When considering your final place of rest, options abound.

As we all consider our final resting place or the final resting place of a loved one, it is important to consider the location and how you would like to be remembered. One may prefer a natural, outdoor setting or a refined and contemporary mausoleum setting. Today, there are many interment options and at Cedar Memorial Park we help you explore all of them, so you feel confident about your choice. 

Let’s review the options. There are five basic categories: 

• In-ground burial in a single interment space typically involves a casket, outer burial container, and a permanent memorial marker.

• In-ground burial in a lawn crypt typically involves a below-ground crypt with room for two caskets.

• Above-ground entombment in a mausoleum typically involves choosing a crypt that includes lettering. 

• Inurnment in a location following cremation. Inurnment has varying options of above-ground, in-ground, and a variety of options to memorialize the place of rest.

• Natural burial typically involves a biodegradable casket or no casket at all

At Cedar Memorial, our knowledgeable and experienced Family Service Counselors are available to assist with information about all the available options.

Mausoleum Options

Cedar Memorial continues to offer exclusive pre-construction savings for the new addition to the Corridor of Hope Mausoleum. Indoor mausoleum crypts and indoor niche options at one point were available only to the wealthy, but today we offer these premium selections at moderate costs with affordable payment options terms and no-interest financing.

There are various options available for preconstruction sales of crypts, and in the fall of 2020, we will begin offering pre-construction sales for our glass front and marble front niche options. These niche options are unlike anything available in our area and are limited in number. If you are interested in additional information, please contact us and we will add your name to our exclusive contact list to be the first to know.

Traditional Burial Interment

For many families, it is their tradition to select burial at a cemetery with a casket and outer burial container. By choosing Cedar Memorial, you can select options in one of several unique sections of our meticulously maintained, 80-acre park. For example, we have the Garden of the Last Supper, the Garden of Serenity, and Resthaven. Each of these sections appeals to different people for different reasons, and we’ll be happy to show them to you so you can select the section that resonates most with your preferences and end-of-life wishes.

Cedar Memorial also offers the unique and affordable option of lawn crypts in two sections, the Garden of Tranquility and Garden of Eternal Love. Both sections offer the driest form of earth burial through a pre-constructed underground crypt and an engineered drainage system. Our lawn crypt packages offer great savings for those couples that are both selecting for in-ground burial.

Inurnment following Cremation

Cremation continues to gain in popularity as a form of disposition. Cedar Memorial supports and encourages families to consider and select a final and permanent place of rest for cremated remains. Inurnment is the dignified act of placing a loved one's cremated remains in that place of permanent rest. Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery is the only cemetery in the Cedar Rapids and Marion area that offers an on-site state-of-the-art Cremation Center, and cemetery selections that are specifically designed for those who choose cremation. 

• The Garden of Reflection offers three ponds with fountains, several meandering walkways, and many unique areas for reflection and meditation. The natural environment is comforting to many people and offers quiet solace and healing. This section has over 8 different options available to honor a life lived.

• The Garden of Meditation is a peaceful, recessed garden that is reserved for cremation memorialization. Families may select a memorial in the Meditation Wall or a bench near the gardens and pool. 

• The Garden of Tranquility offers above-ground niches for long-term memorialization. The garden offers bountiful gardens, grass walkways, and a fountain of cascading water. 

• The Chapel of Memories Mausoleum offers indoor niches that may be made of bronze, glass, marble or a combination of materials. Families may visit the niches year-round in a temperature-controlled and peaceful location.

We hope that this has helped you understand some of the available options, but please know you can reach out to us at any time and we are here to help answer any questions.

Cedar Memorial is honored by the many families in our community who have entrusted us with their final arrangements. We believe that a permanent and perpetual place of rest is incredibly important, and no matter traditional burial or cremation, we have a sacred duty as we care for a loved one and for the family that grieves a loss.