Cemeteries Prepare for Memorial Day Visits

Cemeteries expect an uptick in traffic with Memorial Day visits this weekend.

Many people take the opportunity to make a special visit to honor loved ones who served in the military on the holiday. Crest Lawn Funeral Home Manager Justin Pace said on Memorial Day, they have gravesite visits from both deceased’s loved ones and people who simply want to pay tribute to those who served their country.

“They get the names of a couple veterans in our cemetery and they go out there and they honor them,” Pace said. “They will especially find people that maybe have lost several loved ones and don’t have people that come and visit that grave.”

Pace said when it comes to decorating gravesites, Crest Lawn asks that people follow March-October protocol and use decorations that are attached to the monument or are in a vase. On Memorial Day, they make a special exception and allow visitors to lay wreaths and flags at the grave but ask that they are cleared by Tuesday.

Pace said that visitors decorating the gravesites of those in their cemetery makes the staff happy because it means someone keeps them in their memory.

“People are out decorating these graves because of how proud they are of those that served and gave that ultimate sacrifice.”

In addition to having a designated Veteran Memorial Wall, Crest Lawn offers a special option to those who served.

“We give all of our veterans a free cemetery space not because we have to, but because we want to,” Pace said. “We want to find a way to say thank you.”