Choosing a Mausoleum for Burial

When you choose a mausoleum for a final resting place, you tend to combine the best of all the burial options into one single decision. For many, this is the ultimate way to lay a loved one to rest because this structure combines the tomb, the monument, and the grave. It also can have cost benefits and is above ground and dry.

When to Choose a Mausoleum Internment

A mausoleum interment is a choice made most often when you prefer to combine the benefits of entombing a loved one, having a graveside service, and using a monument for the grave marker. It is a grave site that rests above the ground. This in itself has some benefits that many people find important.

While most of us remember our loved ones as they were in life, when a body is laid to rest in the ground it is bound to eventually become part of the Earth as the elements can never be completely removed from the area. However, an above ground grave is exposed to circulating air which then creates a dehydrating or mummification effect.

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This aspect of a mausoleum interment is often chosen by individuals before they die. Since there is no telling what can happen in the future, many people feel that today's mummification process inside the structure will one day help provide scientific research for historians of tomorrow. This can be a very exciting prospect for individuals planning their own funeral and services.

For others, the prospect of the elements is just disturbing and they wish to preserve the body of a loved one as close to possible to the individual that they knew when they were alive. Aside from cryogenics, this is the most plausible method of doing so.

Can a Mausoleum Internment Save You Money?

A mausoleum internment on the surface will tend to be more expensive than some of the more traditional means of burial. However, because the elements are not able to get inside and the mummification process happens naturally, the purchase of a casket that is protective from the normal issues faced with underground burial is not necessary. The circulating air keeps the casket in good condition without the additional expense of a protective casket.

This may or may not make the interment of remains in the mausoleum a money saving option. In part, that answer depends on other aspects of the funeral and the burial services. You may wish to speak with both the funeral director and the head of the cemetery in order to determine if this option can be less expensive than other options.

There is also usually no ongoing maintenance fee for such an internment. Since the structure is built of granite and the doors are sealed after entombment, there is really no additional maintenance associated with ground and lawn care. Some cemeteries may charge a small ongoing care fee, but generally speaking this is a minimal amount that covers things like trimming any grass growing around the structure or occasionally checking the structure for integrity throughout the life of the internment.

Visiting a Mausoleum Interment

It is unlikely that you'll be able to visit inside the mausoleum after the burial. Most cemeteries prefer that you visit at the monument itself instead of going inside. Disruption of the door is not considered to be beneficial for many cemeteries and it often requires a great deal of effort if the door has been sealed.

There are a few cemeteries throughout the world that do allow visitation inside the structure, and thus it can become a more popular option over time. You'll simply have to ask the cemetery staff about visitation before you make your final decision.

* A mausoleum internment can offer some unique benefits when compared to the traditional burial services that are commonly contemplated when a loved one is laid to rest.