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Cemetery Insider: Business Insights for Professionals
Mount Pleasant Group Acquires Nearly 100 Acres In Bradford West Gwillimbury
Mount Pleasant Group, a major cemetery operator in the Greater Toronto Area, has expanded its landholdings in Bradford West Gwillimbury with the purchase of a nearly 100-acre property for approximately $26.6 million, Bradford Today reported.
According to Ontario land registry records, Mount Pleasant Group purchased the 40.11-hectare (99.11-acre) property at 2352 Sideroad 5 from Roland Egger and Sandra Hawkins on July 23 for $26.61 million.
The property is located immediately north of a 48.56-hectare (120-acre parcel) at 3810 Line 5, which Mount Pleasant Group purchased from Southfork Bradford for $25.75 million in August 2023.
Both properties are located west of the Highway 400 employment lands and are currently used as working farms.
Mount Pleasant Group President and CEO John Monahan said the organization expects the properties will eventually be converted for cemetery use, although it is too early to provide a development schedule.
The recently acquired land is at the beginning of what the company expects will be a lengthy and complex approval process. Significant planning will be required before any cemetery can be developed, including consideration of how the property will be developed, operated and maintained over the long term.
Mount Pleasant Group said it intends to continue discussions with the community as plans for the property take shape.
How Cemeteries Get Chosen on Google Maps
By Welton Hong, founder and CEO of Ring Ring Marketing
When someone needs a cemetery, they rarely conduct casual research.
They’re often planning ahead, looking for a permanent place for themselves or a family member. Or they may be dealing with an immediate need and trying to find a cemetery quickly. In either case, Google has become one of the most important places where that decision begins.
For cemetery operators, that raises a critical business question: How does Google decide which cemeteries appear in its Maps results?
This question was the subject of a recent webinar I held for cemetery professionals, and the answer has become considerably more complicated than it was a few years ago.
Local search used to be relatively easy to separate from organic search. The map results were one thing, and the traditional organic results were another.
Today, those systems are more interwoven: Your Google Business Profile, website, reviews, citations, links and user behavior all contribute to how Google understands your cemetery.
And now there is another layer: Google’s AI Overviews, along with the broader movement toward conversational search through tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini.
As a result, the fundamentals of local search matter more than ever.
Federal Decision Nears on Proposed Veterans Cemetery Near Salem, Oregon
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is expected to decide by the end of October whether to purchase a 307-acre parcel of farmland southeast of Salem, Oregon, for development of a new veterans cemetery, according to the Salem Reporter.
The proposed $3.3 million acquisition would address the growing need for additional burial space in the Mid-Willamette Valley as Willamette National Cemetery near Portland approaches capacity.
After reviewing 14 potential properties in the region, the VA selected the site at 3515 Howell Prairie Road S.E. The property is currently used as a vineyard and is owned by Winemakers Investment Properties LLC, a Washington-based vineyard management company. The company’s manager has indicated an interest in selling the property to the federal government.
VA officials told Salem Reporter that the department expects to release a final environmental assessment in September. That assessment is an important step in the process and will precede the agency’s final decision on whether to purchase the property.
The anticipated timeline comes nearly a year after the VA first announced that it was evaluating the site. Since then, residents of the nearby unincorporated community of Macleay, along with local and federal officials, have repeatedly sought more information about the project and its schedule.
Community opposition to the proposed cemetery has centered on several issues, including potential impacts on water resources, increased traffic and the loss of agricultural land.
Wright City Cemetery Memorial Society Receives Missouri Conservation Grant
The Wright City Cemetery Memorial Society has received a $2,660 grant from the Missouri Department of Conservation through its community forestry cost-share program, the Warren County Record reported.
Of the grant, $2,100 will cover half the expense of removing two dead trees and pruning a third at Wright City Cemetery. The remaining $560 will be used to purchase a backpack sprayer and herbicide for controlling invasive plants in the cemetery’s undeveloped woodland areas.
Society President Jerry Prouhet said the funding will be particularly valuable to the small organization, allowing it to take on additional beautification and preservation projects.
The Society also values the technical assistance provided by Missouri Department of Conservation staff as it works to restore the cemetery’s woodland areas. Conservation personnel have advised members on best practices for controlling invasive species, including bush honeysuckle and Japanese honeysuckle, as well as removing unwanted trees. These efforts are intended to open the forest canopy and create better growing conditions for native oaks, hickories, walnuts and dogwoods.
