General Rules and Regulations

The following rules and regulations shall be enforced by the Board of Directors with reference to all cemetery property owned, managed or controlled by the corporation and the same may, at the discretion of the Board of Directors, be embodied as conditions in the conveyance of lots in said cemetery, to purchased thereof, to wit:

  1. All graves shall be held subject to the laws of the State of South Dakota relating to cemeteries and shall not be used for any other purpose than as a place for the burial of human dead.
  2. Owners shall not allow internments or inurnments to be made in their lots for remuneration; nor shall any transfer or assignment of the use of any lot, or of any interest therein, be valid without the consent in writing of the Directors first, and endorsed upon such transfer or assignment.
  3. A lot owner selling his or her lot must sell to the corporation for the same price as originally paid for the lot. Lots sold back to cemetery will require a Quit Claim Deed.
  4. If any monument, effigy or enclose, or any structure whatever or any inscription, be placed in or upon any lot which shall be determined by the cemetery authorities to be offensive or improper or injurious to the appearance of the surrounding lot or grounds, they shall have the right, and it shall be their duty to enter upon such lot and remove the said offensive and improper object.
  5. No sign indicating that lot is for sale shall be permitted in the grounds.
  6. The owners of lots and their families shall be allowed reasonable access to the grounds at all time, upon observing the rules which are or may be adopted for the regulation of visitors.
  7. No metallic or wooden monuments will be allowed upon lots in the cemetery.
  8. The cemetery authorities may from time to time lay out or alter the avenues or walks, or make such rules and regulations for the government of the grounds, as they may deem proper to assure and promote the general objectives of the cemetery.
  9. In any trees or shrubs situated in any lot by means of their roots or branches become detrimental to the adjacent lots or avenues, or unsightly, or inconvenient for people, it shall be the duty of the cemetery authorities, and they shall have the right, to enter said lot and remove the said trees and shrubs, or parts thereof as they shall determine to be detrimental, unsightly or inconvenient.
  10. All flowers, live or artificial, must be in a planter pot, vase or urn and placed at the ends of the monument only. No glass receptacles are allowed.
  11. Trees or shrubs are not to be planted by lot owners without permission of the cemetery authorities.
  12. Decorations or flowers, live or artificial, are not permitted in front of or behind the monument. Solar lights are permitted only when attached to the monument.
  13. All artificial flowers and decorations shall be removed by July 1, unless attached to the monument. Live plants in pots are allowed from May 1 to October 1.
  14. All lots conveyed shall continue under the control of the Board of Directors of the cemetery so as to secure conformity in the use, care and management thereof to the general purpose and rules of the corporation.
  15. No lot enclosures of any kind are allowed.
  16. The Directors reserve the right to have all work done in the cemetery under their supervision.
  17. Officers and Directors shall be indemnified according to Chapter 47-22 of the South Dakota Codified Law.

Funerals, Interments, and Inurnments:

  1. All graves for interment or inurnment shall be opened and closed by gravedigger assigned by the corporation.
  2. Owners of lots or their representatives shall get permission from the Secretary/Sexton for opening a grave, and a burial or transit permit is required.
  3. Disinterment is permitted with the agreement of all family members or by court order and the written consent of the corporation, as well as a permit by the South Dakota Department of Health.
  4. Interments and inurnments will not be allowed in the cemetery on Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving & Christmas or New Year’s Day, except by special permission of the Board of Directors.
  5. The location of the grave on the lot shall be made by the Secretary/Sexton subject to the approval of the Board of Directors.
  6. No more than one interment will be permitted in any one burial space, except cremations, which are limited to two per space.
  7. One cremation burial may be permitted in the same grave space containing the vault of a spouse or first generation relative of the individual already buried, only when an adjoining space is not available, and at the same rate as which current spaces are sold.
  8. The interment of two bodies in one grave is not permitted, except in case of a mother and infant, or two children buried at the same time.
  9. All burials other than cremations and infants require a concrete, marble or steel vault.
  10. Scattering of ashes in not permitted.
  11. Only human interments or inurnments are permitted.

Monuments and Markers:

  1. Monuments shall be of no other material than marble, granite, or bronze.
  2. The base of all monuments must be marble or granite.
  3. All markers shall be set in or on concrete or granite which is flush with the ground and or sufficient depth to insure their standing without settling. The concrete or granite must extend a minimum of four inches from the edges of a marker.
  4. All monuments and markers shall be placed on the west end of the lot.
  5. Foot stones are not allowed except where there is not room on a head stone for a Veteran’s plaque and the foot stone much be flush with the ground.
  6. Monuments or bases for a single grave space may not exceed 36 inches in length.
  7. The concrete or granite slab under the base for a single grave space may not exceed 48 inches in length.
  8. The concrete or granite slab under all monument bases must extend a minimum of four inches from each end of the base.
  9. Only one stone using two names will be permitted on a single grave with two cremation burials.
  10. Monuments or bases for two or more spaces may not exceed 72 inches in length.
  11. The concrete or granite slab under the base for two or more bases may not exceed 84 inches in length.
  12. Corner stones shall be flush with the ground.
  13. No sunken vases are allowed.
  14. No slab monuments will be allowed over graves and above the ground.
  15. The Board of Directors reserves the right to determine the location of any monument, marker or foot stone on a lot.
  16. A permit must be secured from the Secretary/Sexton of the Greenwood Cemetery Association by all monument companies two weeks prior to setting any part of a monument or marker. The fee for this permit is set by the Board of Directors.  The corporation reserves the right to remove a monument when place without prior permit or approval.  Replacement will be at the expense of the monument company.
  17. The monument designs for any non-traditional shapes, sizes or engravings must be submitted by the monument company to the corporation for approval. The corporation may reject any monument deemed improper.
  18. No monument may be placed if any account with the corporation is unpaid.

Postscript

Since the beginning of Greenwood Cemetery, several thousand burials have taken place and many more are added each year.  As the number of burials increases the problems of safety, order, neatness and beauty increase. We know that you will agree that the living beauty of nature is the finest tribute we can pay to our loved ones.  In order to keep Greenwood Cemetery beautiful and in good taste, we respectfully request and expect your compliance with the Rules and Regulations set forth herein. We want Greenwood Cemetery to be pleasing to members and to the community and believe the reputation of the cemetery shows that these rules provide the basis for a beautiful and comforting place.  Without uniform regulations, which are established for the good of all, it would be impossible to maintain this beautiful cemetery.