To all Marion residents:

The Marion Cemetery Commission recently met to review our policies and procedures as well as review each cemetery for any issues that may have arisen. Maintenance has definitely become an issue and many shrubs are now overgrown and obscure the headstones. When this happens the commission reserves the right to prune or remove these overgrown shrubs. The once small spruces that families like to plant often become too large for the headstone. Each planting area cannot exceed the width of the headstone and only 12 inches out from it. Plastic flowers, pinwheels and ornaments will be removed. Bird feeders have also become a nuisance, staining neighboring headstones and are no longer allowed.

In addition, a $200 perpetual care fee has been approved as of July 1 (not for plots purchased before this date). This is a one time fee upon purchase of the plot (not per burial) in any of the town’s cemeteries except the Point Road Memorial Forest which has an endowment for this purchase. The town has the responsibility for the care of its cemeteries, and when families no longer are around to care for grave sites it falls to the town to do so. So we need this fee to cover those costs.

We are also reviewing needed repair on older grave sites and will be getting estimates for that work. If you have any questions please contact the Marion DPW.

Thank you,

Margie Baldwin, Helen Hills, James Lionberger, Joel Watters
Marion Cemetery Commission