Terms & Definitions
Often words are used in the cemetery and death care industry that clients don't understand. Below are some explanations to help.
Burial - A burial is when a deceased's remains are placed into the ground.
Casting - Casting is when a marker is created by pouring bronze into a mould.
Columbarium - A columbarium is like a small mausoleum but specifically for cremated remains only.
Cremains - Cremains are the cremated remains of the deceased.
Crypt - A crypt is an area in a mausoleum for a casket to be placed.
Deed - A deed is a piece of paper, issued by the cemetery, giving a person or persons the right to be buried in a specific location within the cemetery grounds. It is not a legal title of ownership to the ground itself. These are not recorded with the county and copies are kept in the cemetery office.
Engraving - engraving is when names, dates and symbols are carved into granite stone.
Entombment - An entombment is when a casket is placed into a mausoleum or crypt.
Etching - etching is generally when a picture is literally etched on a black granite monument. Sometimes it is colored, others times it is just painted in with white so that it is more easily seen.
Foundation - A foundation is a concrete pad that a marker or monument is installed on top of to keep it level and prevent sinking of the marker or monument.
Grave - The grave is then the smallest division and is within the lot. Each lot can have 2-8 graves within the lot depending on the section.
Inurnment - An inurnment is when cremated remains are placed into a mausoleum niche or crypt.
Lot - The lot is the smaller division within the section, usually a number or a number and letter combined like 32 or 32A.
Marker - A marker is a flat or fairly flat bronze or granite piece with the deceased's information on it.
Mausoleum - A mausoleum is a building the stores the deceased in their caskets. It can either be a private family mausoleum or large communal one with individual crypts within it. Some mausoleums also have niches for cremated remains.
Monument - A monument is a larger granite or marble piece with the deceased's information on it.
Niche - A niche is a space space, usually in a mausoleum or columbarium, specifically for urns and cremated remains.
Open/Close - Open/Close or Interment fees are charged to open a burial space for a burial, entombment or inurnment and then to put the space back to normal after the service.
Section - When referring to a specific spot in our cemetery, we often give the section, lot number and grave number. The Section is the larger garden areas on the grounds of LCA such as Original Plot, Second Addition, Miller Addition and Wagnalls Addition.
Traditional Burial - A tradtional burial can be defined two ways. It can either be when a deceased's remains in a casket are buried in a vault in the ground, or it can be defined as when a man is buried on the left and his spouse is buried on the right.
Vault - A vault is a concrete container that the casket is lowered into and then is sealed and lowered into the grave. A vault protects the casket from being crushed when mowers or equipment must be taken over a grave. It also reduces sinkage after a burial.
Casting - Casting is when a marker is created by pouring bronze into a mould.
Columbarium - A columbarium is like a small mausoleum but specifically for cremated remains only.
Cremains - Cremains are the cremated remains of the deceased.
Crypt - A crypt is an area in a mausoleum for a casket to be placed.
Deed - A deed is a piece of paper, issued by the cemetery, giving a person or persons the right to be buried in a specific location within the cemetery grounds. It is not a legal title of ownership to the ground itself. These are not recorded with the county and copies are kept in the cemetery office.
Engraving - engraving is when names, dates and symbols are carved into granite stone.
Entombment - An entombment is when a casket is placed into a mausoleum or crypt.
Etching - etching is generally when a picture is literally etched on a black granite monument. Sometimes it is colored, others times it is just painted in with white so that it is more easily seen.
Foundation - A foundation is a concrete pad that a marker or monument is installed on top of to keep it level and prevent sinking of the marker or monument.
Grave - The grave is then the smallest division and is within the lot. Each lot can have 2-8 graves within the lot depending on the section.
Inurnment - An inurnment is when cremated remains are placed into a mausoleum niche or crypt.
Lot - The lot is the smaller division within the section, usually a number or a number and letter combined like 32 or 32A.
Marker - A marker is a flat or fairly flat bronze or granite piece with the deceased's information on it.
Mausoleum - A mausoleum is a building the stores the deceased in their caskets. It can either be a private family mausoleum or large communal one with individual crypts within it. Some mausoleums also have niches for cremated remains.
Monument - A monument is a larger granite or marble piece with the deceased's information on it.
Niche - A niche is a space space, usually in a mausoleum or columbarium, specifically for urns and cremated remains.
Open/Close - Open/Close or Interment fees are charged to open a burial space for a burial, entombment or inurnment and then to put the space back to normal after the service.
Section - When referring to a specific spot in our cemetery, we often give the section, lot number and grave number. The Section is the larger garden areas on the grounds of LCA such as Original Plot, Second Addition, Miller Addition and Wagnalls Addition.
Traditional Burial - A tradtional burial can be defined two ways. It can either be when a deceased's remains in a casket are buried in a vault in the ground, or it can be defined as when a man is buried on the left and his spouse is buried on the right.
Vault - A vault is a concrete container that the casket is lowered into and then is sealed and lowered into the grave. A vault protects the casket from being crushed when mowers or equipment must be taken over a grave. It also reduces sinkage after a burial.