery Division also coordinates efforts with local veterans’ organizations, volunteer groups, Wreaths Across America, and Honor Wreaths Lorain County to ensure veterans are recognized on federal holidays/days of remembrance.

With the approval of the Safety Service Director, the City of Elyria will donate one (1) grave space and burial fee for any resident of the City who, at the time of death, was on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States (Sec.951.06; Ord.1969-135)

Presently, the City offers a discounted headstone footer fee for any headstone ordered from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. The Cemetery Office is happy to help you navigate the application and submission process – please reach out for assistance!