CEMETERY DEPARTMENT

OVERVIEW

The City of Elyria is host to three main cemeteries, which are open year-round.

• Preplanning appointments are available upon request and can accommodate availability outside of regular office hours.
• Scheduling an appointment is always recommended to ensure the best service for each guest.

BROOKDALE HEADSTONE REQUIREMENTS

ALL stones must:

• Be flush-mount (flat with the ground)
• Measure 24″ x 12″ x 4″ thick
• Be made of marble, bronze, granite, or limestone.

Only one headstone is allowed per plot. Headstones may only be placed by cemetery grounds crew, who will confirm these requirements are met and that the office has received payment for the footer/setting fee.

Stones that do not meet these requirements will not be set.

Remaining 2024 Cemetery Clean-Up Dates: – 8/30, 9/27, 10/25

• All items left on gravesites will be collected and disposed of in accordance with City regulations, regardless of when the item was placed on the grave. No items will be held or reserved; no exceptions. To ensure items are not disposed of, please remove all desired items the week preceding the posted clean-up date, and do not place or return items to gravesites until the following Saturday.
• Dates are published in the Chronicle Telegram, on the City webpage, and at the Cemetery Office.
• Clean-Up is also done as needed to maintain a neat, respectful, and presentable environment.
• Cemetery ground safety is ensured through monitoring by Park Rangers and Elyria Police Department Officers.

OWNERSHIP & HISTORY

• The City of Elyria’s cemeteries are nondenominational, non-profit entities owned and operated by the municipal government. A portion of the purchase price of each lot is reserved in an interest-bearing Cemetery Trust account, through which Cemetery grounds are maintained and preserved.
• The original 42-acre Brookdale Cemetery was purchased by the City of Elyria in 1925, and an additional 50 acres was purchased by the City in 1952.
• North Murray Ridge Cemetery was acquired from Elyria Township on February 26th, 1965 and contains two acres of land. It is unclear when this land was first used as a burial place; however, the earliest gravesite is that of David G. Cochrane, who died in 1935 at the age of 21.
• The historic Ridgelawn Cemetery is situated at the corner of Ridge Street and Gulf Road, and is approximately 14 acres. Also called The Old Elyria Cemetery, Ridgelawn is the final resting place of many of Elyria’s earliest settlers, including its founder Heman Ely and his family, and a large population of military veterans.

WREATHS ACROSS AMERICA

The City of Elyria is proud to participate in Wreaths Across America. Every December, Elyria residents are encouraged to remember and honor our nation’s brave veterans by placing wreaths on their graves.

Cemetery hours, rules & regulations, and clean-up schedule are subject to change without notice.