Find Wisconsin cemeteries, memorial parks, mausoleums, graveyards, gravesites, graves or mortuaries. Cemeteries provide information on funerals and burial services including internment, headstones and grave markers, burial grounds, cemetery plots, vaults, crypts, as well as burial records for national, state,.
A Cemetery is a burial ground where cultural, ethnic, or religious burial observations and rituals are practiced. There are more than 120,000 Cemeteries in the United States, and they vary significantly in terms of ownership, accessibility, and design. Public Cemeteries make their plots available to the general public. Private Cemeteries restrict their use based on religious affiliation, family, ethnicity, or some other group identifier. Military Cemeteries are generally restricted to veterans and other individuals who have served in the armed forces. In some cases, family members of veterans may also be buried in Military Cemeteries.
Public Cemeteries may be owned by county or local governments, or they may be privately owned. They are open to the public and generate most of their revenue from the sale of individual burial plots. Government-owned Cemeteries may also be partially funded by the operating budget of the county, city, or town. The operation and maintenance of government-owned Cemeteries is usually the responsibility of a Parks or Public Works Department, though some have established divisions specifically for Cemeteries.
Public Cemeteries that are privately owned include Cemeteries owned by businesses and non-profit organizations, such as churches. A Cemetery owned by a church or other religious institution may be considered a Public Cemetery if it is open to the general public. Many Cemeteries are owned by small, locally based businesses. However, a growing number are owned by a handful of large, national companies. In these cases, a local business is often retained as the operator of the Cemetery.
The licensing and operation of Cemeteries is generally regulated by the states. The location of Public Cemeteries is usually regulated by local ordinances and zoning rules. Most states require Public Cemeteries to establish an endowment or other fund for the perpetual care and maintenance of the Cemetery. A certain portion of each burial plot sale must be designated for the future care and maintenance of the Cemetery grounds. These requirements are intended to ensure that funds are available to maintain the Cemetery even after all of the burial plots have been sold. States may also regulate service fees charged by Cemeteries.