Former Cemetery Leader Accused Of Embezzling More Than $350,000
A former leader of North Star Cemetery Association in St. Cooud, Minnesota is facing felony criminal charges and a civil lawsuit stemming from allegations that he misappropriated more than $350,000 from the cemetery between 2020 and 2024, St. Cloud Live reported.
Roger Joseph Robinson, 66, of St. Cloud, is accused of theft by swindling in Stearns County District Court. North Star Cemetery Association has also filed a civil lawsuit against Robinson in the same court seeking to recover money and damages.
According to the civil complaint, Robinson allegedly moved money belonging to North Star into his personal accounts and used the funds for expenses unrelated to the cemetery, including restaurant purchases, retail transactions, gasoline and hotel stays.
The organization also alleges that Robinson took steps to conceal the transactions. Those actions allegedly included removing other members of the organization as authorized users of North Star’s primary bank account and establishing several additional accounts in the cemetery’s name without notifying other members.
The civil lawsuit further alleges that Robinson transferred North Star funds into an account belonging to Templar Business Resources, a for-profit business that he owns.
137 Vases Recovered After Investigation in Tennessee and Virginia
On Aug. 21, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office in Tennessee announced that its detectives along with investigators in Scott County, Virginia, have recovered 137 vases believed to have been stolen from cemeteries in Tennessee and Virginia.
The investigation began on Friday, August 14, at East Lawn Funeral Home & Memorial Park in Kingsport. Workers reported that 70 vases had been stolen from gravesites in the cemetery, with most of the thefts occurring at children’s burial sites. Detectives immediately began following leads.
Later, a tip was received that led members of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team and detectives to execute a search warrant Wednesday at a home in Kingsport. Inside the home, six vases believed to have been stolen were recovered.
Detectives also discovered a lead that brought them to a recycling yard in Gate City, Virginia. Detectives contacted investigators with the Scott County, Virginia, Sheriff’s Office. Both agencies worked together to obtain a search warrant.
The warrant was executed at Circle C Recycling and Salvage Metals, located in the 200 block of Bobsled Drive in Gate City, Virginia. Detectives from both agencies recovered approximately 131 vases believed to have been stolen from cemeteries in Tennessee and Virginia. The estimated value of all the recovered vases is around $75,000.
Investigators with the Scott County Sheriff’s Office arrested 74-year-old Robert Clark, the owner of the facility.
He is charged in Scott County with possession of stolen property, and he could face additional charges in Sullivan County.
The investigation remains ongoing, and additional arrests could be made.
Lafayette, Colorado, Searches for More Than 200 Cemetery Plot Holders
The City of Lafayette is attempting to locate more than 200 individuals and families associated with plots at its historic cemetery as officials work to address years of problems involving cemetery management and records, 9 News reported.
The issue became especially serious in September 2025, when a new burial unintentionally disturbed human remains from an earlier grave that had not been properly documented. Following the incident, the city temporarily halted casket burials while officials examined the cemetery’s records and physical conditions.
Lafayette Mayor Saul Tapia Vega said the city inherited problems that had accumulated over many years and is now working to address them.
Since the incident, the city has completed a ground-penetrating radar survey, reviewed and digitized cemetery records, and met individually with more than 75 plot owners.
Locating everyone connected to the cemetery, however, has proved challenging. Some plots were purchased decades ago, and the original owners may have moved away from Lafayette or even left Colorado, making current contact information difficult to establish.
After the city released its list of people it is attempting to reach, only nine individuals or families had contacted officials, according to the mayor.
Lafayette officials say their objective is to respect the people who purchased cemetery plots in good faith while also addressing the cemetery’s limited capacity and protecting the historic property for future generations.
Families Discover Historic Tennessee Cemetery Flattened
Several Tennessee families were shocked to discover that a cemetery where generations of their relatives are buried had been significantly damaged, with the grounds flattened and numerous headstones moved into a nearby wooded area, WKRN reported.
The Old Primitive Baptist Cemetery in Hickman County, also known as Neely Cemetery and Martin Cemetery, dates to 1889. Families who have visited the cemetery for generations recently found evidence of heavy machinery on the property and approximately two dozen grave markers piled roughly 30 yards away in the woods.
