The City of Dublin

Dublin Cemetery Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

My father lived in Dublin until two years ago when he retired and moved to Florida. Is he a resident?

He is not considered a resident unless he moved directly into a nursing facility or hospital in Florida. (See Section III, F2a.)

Can I sell unused spaces in my lot back to the City?

No, the City does not purchase graves or lots back from individuals.

How can I sell my unused spaces?

Individuals wishing to sell their lots or spaces within their lots may do so using whatever means necessary (e.g. word of mouth, classified ads, etc.). Once an arrangement has been made between the seller and the purchaser, the seller must notify the cemetery office of the sale and provide the office with the name, address (street, city, county, state & zip code), and telephone number of the purchaser and the effective date of the sale. A notarized letter or the Deed Transfer Form must be provided before a new deed will be prepared for the new owner. This service is provided free of charge.

I understand that I must get written permission before I plant any shrubs on my grave spaces and/or lots. How do I get permission?

To request permission to plant shrubs, send a letter to the cemetery office stating what type(s) of shrubs you wish to plant and where you wish to plant them. The office will respond in writing within 30 days. All shrubs must be planted close to the headstone. Cemetery Staff is not responsible for watering or maintaining plants or shrubs not planted by the city. If plants or shrubs become a nuisance or hazard, they will be removed or trimmed by cemetery Staff. (See Section II, C8.) Address all inquiries to the City Forester.

What types of shrubs can I plant?

All shrubs planted must be of a dwarf variety and must be approved on a case-by-case basis by the cemetery and the City Forester. Some examples of shrubs likely to be approved are:

Evergreen Shrubs: ‘Golden Globe’ Arborvitae, ‘Green Glen’ Boxwood, ‘Winter Gem’ Boxwood, Inkberry Holly, ‘Blue Star’ Juniper, ‘Birds’ Nest’ Spruce, ‘Globosa’ Blue Spruce, ‘Nidiformis Dwarf Alberta Spruce, ‘Pumila’ Dwarf Norway Spruce, ‘Nana’ Dwarf Serbian Spruce, ‘Repandens’ Taxus, ‘Everlow’ Taxus

Deciduous Shrubs: ‘Crimson Pygmy’ Barberry, ‘Miss Kim’ Lilac, ‘Gold Mound’ Spirea, ‘Little Princess’ Spirea, Fragrant Sumac, Potentilla, ‘Nanum’ Dwarf European Cranberry Bush, ‘Minuet’ Weigela

Why can’t I plant trees on my grave lots or spaces?

There are a number of reasons why this is not permitted, most of which have to do with the tree roots. First, the roots spread out to great distances and infringe on surrounding lots. Second, the roots also cause significant damage to the graves. Roots can actually grow into, around, and under vaults, causing the vaults to shift or rise. Third, when an interment is made, roots may be severed which may kill the tree. Finally, when trees reach a certain size they can totally obstruct not only the grave on which they were originally planted, but also the ones around it.

My mother was the owner of a lot, and she is deceased. Can I use the remaining grave spaces on the lot?

Only the owner of the lot and spaces can determine who can use them. If the owner of the lot is deceased, ownership must be determined before the lot can be used. This is done in the following manner: (1) The easiest answer to this question would be found if the owner had transferred ownership of any unused graves prior to his or her death. Then the person to whom the deed had been transferred must approve any use of the remaining spaces; (2) If this is not the case, the owner’s will should state that ownership of the lot is to be transferred to a specific individual, who must then approve any use of the remaining spaces; (3) If the deed has not been transferred and a will is not available or does not state specifically to whom the deed should be transferred, presentation of the original deed may be used to show that the owner had passed the deed on to the individual whom they wished to have ownership of the lots; (4) If none of the previous options are available, the final option is to have a letter prepared which states who is to have ownership of the lot or spaces. This letter must be signed by all surviving heirs of the owner, and the signatures must be notarized. The person stated as owner in this letter must then approve any use of the spaces; (5) Remember that a cemetery lot is the same as any other piece of property and does need to be transferred as part of an estate.

How is the fee structure determined?

Dublin City Council requests fee structure recommendations from the Community Service Advisory Commission, which requests specific information from the cemetery Staff. After Staff has compiled this information, the CSAC reviews it and formulates a fee structure it feels will best meet the needs of the cemetery. This suggested fee structure is then submitted to City Council. At this point, the Council usually refers the fee structure to the Finance Committee for review. After the Finance Committee reviews the structure, it submits its recommendations to the Council. The Council then decides whether to adopt the fee structure as submitted, change the fee structure and then adopt it, or to deny the fee structure. The fee structure is adopted by ordinance and goes through three readings before Council action is taken. Once the ordinance is adopted by the Council, there is a 30-day waiting period before the ordinance becomes effective.

Whom do I contact if I have any questions or suggestions for improving the cemetery?

The first place to start is with the cemetery office, located at 6555 Shier-Rings Road in the City of Dublin of Parks and Open Space. The phone number is (614) 410-4700. The office staff is well trained and can usually answer any questions or requests for service. If the staff is unable to assist with requests, they may be taken to City Council. City Council meetings are open to the public and citizens are encouraged to attend. City Council members may also be contacted by phone or letter. To obtain their phone numbers and/or addresses, contact the cemetery office.

I am doing genealogy research about my family from the Dublin area. Whom can I contact for information?

The cemetery office has a great deal of information that may be of interest to you. All known burials in cemeteries owned by the City are recorded in a computer file that is available in the cemetery office. This file contains, when known, the name, age, birth date, death date, names of mother, father, and spouse, places of birth and death, and funeral home for each individual burial. Not all information is available for all burials, but every effort has been made to ensure that this file is as complete and accurate as possible. There is also an alphabetical list of burials for all cemeteries owned by the city, which is available in part or in its entirety for a nominal fee at the cemetery office. More information can also be obtained from the following sources:

• The Ohio Historical Society archives contain many birth and death records prior to the 1940s on microfilm. (614) 297-2510.

• The Franklin County Bureau of Vital Statistics contains birth and death records after the 1940s. They can search their records for a fee, or you can schedule an appointment to search them yourself.

• The Franklin County Genealogical Society has information about cemeteries in Franklin County, most of which is arranged by township. (614) 469-1300.

• There is also a great deal of genealogy research being done on the Internet now. Most search engines have entries for services such as research or records listings. Further information and instruction on using the Internet can be obtained at most libraries or from your Internet service provider.