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Cemeteries

Show All Answers

1. When are visiting hours?

The grounds are open everyday from sunrise to sunset.

2. What are office’s hours?

Riverside and Forest Lawn cemetery offices are open Monday-Saturday from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm.  Funeral arrangements are by appointment only. Masks are required in all cemetery offices. There are no walk-in services like grave locations. Please visit our website www.norfolk.gov/cemeteries or call us for more information.

Calvary and Elmwood cemeteries are closed to the public. Calvary funeral arrangements are by appointment only.

3. Do I need an appointment?

Yes, funeral arrangements are by appointment only. Please do not visit one of our offices without calling first. We do not accept appointments before 9:00 am or after 2 pm.

We do not offer walk-in services like grave locations. Please visit our website www.norfolk.gov/cemeteries or call us for more information.

4. I no longer want my grave; will you buy it back?

No, we do not do buy backs, sales or exchanges. Some owners have had success listing their property on Craigslist, Facebook or even local churches. Once you have a buyer, please contact us for further direction on the transfer of ownership.

5. Do you have a notary on grounds?

At this time we do not offer notary services.

6. Do you have my relative’s death certificate?

No, A death certificate may be obtained through the Department of Vital Statistics or the funeral home.

• http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/vital-records/
• General Information Number: 804-662-620

7. Where do I get a headstone?

We do not accept, sell or install headstones. We do install foundations. Contact a (licensed & insured) local monument company for assistance. 

• Dolman's Monument & Bronze, Portsmouth  757-488-0018
• ESA Monument Company, Chesapeake  757-725-0407
• Nelson Monument, Portsmouth 757-237-0735
• Norfolk Monument, Norfolk 757-853-7608
• Ogg Stoneworks, Portsmouth 757-399-4651
• Seaboard Memorials, Norfolk 757-855-3146
• Suffolk Monument, Suffolk 757-539-6845

8. Why haven’t you put down one of those little metal markers?

That is a temporary marker and are supplied by the funeral home.

We do not remove temporary markers for any reason.

9. When do I need to be in to plan a service?

Funeral arrangements are by appointment only. Masks are required in our offices. We require notice 48 hours prior to the service to better service you and the family. Please call 757-441-1752. 

NO WALK-IN SERVICES. For grave location help, call us or download our grave location app at www.norfolk.gov/cemeteries.  

To align with the governor’s estrictions for social distancing: 

•  Graveside/committal services are considered religious ceremonies for which there is no gathering limit. Masks and 6 feet of social distance are required..

• 3-person limit per family making funeral arrangements inside the cemetery office. 

• Only one family at a time will be served in cemetery offices. 

To align with the Virginia Cemetery Association, the following will become effective as of Saturday, March 28. 

• The Bureau of Cemeteries will not be use tents for services until further notice. The presence of a tent encourages people to gather under them and also provides additional surfaces where the virus may be transferred to family members as well as cemetery and funeral home staff members. 

• 3 chairs will be put out at services until further notice. Chairs encourage people to sit shoulder to shoulder which does not allow for six feet of social distancing. 

10. How many people are allowed in a grave?

There are two options: (1) Each grave may hold one full casket burial plus 2 sets of cremations or (2) Each grave may hold six set of cremations with no full casket burial.

11. Do I need a vault to be buried here?

Yes, all casket burials need them, however we do not sell them. Your funeral director will assist you.

Urns do not require an urn vault.

12. What is included in my service?

• At this time, the Bureau of Cemeteries will not use tents for services until further notice. The presence of a tent encourages people to gather under them and also provides additional surfaces where the virus may be transferred to family members as well as cemetery and funeral home staff members. 
• 3 chairs will be put out at services until further notice. Chairs encourage people to sit shoulder to shoulder which does not allow for six feet of social distancing.
• For a cremation, we provide 3 chairs, a small table that can fit the urn, flowers, pictures, etc.

13. What type of urn do I need for a cremation burial?

Any non-breakable container will do including the temporary plastic container received from funeral home. We do not require an urn vault however, we would like to know if the urn is larger than 12 x 12.

14. Do you accept credit cards?

Yes, we accept Visa and Mastercard ONLY over the phone. 757-441-1752. We do not accept any walk-in payments at the cemetery offices.

15. Are there bathrooms for public use?

One bathroom is available to the public at Forest Lawn cemetery, open 9am-3:30 pm. There are no public bathrooms available to visitors at this time at Riverside Memorial Park. Calvary and Elmwood cemeteries’ offices are closed to the public.

16. Are there services for residents of Norfolk who cannot afford burial costs?

The City of Norfolk - Human Services department may be able to help indigent residents of Norfolk with burials and cremations.