The discovery has left relatives uncertain about the precise locations of some graves and concerned about how the historic cemetery can be restored.
Family members visiting the cemetery found that many of the markers that once identified individual graves were no longer in their original locations.
Jenifer Ardry, whose great-grandmother is buried there, was among the relatives who returned to the site. Family members showed WKRN News 2 the displaced headstones, some of which still contained identifying inscriptions.
Relatives estimated that approximately 22 headstones had been located in the cemetery, although there may have been additional markers.
Other family members also have multiple generations buried at the site. Jordan Norvell, for example, has both her great-great-grandmother and great-great-grandfather buried there.
William Ardry discovered the condition of the cemetery after attending church and visiting the graves of his grandparents. He was unable to identify their precise burial locations after finding the cemetery disturbed.
The relocation of the headstones does not necessarily indicate that the human remains were disturbed. Authorities have not reported that any graves were excavated or that remains were removed, and there is no public evidence establishing that disinterment occurred.
However, the displaced markers have made it difficult for families to determine exactly where individual graves are located.
The cemetery’s apparent location on private property does not automatically give a property owner the right to remove or alter it.
The Tennessee Historic Cemetery Preservation Program outlines a legal process for relocating cemeteries. Generally, someone seeking to relocate a cemetery must obtain authorization from Chancery Court, provide legal notice to relatives and make appropriate arrangements for the reinterment of remains. A disinterment order is required before human remains can legally be removed.
A cemetery does not cease to be a cemetery simply because its headstones are removed. Under Tennessee guidance, the presence of graves continues to establish the cemetery.
The Hickman County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that it is investigating the reported damage to the cemetery grounds and headstones. The agency is working with the 32nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office to determine how the investigation should proceed.
New York City Cemetery Offers a Place to Bury Your Secrets
Everyone has something they have kept to themselves—a regret, an unspoken confession or a difficult truth that has never been shared.
For some people, carrying a secret can become a burden. At Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery, however, visitors have an unusual opportunity to symbolically leave those secrets behind, the Times of India reported.
There, a white marble obelisk serves as a “grave of secrets,” providing a place where people can anonymously write down thoughts they have never been able to share and leave them behind.
In 2017, French conceptual artist Sophie Calle created the installation at Green-Wood Cemetery. The project was commissioned by Creative Time and presented in partnership with the cemetery.
Although it resembles a traditional grave monument, there is no burial beneath the obelisk. Instead, its marble surface identifies it as a resting place for the secrets of Green-Wood visitors.
A small opening at the base allows visitors to deposit handwritten notes containing their most personal thoughts and confessions. The notes are anonymous and can be placed inside without identifying the person who wrote them.
Calle created the installation as a work of conceptual art rather than as a formal therapeutic program. Nevertheless, the act of writing down and physically leaving behind a secret can provide visitors with a sense of release and reflection.
The installation is planned to remain at Green-Wood for 25 years, through 2042.
As the receptacle fills, Calle is expected to periodically return to the cemetery, collect the accumulated secrets and ceremonially cremate them. The process is intended to continue the artwork’s theme of giving private thoughts a physical resting place.
Lawn Care Company Volunteers To Restore Overgrown Pleasant Shade Cemetery
A historic African American cemetery in Hampton, Virginia, received some much-needed attention recently when a local lawn care company and other volunteers stepped in to begin clearing its overgrown grounds, News 3 WTKR reported.
The effort at Pleasant Shade Cemetery came after News 3 recently reported on concerns from families about the condition of the nearly 20-acre property.
Among those helping with the cleanup was Ricky Banks, the owner of a local lawn care company. After seeing the news report about the cemetery, Banks decided to dedicate his time and equipment to the project. He canceled his other scheduled jobs for the day so he and his team could focus on clearing the cemetery.
While the volunteer effort provides immediate relief, maintaining the nearly 20-acre cemetery will require continued community involvement.
News 3 previously reported that the city cannot simply perform the necessary cleanup and bill the cemetery’s owner because officials have been unable to identify or locate the current owner.
Three Arrested In Alleged Multistate Cemetery Theft Spree
Three people accused of stealing jewelry, watches and family heirlooms from gravesites and mausoleums in several states, including Florida, have been arrested, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Fox 35 Orlando reported.
