The Lake View Cemetery within the City of South Haven is governed by the Parks Commission appointed by the City Council of the City of South Haven. All persons and lands within the Lake View Cemetery shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 18 of the City Code of Ordinances. A printed version of the Code of Ordinances is available for review at City Hall. It is the desire of the Commission of South Haven to make Lake View Cemetery a quiet, beautiful resting place for departed loved ones. In forming the rules to govern Lake View Cemetery, it has been the desire of the Commission to extend as far as possible freedom for individual wishes and tastes while maintaining a high standard of beauty for the cemetery as a whole.

For geneology research, the City Cemetery Burial Records are online in the Document Center.

Rules and Regulations:

Ordinance:

These rules and regulations are enforced by City personnel and the City of South Haven will assume no responsibility for any information except as transmitted from its duly authorized agents.

Address Change:

It shall be the duty of the gravesite owner to notify City Hall of any change in address. Notice sent to a gravesite owner at the last address on file shall be considered sufficient and proper legal notification.

Vaults:

No burial shall be allowed except in an underground vault made of metal, concrete or fiberglass.

Visitors:

All visitors to the cemetery shall conduct themselves in a manner showing respect.

Rates:

Charges for all graves and cemetery services are set by the City Council of South Haven and may be amended at any regular meeting of the City Council by a majority vote.

Monuments and Markers:

Monuments and headstones shall be of natural granite, marble or bronze and erected in conformity to rules and regulations of the Commission.

A monument or marker base shall not exceed 4' in height and 2'6" in length for a single grave or 5' in length for a double grave. (6' - triple, 7' - quad.)

One marker or monument per grave is allowed.

All monuments or markers shall be placed on a solid foundation constructed by the Cemetery staff and billed to the owner of said gravesite.

If a monument or marker falls into disrepair and becomes unsightly, dangerous, or detrimental to the public or adjacent lot owners, it may be removed by order of the Commission after giving 30 days written notice to the owner at the address given at time of purchase or a new address subsequently furnished to or available at City Hall.

Cremations:

Only 2 cremains are allowed per grave.

All cremains must be placed in appropriate containers.

Interments/Disinterments:

Interments, disinterments, removals or cremation interment services shall be prohibited on Sundays or any of the following holidays: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, day after Thanksgiving, one-half day before Christmas, Christmas Day, and any additional holidays specified in a collective bargaining agreement covering City employees working in the cemetery. Should any such holiday fall or be legally observed on a Saturday or Monday, funerals will be received on the last business day preceding or first business day following such legal observance. Provided, however, if an interment must be made on a Sunday or a holiday because of applicable Health Department requirements, or if for any other reason an interment is made on a Sunday or a holiday, an additional fee recommended by the Parks and Cemetery Commission and approved by the City Council shall be added to the regular interment charge.

Notice of an interment, including exact location of grave, must be given to the Cemetery Superintendent at least eight (8) scheduled working hours in advance of the proposed interment.

In preparation for an interment, cemetery staff reserves the right to remove any monument, tree, shrub or other ornamentation in order to facilitate an interment. Upon completion of interment, items will be returned.

Disinterments - Reinterments:

Disinterments - reinterments are allowed only in case of necessity for a proper removal of a body to another location in Lake View Cemetery or upon a legal order for official investigation.

Disinterments - reinterments are allowed from April 1 through November 1.

Disinterments - reinterments are allowed Monday through Friday only.

Trees, Shrubs, and Plants:

Hereafter, no trees or shrubs shall be planted on lots or graves except by the permission of the Commission.

Whenever in the judgement of the Commission, any tree, plant or shrub of any kind shall become unsightly, dangerous or detrimental to the public or adjacent lot owners, the Commission may order Cemetery staff to remove such items. The City has no responsibility to return to its owner any item removed.

No person shall cut or injure any flowers, trees, plants or shrubs within the Cemetery grounds.

Flower beds shall be located in front of and adjacent to the monument or marker and shall not extend more than 16 inches from the edge of the foundation.

Ornamentation:

The placing of chairs, settees, trellises, arbors, glass jars, tin cans or toys is hereafter prohibited. All items mentioned and any others which are unbecoming to good decor, according to the Commission, are subject to removal. The City has no responsibility to return such items to its owner.

Any flowers, wreathes, emblems, etc. which become unsightly will be removed and responsibility for their protection or maintenance will not be assumed.

Winter wreathes may remain on the gravesite from the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving to the first Sunday of April.

One (1) artificial flower arrangement per grave is allowed.

Artificial flowers and potted plants not removed from gravesites by October 1 of each year shall be removed by Cemetery staff.

The City shall place the flag of the United States of America on Veterans graves the Friday prior to Memorial Day and shall remove such flags the day following Memorial Day.

Urns:

Urns are the liability of the site owners and the Cemetery assumes no obligation as to the care, maintenance, protection or damage which may result to urns placed upon gravesites.

Cemetery personnel will not be responsible for removing or filling dirt from flower urns, pots or other containers.

Urns not filled and planted by July 1 shall be removed.

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