City Cemetery

Purchase of Lots
To purchase a burial space at Richmond Memory Gardens, a prospective buyer should contact the City Clerk at Richmond City Hall. Upon payment, a deed will be prepared and recorded with the Ray County Recorder’s Office. The price of the lot includes perpetual care, but does not include memorial maintenance or the cost of the grave opening at the time of burial.

A purchased lot may be sold by its owner at any time. To transfer ownership, you must contact the City Clerk at Richmond City Hall with the new owner’s name and address. A Transfer will be prepared and recorded with the Ray County Recorder’s Office.

Interments
All interments shall be made in a permanent type container.

Two burials can be placed in one space, so long as at least one is a cremation.

All grave openings and closings shall be made under the direction of the Cemetery Superintendent. Persons ordering grave openings will be responsible for the payment of same.

The cemetery prohibits spreading of ashes above ground.

Markers
No stones, monuments or upright ornamentation, other than approved vases on flat markers, are allowed within the City cemetery. Only flat markers made of marble, bronze, granite or other pre-approved materials may be used as permanent grave markers within the cemetery. No feet markers are allowed. Temporary markers placed by funeral home will be removed six months after date of burial.

Foundations
There shall be no foundation or digging before first consulting the Cemetery Superintendent.

Foundations for flat markers must be made either of granite or concrete.
• Granite to be a minimum of three (3) inches thick.
• Concrete to be mixed one (1) part cement, two (2) parts sand, and three (3) parts rock and shall be thoroughly mixed and shall be a minimum of four (4) inches thick.

Either foundation used shall extend two (2) inches wider on all sides of the marker.

All foundations shall be so placed as to raise the marker to existing ground level.

All foundations shall be the size of the full dimensions of the marker with the extension above mentioned on all sides.

All setting of monuments and markers and the transportation of all tools, materials, etc. within the cemetery grounds shall be subject to the supervision and control of the Cemetery Superintendent. Foundations may be set by the monument company under the supervision of the Cemetery Superintendent.

Cemetery Clean-Up
All flowers, plantings, and miscellaneous decorations shall be removed from the Cemetery so the Cemetery Superintendent may perfect a total cleanup beginning the second full week of March and again the second full week of September. All grave blankets will be removed beginning the first full week of February. If you wish to save any flowers, pots, wire stands, etc. they must be removed prior to the times described above. Individuals may redecorate after the clean-up dates.

Trees, Shrubs and Flowers
All landscaping, including the planting of trees, shrubs or vines, will be done by the City of Richmond. No fences or enclosures around cemetery burial spaces or lots are allowed.

PLEASE DO NOT use glass or pottery containers, pieces of wire or similar bindings to secure a basket or pot. These tend to be very dangerous and have caused injuries to the workers when mowing and trimming.

Fees, Charges and Payments
The following fees are effective April 26, 2022 and may be subject to change without notice to conform to current economic conditions.

Payments are required to be completed at the time of purchase.

Burial Spaces
Standard Space $500
(Fifteen percent of the price of any space will be entered into the Perpetual Care Fund)

Deed Recording Fee $27

Grave Opening/Closing:

• Standard (Mon-Fri) $500
• Standard (Sat-Sun/Holiday) $600
• Cremation (Mon-Fri) $300
• Cremation (Sat-Sun/Holiday) $375

Rules for Visitors
Persons or picnic parties with refreshments are not allowed in the cemetery.

Firearms will be allowed at the cemetery only at military funerals and only in the hands of authorized teams.

Visitors are required to use the walks and drives and are forbidden to trespass on cemetery lots, or pick any flowers (either wild or cultivated) or injure any shrub, tree or plant, or mar or deface any monument, stone or structure in the cemetery.

Embellishment Regulations
1) Floral arrangements are limited to one arrangement per marker and must be used in a vase integral with the marker.
2) Graves with no marker or bronze vase may use one arrangement that is not anchored to the ground or marker.
3) Vases, toys, metal designs, ornaments, chairs, setees, glass, crocery, wood or iron cases, and similar items hazardous to lawn mowers are not permitted.
4) No holes are permitted to be dug in the ground.
5) Special arrangements will be permitted upon lots and graves at Christmas, Easter, Memorial Day, and other special occasions authorized by the City. If such special containers and arrangements are not removed within ten days, the City may remove them.
6) At times other than those specified herein, flowers are permitted only in approved bronze memorial vase assemblies. Flowers will be permitted to remain as long as they remain in season and have not deteriorated.
7) No arrangements over 36″ in height is allowed.

Suggestions
Purchasing cemetery lots before the need arises is wise and strongly urged. Feel free to contact the Cemetery Clerk about possible areas that are available.

The Cemetery Superintendent is on duty at the cemetery during regular City business hours.

We know that you will agree that the natural living beauty of nature is the finest tribute we can pay to our loved ones laid to rest in our care. So, to keep the grounds and building in your cemetery beautiful and within the bounds of good taste at all times, we respectfully request your cooperation with the regulations.  It is not our intention to displease anyone. We want to make Richmond Memory Gardens more pleasing to everyone. We believe these rules will make your cemetery a much more beautiful and comforting place in which to come and pay your respects.

We sincerely appreciate your support and all assistance in aiding us in keeping Richmond Memory Gardens the clean, quiet, respectful place it should be.