What Are District Cemeteries and Should You Choose Them?

A district cemetery is owned by the city or the county and is often the choice of burial for people that do not belong to a church, religion, or have any kind of affiliation with a religious organization. It can often be less expensive to bury a loved one in a district cemetery because the city or county often has funded the property to help keep up with maintenance costs.

Is a District Cemetery Right for You?

When you're faced with choosing a cemetery for yourself you might consider a district cemetery to be the optimal choice for numerous reasons. Obviously, if you are trying to save your family money for the long term expenses but don't want to be cremated this could be a good option.

You might also want to consider the location of the burial grounds. Location issues can include things like how far the plot is from where the services will be held, whether it's within a reasonable distance from the family's home, and whether or not it's important to them to have you laid to rest in a religiously affiliated cemetery.

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Choosing District Cemeteries for a Loved One

If you are in the position of having to decide whether to bury a loved one in a cemetery plot that is owned by the county or the city that you live in versus a church owned cemetery you might not be sure how to decide. There are all kinds of factors that play into whether or not you may want to choose a particular cemetery.

The basic premise of a burial ground like this is really about a suitable location for someone to be laid to rest that offers grounds maintenance and a proper area for burial. Usually, this means that if your loved one has no church preference that they are more likely to end up in a district cemetery. But what if you have a preference?

There are different opinions regarding whether you should bury someone in plot that is more suitable to them or more suitable to you. When it comes right down to it, if the topic had never been discussed while the loved one was alive then ultimately only you can make a decision that you feel is right.

If you do have a church or religious preference and your plan is to be buried next to your loved one some day, it might be in your best interest to make that determination now. If the deceased had considerable negative feelings regarding church, it might be in better form to go with a district cemetery.

Can You Use a District Cemetery for Cremains?

Some people want to be able to use a district cemetery for the remains of a loved one who has been cremated. Most public cemeteries allow for this option provided that the have a proper internment options. This usually means that there has to be a selected crypt or other type of structure that holds the cremains.

You can opt to bury cremains in the ground. Some public cemeteries offer this option for urns on smaller, less expensive plots. You would have to check with your local cemetery to find out if this is an option, as not all burial grounds will offer this as a possibility.

Is There More Than One District Cemetery In The Area?

Depending on the size of your county or city you may have more than one district cemetery in your area.

Some areas have numerous ones to choose from while other areas have only one. Rural areas may have a few but they are often spread out rather far apart from each other.

If you need to find out exactly what your options are within your municipality then you can use online resources, the phone book, or you can contact the municipal office in your area and ask them to refer you to the listings for district cemeteries.

Defining Your Choice

Making a decision about a cemetery is not an easy one. However, once you have defined your choice for whatever reason, you can rest assured that you have made the best decision possible. A burial plot or internment area can have different meanings for different people. You simply make the most logical choice that you can.

*Choosing a district cemetery for burial provides a proper place for a non religious resting place.