FRANKLIN CEMETERY SERVICES

The Franklin Cemetery Association holds in trust the land on which burial rights are assigned to members through purchase of specific burial sites. With the purchase of a site, the member acquires the right of burial for the designated number of potential burials and expectation of general care of the cemetery grounds in perpetuity. Each single grave can accommodate one casket burial and one cremation burial, or three cremation burials. Casket burials require a grave liner (inground cement or fiberglass vault). Cremations may be in any kind of container.

The price to purchase burial rights does not include the direct physical care of the grave site itself (or whatever memorial that may be placed on the site). The perpetual care is of the maintenance of the overall cemetery in a manner consistent with an historic country cemetery which does not include a manicured lawn or sprinkling systems. It does include weekly mowing and string-whipping edging from April through October, as well as spring and fall clean-ups and overall debris removal. In addition, the common facilities like fencing, tree care, road maintenance (snow clearing in winter) and care of common areas are part of the perpetual care service. The personal care of individual grave sites is the responsibility of the member family, according to the guidelines and regulations established by the  Association’s  Board of Directors. The Cemetery does have water stations throughout the cemetery for members to use in the care of their graves.

The Association does not undertake to open or close graves, but contracts with a State-licensed cemetery maintenance company for that service. The company charges its own fees for burials, and is paid directly by the member for the burial. The present fees are $1,300 for a casket burial and $700 for a cremation burial. In addition, there is an extra charge of $100 for Saturday burials. No Sunday burials are allowed.

The Cemetery does not sell or place markers, but does regulate the size, style and general character of markers, memorials and benches placed in the cemetery. We can recommend reputable monument companies with whom we work. The cost of memorials varies according to the memorial chosen. All markers, memorials and benches must be approved by the Cemetery Administrator prior to placement and require an inground cement base (installed by our cemetery maintenance company) to help prevent marker dislocation.

Members owning burial rights may decide who is to be buried in sites owned by the members. However, no burial rights may be sold or resold by the member who acquired the burial rights. This prevents investment speculation on increasingly valuable land. Should members feel that they will not use all the burials available to them, the Cemetery may repurchase gravesites at the original price paid, so long as the Association’s Board believes the site is marketable. (A single grave in the middle of a plot occupied by members of one family may not be a marketable grave.)

The Cemetery is permitted to reclaim unused graves from members with whom we have had no direct contact for an extended period of time, and have no up-to-date contact information. The Association has an annual membership fee of $100, designed to assist with expenses.

VETERANS RECOGNITION

The Cemetery is proud and honored to be the final resting place for hundreds or men and women who have served in the armed forces of our country. One of the things that makes us truly historical is that we are one of the few cemeteries having veterans who have served in every war the U. S. has been involved with since the War of 1812. We offer placement of brass flag-holders at the graves, designating either the service branch or combat duty of persons buried in the Cemetery.  The name of each of veteran is engraved on our Veterans’ Memorial. One of the highlights of the each year is a Memorial Day service of commemoration for the veterans among us.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

The Franklin Cemetery is the oldest institution in the Village of Franklin and one of the oldest in the entire general area of Southfield, West Bloomfield, Farmington, Bloomfield Hills. When people think of Franklin, they think of the Franklin Cider Mill and the Franklin Cemetery. The Cemetery’s beauty and tranquility attract hundreds of people a year, who come to enjoy its gentle and inspiring setting. The Cemetery has been for almost 200 years the heart of the Franklin community area, providing a centering and permanent foundation to what has become one of the premier neighborhoods in Michigan, if not the entire United States. The Association works diligently to assure that the Cemetery remains an important and valued asset of the Franklin community, whether the community members are members of the Cemetery or not.

The vast majority of those families who are members of the Cemetery are folks who built our community through dedication, hard work and sacrifice. The Cemetery was placed in the very middle of their community, with the desire to ensure the faithful memory of loved ones lost, more often than not before their full life and by tragic causes. Cemeteries are often seen as places of death and some sadness, but the Franklin Cemetery does not carry that aura. Instead, it is a living place that honors the lives of those who are buried there.

Donations:

The Franklin Cemetery is a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation that can receive tax deductible donations. People who are not presently members of the Cemetery, but who find the Cemetery to be a valuable asset to the community, can help to perpetuate the Cemetery’s mission to serve as a serene and beautiful center of the community, by making a donation to the Cemetery’s Trust for perpetual care.

Please contact Steve Bancroft at 248-200-9493 or at franklincemetery@outlook.com.