• https://www.norfolk.gov/1286/Burial-Expenses 
• Phone: 757-664-3345

17. Do you offer genealogical services?

Please use the resources listed below:

• Bureau of Cemeteries online Burial Records Search: https://www.norfolk.gov/2692/Search-Burial-Records
• Findagrave.com- Volunteer-led- Find the graves of ancestors, create virtual memorials or add photos, virtual flowers and a note to a loved one’s memorial. Search or browse cemeteries and grave records for every-day and famous people from around the world.
• Slover Library – Sergeant Memorial Collection conducts basic research to answer requests that are received via online form, email or by traditional mail correspondence. https://www.norfolkpubliclibrary.org/learning-research/local-history-genealogy/contact-us  Phone: (757) 431-7429 Email: localhistory@norfolk.gov
• USGenWeb Archives Virginia - Volunteer-led - http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/norfolkcity/cemeteries - All Norfolk cemeteries

18. How do I find a grave location?

We do not offer walk-in grave location services at this time. Please use our app which can be downloaded at https://www.norfolk.gov/cemeteries or see the maps at the front of Riverside, Calvary and Forest Lawn Cemeteries. Maps to all cemeteries can be found online at each cemeteries’ webpage at https://www.norfolk.gov/cemeteries .

19. If the owner of a grave(s) passes away, who gets ownership?

BLOODLINE HEIR OWNERSHIP

The burial rights to a lot/grave pass to all bloodline kin upon the death of the lot/grave owner.  

 Please see the following steps to determine ownership: 

1. Lot/grave owner = full ownership for burial decisions.
2. Lot/grave owner dies = equal ownership goes to the children and spouse. 
3. No children = ownership goes to the spouse.
4. No living children or spouse = ownership goes to children of the deceased children.
5. Some living children = equal ownership goes to living children of the lot/grave owner and the children of the deceased children.
6. No living spouse or children = property goes back to mother and/or father of the original lot/grave owner.
7. No mother or father = ownership goes to the siblings of original lot/grave owner.
8. No brothers or sisters = ownership goes to bloodline descendants of original lot/grave owner.
9. If original lot/grave has co-owners, ownership is shared equally with the surviving bloodline heirs of both sides.   All above rules still apply with regards to ownership.

 For burials, a bloodline heir has the right to bury someone on a first come, first served basis. The bloodline heir does not need to get permission from other bloodline heirs. 

• For transfer of ownership in the case of the sale of a grave or transfer to another person, all bloodline heirs must sign off on the transfer.

 Other ways to take over ownership of a grave/lot:

• If a person is specifically mentioned in a will, the cemetery and the location of the lot/grave must be specified. The will must be presented to cemetery manager.
•  Adopted children also count as bloodline kin, but stepchildren do not. Adoption papers must be presented to cemetery manager.

 How to make burial arrangements for a deceased who is not a bloodline heir:

• When a grave/lot owner is not able to sign for pre-need or imminent funeral arrangements, (perhaps due to a disability) an individual who has power of attorney (POA) or who is the executor for that person, can make funeral arrangements for them. POA documents and an ID must be presented to cemetery manager.

20. How do I make an installment payment toward my grave (s)? Can I walk into a cemetery office?

No, we do not accept any walk-in payments at the cemetery offices. Please send installment payments to Forest Lawn Cemetery, 100 Granby St., Norfolk, VA 23505. We also accept Visa and Mastercard over the phone.

21. Can I use a personal check to pay for a burial service?

We do not accept personal checks for burial services. We do accept money orders and cashier’s checks, (made payable to the City of Norfolk) cash and Visa and Mastercard.

22. Can I release balloons in City of Norfolk owned cemeteries?

No. A new Virginia law went into effect July 1st, 2021 that prohibits the release of balloons outdoors. The law applies to anyone aged 16 or older, who intentionally releases or discards any non-biodegradable balloons outdoors.  https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title29.1/chapter5/section29.1-556.1/

§ 29.1-556.1. Release of certain balloons prohibited; civil penalty; community service.

A. It is unlawful for any individual 16 years of age or older or other person to intentionally release, discard, or cause to be released or discarded outdoors any balloon made of a nonbiodegradable or nonphotodegradable material or any material that requires more than five minutes' contact with air or water to degrade. Any person convicted of a violation of this section is liable for a civil penalty of $25 per balloon released or discarded, which shall be paid into the Game Protection Fund established pursuant to § 29.1-101. If an individual under the age of 16 releases a balloon by arrangement with or at the instruction of an adult, the adult shall be liable for the civil penalty assessed.

B. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any (i) balloon released (a) by or on behalf of any agency of the Commonwealth or the United States or (b) pursuant to a contract with the Commonwealth, the United States, or any other state, territory, or government for scientific or meteorological purposes or (ii) hot air balloon that is recovered after launch.

1991, c. 607; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 420.

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