WELCOME TO THE FRANKLIN CEMETERY

ABOUT

Welcome to the Franklin Cemetery! It is located in the center of Franklin Village, Michigan on the highest part of the Village. We were established in 1827, just three years after the founding of the Village, by the Village’s founding families. As the third oldest active cemetery in the State of Michigan, we are designated as an ”Historic Country Cemetery” by the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Despite a general assumption that the Cemetery is owned by the Village, it is, in fact, a privately-owned, tax-exempt nonprofit organization established in 1907. We are made up of the families who own burial rights in the Cemetery and are governed by a Board of Directors, comprised of members and elected by the general membership. When a family buys burial rights through the purchase of a grave site, they become part of the Cemetery community.

 

The Cemetery operates under the regulatory authority of the State of Michigan’s Bureau of Cemetery Regulations. Abiding by these regulations, the Cemetery has a separate, 501 (c)(3). non-profit corporation that maintains a professionally-managed Trust which provides the resources for perpetual care and upkeep of the cemetery grounds.

 

The Cemetery has approximately 700 remaining grave sites available for purchase. Pricing can vary:

 

***  $3,000 or $4,000 per grave (depending on what part of the

       Cemetery the grave may be located).

 

You can acquire more detailed information on other pages on this website or by contacting our Cemetery Administrator, Steve Bancroft at 248-200-9493 or at franklincemetery@outlook.com.

PICTURES

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FAQS - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

INQUIRIES

We receive questions daily from families making, or contemplating to make burial arrangements for their loved ones. Following are the most common we have answered. Please do not hesitate to call us if you need additional information.

 

***  WHERE IS THE CEMETERY LOCATED?

      Located at Franklin Road and Scenic Drive, at the top of the hill,

      immediately south of the Village green and civic buildings, at the

      yellow flashing light.

 

***  HOW MANY REMAINING GRAVES ARE AVAILABLE?

      The Cemetery has approximately 700 graves remaining

 

***  WHAT IS GENERAL PRICING?

    - $3,000 or $4,000 per grave (depending on what part of the cemetery

      the grave may be located);

    - $1,300 for a casket burial;

    - $700 for a cremation burial;

 

      In addition, there is an extra charge of $100 for Saturday burials.

      No Sunday burials are allowed.

 

      FOR THE GARDEN

    - There are 11 (eleven) niches in the retaining walls of the Garden for

       ashes placement with a bronze sealing plague for $5,000. All other

      burials in the Garden will be scattered amongst the ground-cover and

      mixed into the soil.

 

    - Scattered burials in the Garden are $1750 per person for space in the

      Garden and $100 at the time of scattering;

 

    - Designation of persons buried in the Garden will be on a 2”x7” cast

      bronze plaque with the person’s name and dates, attached

      permanently to the retaining walls of the Garden at $150.

 

***  DO YOU RECOMMEND ANY FUNERAL PLANNING TIPS?

    - Making pre-death arrangements for a cemetery lot or

      cremations removes emotional decision-making at the time

      of death.

             a. Burial site

             b. Form of burial (casket or cremation, or other)

             c. Funeral arrangements

             d. Legal papers for disposition of estate

 

    - These arrangements should be written down and filed with

      contracts for any pre-paid services. Copies of documents should be

      also maintained by family members and by your lawyer and/or

      accountant;

 

    - For more information, please ask us about different packages we

      provide. Your funeral home can handle all arrangements, which can

      remove a lot of work, frustration, indecision, and worry for anyone.

AVAILABILITY & SERVICES

SERVICES

The Franklin Cemetery has had a longstanding policy that the Cemetery is available to everyone, regardless of religious faith, ethnicity, social standing, or any cultural circumstances. Nor is it limited to people by any geographical residence requirement. We have families in California, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, New Jersey as well as all over the State of Michigan.

 

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;

***  - $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.

LOCATION

FIND US

COME FIND US
NUMBER -   (248) 200 - 9493

The Cemetery is geographically located at the northwest corner of Franklin Road and Scenic Drive, at the top of the hill, immediately south of the Village green and civic buildings, at the yellow flashing light.  The Cemetery is open during daylight hours for anyone to enter and take in the restful tranquility and beauty of the setting.

 

ADDRESS - 26298 Scenic Dr, Franklin, MI 48025 (Northwest corner of Franklin Road and Scenic Drive)

E-MAIL -  FranklinCemetery@outlook.com
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