Grave Matters

09/13/2023

Chicago! Stop by our Open House at Irving Park Cemetery! Complimentary park tours, affordable pricing and free guidance will be available.

08/17/2023

Join us! This is your chance to take a tour, discover newest options and secure your ideal legacy at a huge savings. Event starts at 11am at the Memory Gardens Cemetery office in Arlington Heights, IL this Saturday!!!

11/15/2021

A look inside a private mausoleum....

10/18/2021

05/08/2021

One of the most popular days to visit a cemetery is Mother's Day. As the weekend approaches, traffic to the parks increases tremendously with visitors coming to spend time with family, particularly mothers. A best practice for visitors is to either know where the person you are visiting is or call to find out ahead of time, as employees will be very busy with patrons asking to look up their loved ones the day of. Plan ahead and be ready to share the space with others there to visit as well.
Ways to make the visit fun and meaningful- pack a picnic, plan a family activity or game to do at the site, make it a mini family reunion, or simply plan to refresh the gravesite while you are there!

05/05/2021

A historic style of entombment is the notorious Pizza Oven Crypts. Found mostly in Louisiana, where below ground burials are nearly impossible due to sea level and flooding, these became a popular and cost effective options for families. Bodies are placed on a ledge inside, and left to decompose in the sweltering heat and sun for 1 year and 1 day. It is illegal to open a crypt before this period of time. If another family member passed prior to this time, a temporary crypt would be used. As the crypt is needed again, the decomposed body remains would be pushed off of the ledge and onto the ground, where previous family members skeletal remains await them. The new family members' body would replace it on the ledge, and the cycle would continue. These were dubbed "pizza ovens" due to their resemblance to a brick oven used for baking.

05/04/2021

Caskets not only come in various shapes, colors, materials and styles but can be customized. From memory panels, emblem attachments, variations of linens, memory drawers and unique corner pieces, these can provide numerous ways to create a very personal touch to your loved one and what was important to them.

05/03/2021

Obelisks began to pop up as a prominent cemetery monument in the 1840's. They are believed to have been a renewed interest in Egyptian culture and architecture, and were a symbol of Patriotism. They cost less than typical monuments at the time yet offered an elite status symbol. These were typically put in the center of the family plot or at the head of it. They come in many variations and can be made of different types of stone. Obelisks can still be found being placed to this day.

05/01/2021

Although cremation has become a tremendously popular option, most people don't know or understand how the process works. There are a lot of things that must take place both beforehand, and during the process that may help with making your own decisions. Make sure you ask before you decide! Knowledge is power, and surprises aren't always a good thing.

04/24/2021

Mausoleums can be interior or exterior and provide an excellent entombment for those who do not want to be buried underground. These can come in various styles and can even host an entire family in a private space! Not all cemeteries have a mausoleum, so smaller family or individual crypts can also be accommodated on the cemetery grounds.

04/23/2021

The hourglass is a popular emblem represented on memorial stones. The hourglass is either "winged" which represents that Time Flies, or is on it's side, representing time being stopped for the deceased.