Question about cemeteries

[DeFilippis78]

I recently went to a cemetery where there are many ancestors of mine. Some died more recent and some died in the early 1900s. As I looked around the older part of the cemetery and saw no flags, no flowers, no little statues by the graves due to the fact that these people have been dead so long I worried...what happens to them? Is there some sort of law that says after a certain time period, if there is no family left or no one coming to visit a grave, can they reuse it? Im concerned because one particular grave in my family is husband and wife, one died in 1918 and the other 1935. No one in my family even knew they were there. Even people who go to visit the cemetery regularly for more recent deceased didnt know they were there on the other side of the cemetery 8O So Im obviously the first person in decades and decades to pray and leave flowers there. What will happen to them? I heard once, that after 100 years graves can be reused. I searched the net and cant find anything Anyone know about this.

Alicia

PS-This is a Catholic cemetery, the largest in NJ in fact. They might have different laws then other cemeteries.

[johnnyonthespot]

Alicia, see this thread http://italiangenealogy.com/Forums/view ... eries.html for a discussion on this subject.

[edit]

Oops! I just noticed you are talking about New Jersey, not Italy.

[DeFilippis78]

Carmine,

Thats Italian law though though. I dont think its the same here. Maybe I should just contact the cemetery directly. This one set of ancestors happens to be *****and his wife *****. They were the first Italians to come to this country on all sides in my family, and there is a special bond there.Id hate to see anything happen to their grave. They both died young so they were gone before even their grandchildren were born. Its amazing that as of right now I am the only ****** descendant that knows they even exist. None of their grandchildren knew anything about them. They are in their 70s and I showed them pictures of the grave and its the first time they ever saw it and some didnt even know their names. I find it very sad and hope they remain there peacefully.

Alicia

[misbris]

Cemetery plots are bought and become the property of the owners, alive or dead. In many cases,you pay for "eternal care" upfront.

I have done research in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in East Orange, NJ. When the GS Parkway way built it went through a part of the cemetery. All the graves and gravestones were moved to a new location. Now the cemetery stradles both sides of the parkway and all the graves are intact. The cemetery itself is beautiful and well kept.

[johnnyonthespot]

There are "unusual cases" however.

Here in Waterbury, CT, for example, an older cemetery was destroyed in favor of a new "Library Park".

As mentioned in http://www.fortunestory.org/religionand ... burial.asp , "Waterbury's first cemetery, located on Grand St. where Library Park is today. It was abandoned in 1891 and some of the graves and their remains moved to other cemeteries, some of the oldest grave stones were preserved in the wall around the park and are visible from Meadow Street."

Also see http://books.google.com/books?id=8cE1AA ... &q&f=false

[DeFilippis78]

Misbris,

I think it has to do with it being Catholic also. Now that i think of it when I purchased a niche for my father in a mausoleum in a catholic cemetery by me I received a deed. It is my property I paid for and pass the deed down through generations. And they did say that catholic cemeteries are so well maintained and taken care of because the staff believes they are keeping it safe and beautiful until the day of resurrection. I think with smaller town owned cemeteries its easier to up and move them. With the catholic ones, you probably would need the bishop of the diocese permission. Well, that makes me feel better. I guess the answer was right in front of me

Alicia