Authorities allege the suspects targeted cemeteries throughout the eastern United States, including locations in Orange, Seminole and Hillsborough counties in Florida.
Investigators identified the suspects as Drake Milam, his girlfriend, Porsche Bancroft, and Bancroft’s mother, Angela Garrett. All three are from Indianapolis.
According to investigators, surveillance footage showed suspects entering mausoleums and later leaving with items that included necklaces, bracelets, watches and other valuables belonging to deceased individuals or their families.
Garrett and Milam were arrested in Indianapolis. Bancroft surrendered to authorities at the Seminole County jail. Court records indicate that Bancroft subsequently posted bond and was released.
The suspects face charges including injuring or removing a tomb or monument, disturbing the contents of a grave or tomb, and grand theft involving more than $20,000.
Casper, Wyoming Adds Columbarium to City Cemetery System
The City of Casper in Wyoming is expanding its cemetery system by taking ownership of the columbarium at Shepherd of the Hills Church, Oil City News reported.
The action divides the property at the southwest corner of South Poplar Street and Wyoming Boulevard into two separate parcels.
The first parcel covers 2.37 acres and will remain the site of the church. The council also approved changing the zoning for the property from R-1, residential estate, to R-4, high-density residential.
City planners recommended the zoning change because the parcel is smaller than the three-acre minimum that previously applied to churches under the R-1 designation. City Community Development Director Liz Becher also noted that the R-4 classification is compatible with the high-density residential area immediately north of the property.
The second parcel fronts Chinook Trail Road and contains the church’s columbarium. That property was rezoned as park historic to allow it to be transferred to the city.
Once the transaction is finalized, Casper will assume ownership and responsibility for maintaining the columbarium, incorporating it into the city’s existing cemetery system.
The church has been working on the project for approximately two years, with the primary goal of ensuring the long-term protection of the columbarium. Church building committee member Dale Bohren previously explained that church officials were concerned about what could happen to the columbarium if the church eventually closed or the property had to be sold.
The arrangement serves two purposes: It provides the church with a way to ensure its columbarium remains protected regardless of the institution’s future, while also helping Casper address its growing need for cemetery space.
City officials have noted that cemetery capacity has become an increasing concern as available space at Highland Park Cemetery has declined over time.
Hungry Goats Help Uncover History at Historic African American Cemetery In College Park
Volunteers working to restore a historic African American cemetery in College Park, Georgia are getting some unusual assistance from a herd of hungry goats, CBS News reported.
The One Square Mile Project, Inc. has been working for months to uncover a largely forgotten cemetery located behind Mount Calvary Baptist Church on JT Alexander Avenue. Community donations helped fund the effort to bring in more than a dozen goats from Red Wagon Goats to clear the thick kudzu that has covered the burial grounds.
The goats are enclosed within a roughly 1.5-acre area and are expected to spend about two weeks feeding on the invasive vegetation. Workers regularly check on the animals while they clear the property.
Red Wagon Goats representatives said the animals are particularly effective at removing dense vegetation such as kudzu. As the available greenery decreases, the goats are gradually provided with hay, so they continue to have an adequate food supply. The company also cautions that goats can be resourceful and occasionally attempt to escape their enclosures.
The vegetation removal is allowing volunteers to continue their efforts to identify and document graves that have been hidden for years.
Craig Eberhart of the One Square Mile Project and other volunteers began manually clearing portions of the cemetery several months ago. Their work has already uncovered headstones dating to at least 1925.
The graves belong to members of College Park’s African American community, including some of the city’s earliest educators, veterans, morticians and other community leaders.
The discoveries have generated considerable interest among local residents, many of whom have joined the preservation effort or contributed to the project.
Eberhart said the restoration will require substantial financial and community support. The project could ultimately cost more than $1 million, requiring assistance from local residents, city officials and state government. Organizers also hope the area’s airport will become involved in the effort.
Families Devastated After Flooding at Fairview Memorial Park Damages Graves
Dozens of families in southeast Albuquerque are dealing with the aftermath of flooding that damaged graves at Fairview Memorial Park near Yale and Coal, KRQE News reported.
Approximately 18 graves were affected after water accumulated in the cemetery. Families said an irrigation system appeared to have remained on through the weekend, leaving several graves flooded and causing some to sink.
