Spaces

(aka Graves and Other Resting Places)

Graves, niches, crypts, mausoleums, and any other resting places (i.e., “spaces”) have two purposes in our Parks. They comprise exclusive use of a specific space for the interment of human remains and each space equates to one voting share in our non-profit corporation. There may be more than one owner of a space, but only one is designated as the voting member for that space. Each member is limited to two votes total regardless of how many spaces owned.

While we have several types of resting places in our two Parks, the most common by far are graves in the gardens. All of the graves in Valley Memorial Park and most of the graves in Angelus Memorial Park allow only flat, flush-with-the-grass markers (aka headstones). The three newest gardens in Angelus allow upright markers. The second most common type of space is a niche for urns. We have niches of varying sizes and prices both indoor and outdoor in Angelus, but none in Valley Memorial at this time. There is also a nearly full crypt in Valley Memorial and a privately-owned mausoleum in Angelus Memorial for full casket interment above ground, but those options are very limited. Finally, Angelus Memorial has a scattering garden where families can scatter the ashes (aka “cremains”) of a loved one and add their name to a memorial wall, but that does not come with any exclusive use or voting membership.

Any owner can exercise the exclusive use of the space. They make any decision regarding that space. They alone decide who, when, and how a space will be used for interment or disinterment. They decide what headstone (i.e., “marker”) will be placed or removed from the space. They are also our point of contact for any issues that we find on the grave.

Owners can extend or assign a right, temporarily or permanently, to other people while retaining the rest of the rights. For example, members often own a block or “family plot” of graves adjacent to each other and will allow a family member to make arrangements for a particular burial, but once the burial is complete, the assignment has ended and all decisions revert to the owner. It is also common for a member to permanently allow certain other people to open an indoor niche so that they can redecorate, but that person cannot remove the urn or resell the niche as the member has retained that right.