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