It's cemetery clean-up time
Cemetery Sexton Kevin Palmer sits in front of a headstone at Evergreen Cemetery in 2021. While these potted plants are not a violation, they are an example of what may be removed from burial sites during the annual clean-up efforts of staff. Palmer encourages patrons to contact the office with any questions about cemetery policy.
File photo
POST FALLS — You love your dearly departed.
Help those who take care of their final resting place.
Cleanup will begin Nov. 15 at Evergreen Cemetery on Spokane Street. As with cemeteries everywhere preparing for winter, Evergreen staff will remove any decorations that don't follow cemetery regulations, which are available at postfallsidaho.org.
Seasonal displays that may constitute a problem will be removed and discarded.
Most burial sites have a cement platform base and families are “more than welcome to decorate” as long as rules are followed and “space is left for employees to easily maintain the marker,” said cemetery sexton Kevin Palmer.
A 6-inch mow strip is required around the outermost decor, he said.
Containers used for potted foliage or cut blooms must be made of non-breakable materials and no permanent installations such as benches, rock works or architectural installations may be implemented without written permission from Parks and Recreation director David Fair.
“Using glass, terracotta and other breakables is usually the most violated rule along with decorations being outside the concrete collar,” Palmer said. “With roughly over 3,000 headstones to maintain, it gets extremely time-consuming dealing with the violations.”
Most of what's removed during fall cleanup are flowers that have died and not been retrieved by family, artificial flowers that have started to deteriorate, and containers filled with rocks or marbles that create a hazard when mowing or weed-eating, Palmer said.
Land was set aside for Evergreen Cemetery during the mid-1880s and saw its first burial in 1881. In 1894, a prairie fire destroyed all of the wooden markers, Palmer said.
In 1917, the city took responsibility for the grounds. Of the 15 acres, 13 are developed with the remaining two reserved for expansion.
Two full-time employees are responsible for maintaining all acreage along with handling funerals, lot sales, headstone design and sales, budget management and customer service.
“Communication is the biggest thing if the public has any questions,” Palmer said. “I am willing to work with people and explain why we do the things we do and what we require.”
Office hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The office has an answering machine as workers are almost always out on the grounds, Palmer said. Call 208-777-4478.