WARSAW – Some of the cremations at Oakwood Cemetery have had issues with paperwork.

Sexton Hal Heagy told the Oakwood Cemetery Board of Regents on Thursday, Sept. 1, that monument companies are making monuments that are hollowed out with a person’s ashes put into the monument. Heagy said the cemetery has allowed people to use hollowed-out monuments so far.

On Thursday, a monument company set up a monument in a lot in the cemetery. When Heagy asked how things were going, he was told things were great and the monument company staff member just put the ashes into the hollowed-out monument. The monument company staff did not have the paperwork, which could be a death certificate, to go with the cremations.

Thursday’s incident has been resolved and Heagy was able to get everything he needed from the funeral home.

Heagy said cremated remains do not have to be buried. However, if a family or funeral home brings remains to the cemetery, the paperwork has to be in the box with the remains to identify whose remains they are, as well as to be considered legally buried in the cemetery.

Heagy said if a person’s remains are put into a hollowed-out monument, a member of the monument company’s staff has to be on-site for it. Heagy said it is a burial so the only time a funeral director doesn’t need to be on-site is if a pastor is there. Either Heagy or a member of the cemetery staff also has to be on-site.

There have been other issues of people burying or scattering ashes at the cemetery without the staff being aware of it or being given the appropriate paperwork. In situations like that, he said the cemetery staff have no idea whose remains they belong to. Heagy said Oakwood Cemetery is not a scatter field.

Heagy said he doesn’t want to take anything away from monument companies, but the cemetery staff have to know if remains are going into a hollowed monument or in a full-body burial with someone else.

He just wanted to bring the issue to the Board so they are aware of some of the issues the cemetery deals with.

In other business, the Board learned:

• Heagy is planning on picking up some new trees today. He said about 12 will be planted in the cemetery.

• The water leak coming from a 1-1/2-inch water line near the road near American Legion Circle #1 has not been fixed yet as the person set to fix the leak has been busy. The water is still off in that area, but Heagy said there is water on the far end of the cemetery, in the office and chapel.

• Cemetery staff is beginning to split wood for the cemetery’s wood giveaway. The wood is given away to those who need it. People are able to get vouchers from Combined Community Services for the wood. The cemetery gives a truckload of wood a month to heat their homes. Heagy said the cemetery has a lot of wood it still needs to give away.

• New flag poles have been installed in #3 Legion Circle. Heagy said next year, he is looking to put up a stone wall around the flag poles to protect the poles.

• A new flag pole for the Civil War Circle has been ordered.