The Oxford Cemetery Rules and Regulations

Rules and Regulations

The cemetery is open for interments from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Because of increased costs associated with interments on Saturday, Sunday, and legal holidays, there will be an additional charge added to the weekday interment charge.

All funerals entering the cemetery will be under the charge of the City of Oxford, Ohio.

No interment of two or more bodies shall be made in one grave except in the case of parent and infant in one casket or two infants, or a maximum of two cremains, or one casket and one cremain.

Arrangements for the payment and all indebtedness due to the City of Oxford, Ohio must be made prior to interment.

Monuments and Markers

The owner of each lot may have erected any proper monument or marker thereon, subject to the Rules and Regulations of the City of Oxford, Ohio and under the supervision of the City of Oxford, Ohio.

One individual headstone shall be permitted on each gravesite. Such headstones are restricted in size to a maximum of 40" x 14". Double headstones are to be a maximum of 88" x 14". For cremains interred on an existing gravesite, a bronze plaque may be placed on the back of the existing headstone or the headstone may be engraved with information about the deceased. If the above options for cremains are not possible, a flat bronze plaque of 24" x 12" or smaller may be placed on the gravesite. The location of the plaque on said gravesite will be at the discretion of the cemetery manager. A fee will be charged for the foundation and installation of the plaque and that fee must be paid prior to installation.

One family memorial may be placed on a family plot at the head of the said plot. Footstone markers may be used in conjunction with a family memorial. They will be placed at the foot of each grave and will be no larger than 24" x 12" x 8".

Military markers are permitted and will be placed on the monument, or when necessary, in front of the monument in a location determined by the cemetery manager.

Lot corner marker posts shall be of monumental stone placed level with the grade. Initials may be cut in, not raised. All corner posts will be set by the cemetery manager or an authorized representative. A charge will be made for this placement.

Family mausoleums wholly or partially above ground are not permitted.

Flat monuments that cover the entire gravesite are not permitted.

All monuments and markers are required to have a foundation installed by the cemetery staff. To avoid errors, written details with specific dimensions must be received with payment by the City of Oxford, Ohio before the foundation for the monument or marker is installed. A 4" foundation border is required around all monuments.

Maintenance of Lots and Grave Spaces

The general care assumed by the City of Oxford, Ohio shall in no case mean the maintenance, repair or replacement of any monument or marker placed or erected on lots or graves; nor the doing of any special or unusual work in the cemetery, including work caused by impoverishment of the soil, nor does it mean the reconstruction of any marble or granite work on any section or plot, or any portion or portions thereof in the cemetery caused by the elements, an act of God, common enemy, thieves, vandals, strikers, malicious mischief makers, explosions, unavoidable accidents, invasions, insurrections, riots, or by order of any military or civil authority, whether the damage be direct or collateral, other than as herein provided.

The placement of any item not incorporated in monuments and similar articles upon plots will not be permitted.

Plants, Shrubs, Flowers and Decorations

The City of Oxford, Ohio will undertake to maintain the planting of trees and shrubs and ground cover to preserve and maintain the landscape features. There shall be no individual bed of flowers, urns, trees, shrubbery or ground cover on the grounds.

No plants, flowers, shrubs or trees shall be permitted to be planted on any lot or grave. If any tree, plant or shrub situated already on any lot shall by means of its roots, branches or otherwise become detrimental, or inconvenient to adjacent lots, walks or drives, the City of Oxford, Ohio shall have the right to remove them.

The City of Oxford, Ohio shall not be liable for floral pieces, baskets, etc.

No artificial flowers are permitted on graves from April1 through October 31 unless they are placed directly on the headstone.

Funeral flowers will be removed by cemetery staff after three days.

Winter decorations will be permitted from November 1 through March 31. If they become unsightly, they will be removed by cemetery staff.

Decorations and flowers placed on graves for special holidays during the mowing season will be removed the following Friday.

One American flag is permitted per grave.

Articles of concrete such as benches, urns, and boxes are not permitted.

Any item that would create a safety hazard for staff or visitors will be removed. Such items include, but are not limited to, pieces of wire or steel to secure decorations in place, toys, ornaments, bottles, vases, crockery and knick-knacks of any kind. Power mowers and trimmers can inadvertently throw such items through the air, endangering workmen and visitors alike.

The City of Oxford, Ohio reserves the right, without further notice, to remove and dispose of any decorations which violate the rules or otherwise interfere with the appearance or the safe grounds operations of the cemetery.

No liability is assumed by the City of Oxford, Ohio for any decoration.

General Cemetery Rules

Persons visiting the cemetery or attending funerals are prohibited from picking flowers, or injuring any tree, shrub or plant or defacing any memorials or other structure within the cemetery.

To promote the best interests of the cemetery, the management is authorized to make additional temporary rules which may be needed from time to time, to meet emergencies not covered by these Rules and Regulations.

Special cases may arise in which literal enforcement of a rnle may impose unnecessary hardship. The City of Oxford, Ohio therefore, reserves the right to make exceptions, suspensions or modifications of any of these Rules and Regulations without notice, when in the judgment of the Management such actions appear necessary; and such temporary exception, suspension or modification shall in no way be construed as affecting the general application of such Rules and Regulations.

The City of Oxford, Ohio hereby expressly reserves the right to adopt additional Rules and Regulations or to amend, alter or repeal any rule, regulation, article, section, paragraph or sentence in these Rules and Regulations, at any time and without notice.

The right of the City of Oxford, Ohio to enlarge, reduce, replat or change the boundaries or grading of the cemetery, or a section or sections, from time to time, including the right to modify or change the locations of or remove or regrade roads, drives, or walks, or any part thereof, is hereby reserved.

The instrument of conveyance of these Rules and Regulations and any amendments thereto constitute the sole agreement between the City of Oxford, ohio and the plot owner. The statement of any employee or agent, unless confirmed in writing by the Management, shall in no way bind the City of Oxford, Ohio.

Enforcement of Rules

The management is hereby empowered to enforce all Rules and Regulations and to exclude from the cemetery any person violating them. The management shall have charge of the grounds and the buildings including the conduct of funerals, traffic, employees, plot owners and visitors and at all times shall have supervision and control of all persons in the Oxford Cemetery.

Questions

Questions concerning these Rules and Regulations should be directed to:
City of Oxford, Department of Finance, 15 South COllege Avenue, Oxford Ohio, 45056