Policies For Owners Of Burial Space at the Eugene Masonic Cemetery

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The Eugene Masonic Cemetery is a historic pioneer cemetery. In addition to historic features, the cemetery contains a valuable collection of native plants. By law, the Eugene Masonic Cemetery Association (ECMA) must place 15% of the sale price of a burial space in an endowment to support general care and maintenance. The state endowment requirement for mausoleum space is 5% of the sales price of a crypt or niche. A design review process and the following policies are additional measures intended to ensure care of the cemetery and its important cultural and natural resources.  Further information about the design review process will be provided to all new plot owners and is available for current owners by contacting the Eugene Masonic Cemetery Association at (541) 684-0949.

Cemetery Management and Operations

1. There are fees for the purchase of burial space and services within the cemetery. A burial, grave marker placement, large memorial gathering, weekend or holiday services, and genealogy searches will not take place until all fees are paid in full. Opening and closing fees for casket burials are generally paid at the funeral home.

2. The cemetery association reserves the right to change policies and raise fees at any time.

3. Transfer of ownership of a burial space must be recorded with the EMCA to be valid. All burials, whether initial or additional, must be recorded with the EMCA. All plot owners should keep their contact information current.

4. Burial of remains shall be made with the approval of those persons having authorization as defined by state law.

5. Removal of all coffins and urns from a burial space constitutes abandonment. The EMCA may reclaim and sell the space unless appropriate arrangements are made.

Cemetery Use

6. No automobile, motorcycle, truck, tractor, van, crane, skateboard, or any other vehicle and/or recreational equipment shall be permitted in the cemetery without the permission of the EMCA. Bicycles are limited to the gravel and bark-covered pathways.

7. It is the policy of the EMCA that all dogs must be leashed, but the EMCA cannot guarantee this for visitors. Dog owners must clean up their pets' waste and dispose of it at their personal residence.

Owners Rights and Responsibilities

8. Purchase of a single 4' x 10' burial space allows for the burial of a combination of 1 casket, 1 casket and 2 urns, or 3 urns. Also allowed is the combination of a single upright marker and/or ground level small markers, not to exceed 3 total markers. Buyers in the Temple Beth Israel (TBI) section of the cemetery are restricted to the burial of 1 casket and a single upright marker for each lot. Burial of cremated remains in the TBI section is allowed with a total of 3 urns allowed on a single lot with three small flat markers.

9. Concrete liners are not required within the Temple Beth Israel section. Within the remainder of the cemetery, liners are recommended, but not required. If in doubt, consult the EMCA for clarification.

10. All workers employed in the construction of vaults, the erection of monuments, or other work within the cemetery, are subject to the control and direction of the EMCA.

11. All graves must be dug by laborers approved by the EMCA, or by laborers working through local established funeral homes.

Landscape Design Policies

The Masonic Cemetery is a twenty-first century version of a nineteenth century idea of a "rural cemetery", in which the landscape itself is seen as the memorial to those buried within. With this in mind, the Cemetery Association has adopted an extensive long-term Landscape Management Plan that envisions a unified landscape appearance. The plan provides the needed strategies to support this vision, which overall emphasizes preservation of native plants within a natural, wooded landscape in which the tombstones appear to "fit in", rather than stand out of the landscape.

The following policies support this vision.

12. In choosing grave markers, owners need to keep in mind the historic nature of the cemetery, and the traditional design of the existing markers. For people owning burial spaces in alleys or streets, the only acceptable markers are those that are flush with the ground. Personal graphics may not exceed more than 10% of a marker's surface. Examples of personal graphics would include, but are not limited to, representations or symbols associated with hobbies or personal interests such as golf, boating, pets or automobiles. All new monuments are subject to approval through the EMCA Design Review process.

13. Decisions about the construction of new curbs on burial plots will be made by the EMCA Design Review Committee.

14. For a period of a year after a burial, owners may place flowers and memorabilia, excluding candles and glass, on the grave. This practice should be followed by the placement of a grave marker, at which point the policy as described in number 15 goes into effect. Failure to place a grave marker does not entitle an owner to create an ongoing shrine of flowers and memorabilia covering more area than described in policy number 15.

15. All lot owners may remove vegetation in the 12 inches in front of a grave marker and may place fresh flowers or plants within that space. Cemetery staff will remove these plants or flowers when they become unsightly.

16. All maintenance of individual lots, beyond what is described under policies 14 and 15, will be planned and implemented by cemetery staff.

17. Cemetery personnel are empowered to remove, at their discretion, any article or plantings found on any grave or lot. Candles, glass and plastic flowers will be removed. The EMCA may also remove any tree, shrub, or other planting if it is inconsistent with the cemetery's Landscape Management Plan. If mature trees have undermined curbs and grave markers, the EMCA may choose to save the tree and repair the damage to nearby structures. If the tree is young and clearly threatens nearby grave markers and curbs, the EMCA reserves the right to remove the tree.

18. The owner of a lot, or site, may not cut down any tree, shrub or plant (with the exception of Blackberries, Scotch Broom and Poison Oak) within a lot or site without the consent of the EMCA. Owners may not prune or remove any tree or shrub planted by another owner, or by the cemetery, except through the approval of the EMCA.

19. Power tools are to be used only by cemetery staff or contracted labor.

20. Herbicides and pesticides may not be used on any burial space in the Masonic Cemetery.

The above policies consist of those last reviewed and approved in March 1, 2005.
Eugene Masonic Cemetery Association (EMCA), P.O. Box 5934, Eugene, OR 97405
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