Rules and Regulations of the Village of Sunbury Cemetery

The Village of Sunbury owns the Village of Sunbury Cemetery. The Cemetery is operated under the control of the Village Council and the Mayor of Sunbury. Problems and concerns should be brought to the attention of the Cemetery Caretaker. If the Caretaker cannot solve the problem, She/he will bring it to the attention of the Cemetery Committee, which is appointed by the Mayor.

The Sunbury Village Cemetery is not operated for profit. All receipts are expended upon the upkeep and improvement of its property.

Purchase of Lots

Persons desiring to purchase a family lot or burial space are invited to visit the office of the Clerk of the Cemetery, where they will be informed of available spaces and cost of the spaces. Prospective lot owners will meet the Caretaker of the Cemetery at the Cemetery, and physically view the lots they wish to buy. After viewing the lots, if they wish to purchase space or spaces, payment is to be made to the Cemetery Clerk at the Municipal Building. After payment for the lot or lots, you shall receive your deed within 10 days. No lot is considered sold until it is paid in full.

For the accommodation of those who do not wish to purchase family lots, all sections of the cemetery have been platted into lots with single grave spaces. Each space being 4 feet by 8 feet, spaces can be purchased individually on as available vases. No lot or part of lot will be sold on unplatted ground.

The owner or owners of a lot or space on which there are no interments may surrender the same back to the Village for the price originally paid for the lot or space.

Lot owners may give permission for burial in their lots of the remains of other than immediate families, but not for money or profit.

NO MONUMENT OR MARKER OF ANY KIND CAN BE ERECTED UPON ANY LOT BEFORE THE LOT HAS BEEN PAID IN FULL AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE.

Foundations will be made only twice a year. The spring cut-off date shall be April 15, and the fall cut-off date shall be September 15.

Niche markers need to be consistent with existing markers in style and design.

Property Rights of Lot Owners

All lots and burial spaces shall be presumed to be the sole and separate property of the person or named as grantee on the conveyed deed. However, the husband or wife shall have a vested right of interment of his or her body in any burial plot conveyed to the other. This right shall continue as long as he or she shall remain the husband or wife of the plot owner, or shall be his or her wife or husband at the time of such plot owners demise.

The surviving husband or wife of the original owner of a plot has a prior right of one burial space in the lot, though this right of one burial space may be forfeited at anytime. It will terminate upon burial or remarriage. The burial rights in the remainder of the lot descend from the intestate owner in the following order:

1. Children of the owner.

2. If no children of the owner are alive, the grandchildren of original owner.

3. If no children or grandchildren, then father or mother or both, of original owner.

4. If no one of the above classification is living, then the living brothers and sisters of the original or their lineal descendants.

5. To the grandparents of the original owners.

When there is no longer any living person who could be classified in any of the above groups, the burial right in the lot will have been terminated.

Funerals and Interments

Arrangements for interments must be made at least forty-eight hours in advance of time set for funeral.

For an interment, directions must be given and charges prepaid at the Cemetery Clerk’s office or other arrangements for payments must be made.

No body, except that of a human being, may be interred in the cemetery. Only one interment may be made in one grave space except an infant may be buried with its mother or the remains of an infant may be buried over the body of its parent in such a manner as to not disturb the remains of the parent. Two cremations will be allowed to be interred in one grave space. In the case of infants, two infants will be allowed to be interred in the same grave space.

No outer casings of wood will be permitted, except in the free ground or in case of infant burials the box of which is four feet or less.

Cremation burials must be in permanent containers.

Monuments and Markers

The first preliminary of any improvement should be a careful study of the lot and its surroundings. The design of the memorial should be selected to harmonize with the surroundings. Care should be exercised to avoid duplication of monuments, or even to follow so closely the design of monuments to cause tiresome monotony.

Foundations for any memorial work shall not be made until the purchase price of the lot upon which it is to be placed has been fully paid to the Clerk of the Cemetery.

Monuments must not be set without a foundation first being made. Cemetery employees shall make all foundations. All cost for foundations shall be monument companies or grave space owners at the current preset square inch price.

Persons engaged in erecting monuments or other structures must provide suitable planking to prevent injury to sod, grass, trees, or other plantings and stonework.

The workers will exercise all possible care to protect raised lettering, carving or ornaments on any lot, but it disclaims responsibility for any damage or injury thereto.

Decoration of Plots

The planting of all trees, shrubs and other plants on lots and graves shall be subject to approval of the Caretaker of the Cemetery. Village of Sunbury Cemetery employees shall have the authority to remove all floral design, flowers, trees weeds, herbage, shrubs or plants of any kind from the Cemetery, as soon as, in the judgment of the Cemetery Caretaker, they become unsightly, dangerous, detrimental or diseased, or when they do not conform to standards maintained.

The Village shall not be liable for lost, misplaced, or broken floral pieces or flower vases, nor for plantings damaged by the elements, thieves, vandals or by other causes beyond its control.

The Village Cemetery will clean off all grave plots starting April 15 of each year. This is done to ensure that the Cemetery will look its best on Memorial Day.

Miscellaneous Rules

• All persons are prohibited from picking either wild or cultivated flowers, shrubs or other plantings.
• Dogs are not allowed on the Cemetery grounds except for guide dogs for the blind.
• Firearms shall not be carried through the Cemetery or discharged within 100 yards of same as provided by law except for military burials.
• Broken or unpainted vases or vases not filled with plants by July 1 of any year will be removed from lots.
• No flowers or shrubs of any kind shall be planted on graves, exception being those planted around the headstone. No flowerpots shall be sunk in the grave; under no circumstances can glass flowerpots or vases be allowed in the Cemetery. Potted plants will be removed if they become wilted or uncared for.
• All graves shall be seeded or have sod placed level with surrounding grade eliminating mounds.
• Auto’s or bicycles shall not be driven on lawns, over gutters, or on walks and if damages result from such practice, the driver of the auto or bicycle shall be held responsible for all damages resulting from same.
• Visitors on foot have right of way at all times.
• No interments will be made or other work performed upon any lot upon which there remains any unpaid bill for previous work.
• All prices for the Cemetery may be obtained by calling the Cemetery Clerk’s office. Do not give order or make complaints to Cemetery workers. Please direct all concerns to the Cemetery Clerk at the Municipal Building where you will receive prompt, courteous and effective attention.
• The Cemetery is not to be used as a playground at anytime.

Updated 9-98 LR