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Dignity Angels devotes itself to cemetery preservation and beautification and asks cemetery visitors to show respect for their loved ones and the cemetery grounds. Drive through cemeteries carefully, keeping to posted speed limits. If you bring food be sure all papers and trash are picked up before you leave. Alcoholic beverages are appropriate in some traditions, but to be on the safe side, leave them at home. A relaxed, even festive atmosphere is appropriate in moderation. Avoid loud music and conversation and be courteous to other guests. Dress in casual but clean attire.
Many people leave flowers, gifts and toys on or around a gravestone but don’t be too lavish. Too much clutter around a grave can produce a headache for cemetery workers who have to clean up and try to cut the grass around the stones. Keep your presents to small items. Never pick up anything off another person’s gravestone unless you’re sure it is trash.
Visitors should also inspect the cemetery grounds and facilities, taking note of their general condition. Look for dirty or broken tombstones, weeds, litter and vandalism. Take photographs of anything that seems out of place or poorly maintained. Report bad conditions to whoever is in charge of the cemetery and to city and county officials.
Pay particular attention to the condition of mausoleums. If you smell decay or see any suspicious material on or around the mausoleum walls or ledges contact cemetery management at once. Fluids from an improperly drained mausoleum vault can leak into the ground and are a health hazard besides causing extreme distress to families. Drainage systems should meet or exceed public health standards.
Watch for phorid or humpback flies, sometimes called corpse flies or death gnats. This fly can be identified by its habit of taking a running start before takeoff. The corpse fly lives off dead and decaying matter, particularly human corpses, and its presence is an indicator that the bodies in the mausoleum are not properly maintained. If you are bitten by a corpse fly, see your doctor as soon as possible.
The garden cemetery, with its beautiful statues, tree-lined paths and flowers, was invented in England and France in the nineteenth century and brought to the United States with the creation of Mount Auburn Cemetery in 1831. Such cemeteries were intended to prevent graveyard overcrowding. But they also reflected changing attitudes toward death in the 1800s. Instead of the Grim Reaper and infant damnation, Christian believers began to focus on God’s mercy and the joys of Heaven. Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston was the first of many peaceful resting places established in the United States for the purpose of visiting and relaxation.
We invite you to send in photographs of cemeteries in poor condition as well as those that are well cared for to use as examples.