Markers (aka headstones)

Markers is the term our cemetery uses for anything with names and dates. They are often called headstones, too, even though sometimes they are not placed at the head of the grave. Here is a list of the comment terms you might recognize:

• Headstone, gravestone, tombstone, monument, memorial – all terms that can mean any of the rest, which are specific to a type of resting place (i.e., grave, niche, crypt, etc.)
• Flat or Flush-with-the-Grass
• Upright – made up of an erect tablet on a base
• Slant – similar to an upright, but shorter and slanted back in a triangle shape
• Pillow – similar to a flat, but placed on top of the grass and slightly higher in the back than in the front
• Monubenches – similar to an upright with a small bench attached
• Niche Plate or Plaque – placed on a niche in a columbarium area
• Crypt Plate – roughly the same sizes as a flat, but placed on a crypt. We currently only have a small number of crypts available in Valley Memorial

There are only a few gardens that allow anything more than a flat or flush-with-the-grass marker. Aurora Garden in Angelus Memorial Park and Moose Garden, part of LDS Garden, and part of Last Supper Garden (i.e., those spaces immediately inside the entrance) in Valley Memorial Park allow all forms of garden markers as well as other permanent ornamentation such as crosses.

All other gardens are “forest lawn” style gardens that allow only flats. When you look across a forest lawn garden, it looks like a lawn with flower vases sticking up. Those vases can be inverted once the flowers or other ornamentation in the vases have deteriorated and the groundskeepers can mow over them until fresh flowers are placed, again.

All outside markers are limited to bronze or granite. These can be provided by third-party vendors or even made by family members as long as the product fits our specifications in the Marker Policy.

Angelus Memorial has three columbariums with niches for ashes (aka cremains). Valley Memorial is currently exploring similar options as well. Tutqiun Columbarium is outside so those niche plates must be bronze. The indoor columbariums have niche plates that are included with the niches and provided directly from Angelus.