Cemeteries take on a “life” of their own. Each has its character, history and
approach. Some may look alike with
similar looking headstones. Some are
from a bygone era. Pelican Woods
Cemetery and Nature Trail is a very unique cemetery. The name implies it is more than just a
cemetery. It has a trail that rings the
area for those that want a peaceful and beautiful walk in the woods. It also has gardens and vegetation of varying
types of shrubs and plants. The cemetery
features no above ground headstones. The
grounds have been maintained by a contractor who mows the grass but also helps
volunteers maintain the cemetery. These
volunteers have been headed by Cemetery Commission members and include others
who I call the Friends of the Cemetery. They
work for a few hours each Monday morning to maintain the grounds.
The cemetery was started in 1999 with lots being sold
after construction in 2001. With such a
young cemetery it takes a number of years to establish buyers of lots which
ultimately are used. An update was
recently given to the City Council concerning lot sales and burials. The use has picked up in the last couple of
years with six burials taking place in 2012 and already in 2013, two. A total of 64 lots have been sold. Thirty-eight burials have occurred. Fifteen of these are cremain inurnments and twenty-three
have been traditional burials.
Grassmaster is the contractor who has maintained the
grounds since the beginning. His
services have been greatly appreciated.
I believe his heart and soul have been in this effort as he held his
price for services steady from 2004 through 2012. With the most recent two year contract he
asked for a 2 percent raise in prices, which was granted. There has been a great deal of respect for
his abilities in not only getting the grounds mowed but also working with the
volunteers in maintaining the grounds.
If you are a property owner in Breezy Point, the city
can offer a cemetery lot for a twenty percent discount. The price includes funding for perpetual
care. If you do not own property in the
city lots are still competitive.
Recently the commission changed the rules to allow for individual
cremain inurnments in a single lot, allowing for a portion of a lot to be
sold. Doing this keeps the price relatively
low for a single individual who may not have other family members to share a
lot. Pelican Woods Cemetery is a
beautiful place to consider for your final resting place.
