After Funeral - Final Disposition :: Family Matters, Frederick MD

	After the Funeral: Final Disposition of the Body

	EARTH BURIAL Which places in Frederick County provide this service? What types of grave sites or cemetery plots are there? Am I required to have a burial vault or grave liner? What kind of Marker should I use? What is "perpetual care?" What are the eligibility criteria for burial in a national cemetery? If the deceased is being buried in a private cemetery, is it possible to have a veteran marker or headstone? ENTOMBMENT Which places in Frederick County provide this service? OTHER DISPOSITION What are the options with cremated remains?
	The final disposition of the body is the last step in providing a dignified funeral for someone we love. This decision is as individual as every other part of this process. To start the discussion, let’s begin with an explanation of terms:
	Earth burials An earth burial occurs in either a cemetery or memorial park. An earth burial, or “interment,” usually involves a casket, cemetery plot, grave liner or vault, and a memorial monument or marker. A fee is charged for the opening and closing of the grave. Cremated remains may also receive an earth burial. For example, ashes may be buried in a family cemetery plot or at a national cemetery if the deceased and his/her spouse was a veteran. Burial of the ashes make take place at a later date in the casket of a spouse who chose earth burial as opposed to cremation.
	Which places in Frederick County provide this service? Mount Olivet Cemetery Resthaven Memorial Gardens
	What types of grave sites or cemetery plots are there? Cemetery plots may be for a single grave, or for two or more graves. When a plot accommodates two graves, one casket is placed in the grave at an approximate depth of seven feet. When a second interment is required, the second casket is placed on top of the first casket at standard depth.
	Am I required to have a burial vault or grave liner? Let’s start with some definitions. Both a burial vault and a grave liner are outside containers into which the casket is placed. A burial vault is designed to protect the casket and may be made of a variety of materials including concrete, stainless steel, galvanized steel, copper, bronze, plastic or fiberglass. A grave liner is a lightweight version of a vault, whose purpose is simply to keep the grave’s surface from sinking in. Neither a vault nor a liner is required by law in most areas of the country. However, many cemeteries will require the use of a grave liner so that the ground will not sink.
	What Kind of Marker Should I purchase? Different cemeteries have different policies on the types of monuments and markers that are allowed. Traditional cemeteries have upright monuments. Memorial Parks have plaques placed level with the ground. Upright monuments come in three grades of stone rated according to their density (light, medium, and dark, with dark being the most dense). Plaques and markers are generally made of bronze.
	What is “perpetual care?” It is important to know how the cemetery or memorial park intends to care for the gravesite. “Perpetual care” is sometimes included in the purchase price, but not always. If it is not included, look for a separate endowment care fee for maintenance and grounds keeping.
	What are the eligibility criteria for burial in a national cemetery? If the deceased is a veteran, he or she is entitled to a free burial in a national cemetery and a grave marker. This eligibility also extends to some civilians who have provided military-related service and some Public Health Service personnel. Spouses and dependent children also are entitled to a lot and marker when buried in a national cemetery. For more information and to determine eligibility, visit the Department of Veterans Affairs' Web site.
	If the deceased is being buried in a private cemetery, is it possible to have a veteran marker or headstone? On December 27, 2001, President Bush signed the Veterans Education and Benefits Expansion Act of 2001. This law allows the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish an appropriate headstone or marker for the graves of eligible veterans buried in private cemeteries, whose deaths occur on or after September 11, 2001. For more information, visit the Department of Veterans Affairs' Web site.
	Entombment Entombment refers to the placement of the casket or cremation urn above ground in either a Mausoleum and Columbarium. A mausoleum is a building constructed as a monument in which caskets are enclosed above ground. Cremated remains may also be entombed in a niche at a mausoleum, or at a separate building created for this purpose called a columbarium.
	Which places in Frederick County provide this service?
	Other Disposition of Cremated Remains In addition to earth burial and entombment, there are several other respectful options for the disposition of cremated remains: Placement of the ashes in an inscribed urn to be kept by the family in a place of honor Scattering of the ashes at sea, on private property, or in a special location on the grounds of a cemetery. Return of the ashes to the country of birth for final burial