Rules and Regulations for Warwick Cemetery 1969
All legal residents of the town are entitled to a burial in the Cemetery with no charge to be made for the lot or grave. However the location of the grave must be left to the discretion of the Cemetery Commissioners unless previous arrangements have been made by the Board of Cemetery Commissioners.
It is to be understood that while no charge is made for a grave or lot it is expected that a sum of money be paid for perpetual care of the same.
Graves or lots can not be reserved prior to a burial unless a payment is made to the town to provide a fund established in a bank the interest of which can be drawn at the direction of the Commissioners for the perpetual care of the lot or grave. This payment is made to insure good faith on the part of the person or persons reserving said lot [or] grave. However the payment will be returned to the donor if at any time the lot or grave is returned to the town.
The fee for perpetual care for a single grave will be $425.00. Four grave lot will be $1,700 and $2,125 for five grave lot. These fees when paid will guarantee perpetual care and no additional charge or increase will be made thereafter.
Perpetual care will consist of cutting the grass and maintaining the lot or grave in the condition prevailing when excepted for perpetual care. Work done thereafter such as reseeding or any major operation will be charged for according to a mutual agreement between the parties concerned and the Commissioners.
The location of monuments or memorials must be made by the Cemetery Commissioners. Headstones that are not up right and in the row of the stones should be placed leveled to the ground. Urns should be kept in the row with the headstones for ease of mowing. Shrubs and other perennial flowers etc., can only be planted with the approval of the Cemetery Commissioners.
Cut flowers and [artificial] flowers can be removed by the Cemetery custodian when in his opinion they are unsightly.
Persons who in the past have been [allotted] a lot in the Cemetery when they were legal residents of the town but who have removed from town and no longer have a legal resident in Warwick and have not had any burials on the lot will no longer be considered to have any claim to said lot unless they have already paid to guarantee their present claim. Such deposit must be made within one year from allotment of lot.
Opening of graves for the burial of bodies will be for the fee of $450.00.
Burial of urns of ashes for the fee of $200.00.
The Commissioners reserve the right to increase the fees as established when increased costs require such action.
The above Rules and Regulations were written up, in the main, by Charles Morse.
The first part of January 1969 a meeting was held at the home of Arthur Francis for the purpose of drawing up and establishing a set code of rules and regulations for the Cemetery. The three Cemetery Commissioners, George Shepardson, Gunnar Thoren and Arthur Francis, Howard Anderson, who had been a Cemetery Commissioner for several years, and Charles Morse who would be a Commissioner after Town Meeting in March when Arthur Francis retires were at the meeting. We feel the above Rules and Regulations will be of help to those in care of the Cemetery in future years. Of course they would be subject to changes if so desired.
George D. Shepardson
Gunnar Thoren
J. Arthur Francis
Transcribed from a scanned copy of the handwritten original March 10, 2010 by Carol N. Coan. With the exception of minor spelling corrections, indicated by square brackets, all contents are as close to the original as possible.
Amended and Updated on July 11, 2024 by Clyde Perkins, John Cassinari and Coco King
GREEN BURIAL RULES AND REGULATIONS
Rules for natural (green) burial approved by the Warwick Cemetery Commission on April 23, 2011, amended on August 1, 2024
- The body of the deceased is to be prepared in an environmentally friendly way; no embalming, no metal casket, and no burial liner or vault. Non-degradable objects may not be buried with the body.
- The body may be brought to the cemetery by an undertaker, or by family and friends of the deceased.
- A board and straps will be used to lower the body into the grave.
- The deceased’s family and friends may participate in preparation of the grave and in the burial of the body to the extent they desire, with advance notice to the Cemetery Commissioner.
- Burial in a casket is not required. However, if one is used, it must be made of biodegradable material such as pine, cardboard, wicker or fiber.
- Shrouded bodies must be entirely wrapped and be supported on a solid softwood board for lowering. Plywood and particle support boards are not acceptable.
- Burial depth will be 3.5 – 4 feet from the natural surface to the bottom of the grave and the grave will be mounded for settling to return to its natural state
- A stone marker not larger than nine inches by twelve inches, engraved with the deceased’s name, and the year of birth and death, may be placed flat to the ground at the foot of the grave.
Warwick’s Cemetery Commission consists of:
| Member | Term Expires |
|---|---|
| Clyde Perkins, Jr, Chair and Burial Agent | 2025 |
| John Cassinari | 2027 |
| Coco King | 2026 |