Some relatives tried to remove the water themselves, using cups and improvised containers to protect their loved ones’ burial sites.
Sadie Roman, who regularly visits her grandmother’s grave, said she and her mother first noticed the sprinklers running earlier in the day. They returned later that evening and found the irrigation system was still operating.
Yvette Vargas, who visits her son at the cemetery every day, said she noticed the sprinklers running Friday, Saturday and Sunday. When she arrived Sunday morning, she found the area heavily flooded and contacted a maintenance worker to shut off the water.
Fairview Memorial Park Director of Operations Joshua J. McManigal said the cemetery became aware of an unexpected irrigation problem over the weekend and took immediate steps to correct it.
Partnership Between Toledo and Woodlawn Is Helping Revitalize City Cemeteries
A partnership between the City of Toledo in Ohio and Woodlawn Cemetery is improving maintenance and preservation efforts at five city-owned cemeteries, WTVG Action News 13 reported.
Woodlawn has managed the cemeteries since 2020, bringing increased attention to the condition of the grounds, monuments, roads and other infrastructure.
One of the cemeteries benefiting from the arrangement is Forest Cemetery, which was established in 1840. Tour docent Robyn Hage said the cemetery had experienced years of neglect and vandalism before Woodlawn assumed management. Since then, the property has undergone a significant transformation, including cleaner grounds and the resetting of monuments.
Patty Toneff, foundation director for Woodlawn Cemetery, attributed much of the visible improvement to increased attention to routine maintenance.
The partnership between Toledo and Woodlawn demonstrates how municipalities and cemetery organizations can combine their resources and expertise to preserve historic burial grounds. The arrangement has allowed Woodlawn to contribute its cemetery-management experience while working with the city on larger maintenance and infrastructure projects.
In addition to Forest Cemetery, Woodlawn manages Maplewood, Stateline, Haughton and Collingwood cemeteries on behalf of the City of Toledo.
New Veterans Cemetery in Augusta Set to Break Ground in November
After roughly 25 years of planning, advocacy and community support, construction is expected to begin this fall on a new veterans cemetery in Augusta, Georgia. Once completed, the facility is expected to be the largest veterans cemetery in the state, WRDW/WAGT reported.
A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for November. The cemetery will occupy more than 200 acres behind East Central Regional Hospital along Tobacco Road. The project is supported by $150 million in federal funding and is expected to take approximately 18 months to complete.
The effort to bring a veterans cemetery to Augusta dates back to 2001, when former Mayor Bob Young began advocating for the project. District 5 Commissioner Don Clark is now among those helping move the initiative forward.
A recent community meeting brought together veterans, their families and other supporters, many of whom expressed enthusiasm about finally seeing the project move toward construction. The strong attendance demonstrated the level of community interest in having a veterans cemetery in the Augusta area.
The new cemetery will be available to veterans and their spouses regardless of where they live. There will be no residency requirement for eligibility.
Connecticut Cemetery Turns Unused Land into Solar Site
At the rear of a Catholic cemetery in Torrington, Connecticut, a large tract of land sat unused for years. It was located far enough from the graves that there were no plans to use it for future burials. Today, rows of solar panels occupy the property, creating a new source of revenue while raising another possibility: the land beneath and around the panels could provide habitat for bees and other pollinators, the Times of India reported.
The property is owned by the Catholic Cemeteries Association of the Archdiocese of Hartford. According to Connecticut Public, approximately 7,000 solar panels now cover about a dozen acres of the site. Hartford-based Verogy developed the project through a 20-year lease with the cemetery association.
The solar installation was carefully separated from the burial grounds. No panels are located near graves, and a wooded area provides a natural buffer between the cemetery and the solar field.
The more intriguing question, however, involves what happens to the open ground surrounding the panels. Solar developers in some parts of the country are increasingly viewing these spaces as opportunities to support biodiversity rather than simply areas that need to be mowed or kept bare.
Allowing native grasses and wildflowers to grow around solar arrays can create habitat for pollinators and other wildlife while putting otherwise underused land to productive use. For cemeteries and municipalities, such projects also can provide an ongoing revenue stream from property that might otherwise generate only maintenance expenses.
For cemetery organizations seeking new ways to make productive use of surplus property, the Torrington project illustrates a potentially valuable combination: renewable-energy revenue above ground and conservation opportunities below it.
