Oakwood Board Discusses Cremation Co-Mingling Request
By Lasca Randels
InkFreeNews
WARSAW — Oakwood Cemetery Sexton Hal Heagy told board members at the Feb. 4 Oakwood Board of Regents meeting that he received a request for an underground full-size vault that would contain ashes from various family members.
Heagy said the gentleman who put in the request owns four lots at the cemetery, along with his brother. The family would like the cremains put in the underground vault and a stone then placed with all of their names on it.
“It’s called co-mingling,” Heagy explained. He told board members that the only rule from the state board of health regarding putting one person’s ashes in with another’s is that you must have a signed document stating this is okay.
Heagy is currently waiting to hear from Warsaw City Attorney Scott Reust about this matter.
Because this is something new that hasn’t been done at Oakwood previously, Heagy sought input from board members.
“I really don’t see any problem with it if the family is all agreeable,” Jerry Frush commented.
“In my personal opinion, this is a good thing. I have people buy two lots and put two ashes on those lots,” Heagy said. “We’re gifted to have some extra land, but you can’t make anymore — so for them to put 20, 30, whatever, I mean this will hold a bunch, whatever they want to do, is saving the cemetery land.”
The matter will be tabled until Heagy has obtained more information and speaks with Reust.
Other news:
- Split loads of firewood are available at Oakwood Cemetery. Anyone interested in getting firewood from the cemetery is asked to obtain a voucher from Combined Community Services, located at 1195 Mariners Drive, Warsaw. The voucher is good for one split load of firewood per month while wood is available. Vouchers are distributed based on financial need. Heagy said only eight loads of wood have been picked up in December and January — much less than usual.
- Plans are being made to add a 20 x 20 cold storage area for equipment to the northeast part of the cemetery shop. Warsaw City Engineer James Emans is working on the project and putting together the criteria. This will be a bid project because the cost will exceed $50,000. Obtaining quotes will be the next step.
- Bradford’s Outdoor Creations will put in another erosion deterring wall in Section 29 of the cemetery this summer, Heagy said. This is the big hill area near Pike Lake. Heagy said leftover money in the perm account from last year is being used toward this project.
- The next meeting will be 5 p.m. March 4.