Highland Cemetery to get its first columbarium
By Brittany Blackwell
Reporter • Highland is acquiring its first columbarium at the city cemetery, providing families with another option to preserve the memory of their loved ones.
Highland Parks Director Brad Koehnemann said the project is intended to give residents a more affordable choice while also conserving cemetery space.
Koehnemann, who manages the cemetery, explained that a columbarium offers families a burial option for cremated ashes other than a traditional burial plot and headstone, which can become costly, while still providing a permanent memorial space.
The six-foot-tall granite structure will contain 48 “niches,” each capable of housing up to two urns. Families may purchase space for a single urn for $1,500, add a second urn later for an additional $1,000, or purchase the double-urn niche for $2,500.
“The urns can go in the niche at separate times,” he said. “A husband and wife can purchase it up front but it’s not necessary.”
Additionally, Koehnemann said the columbarium will help preserve burial space at the cemetery.
“The demand for cremation services has steadily increased,” he said. “When I first began overseeing the cemetery in 2008, about eight to 10 cremation burials were common each year. Last year, the cemetery recorded 32 cremation burials and 38 traditional full burials.”
The columbarium itself costs just under $23,000, with an additional $15,000 for the concrete footing, and is funded through the city’s cemetery/parks budget. The project previously moved from the cemetery board to the city council for approval.
The structure has been ordered from Lager Monument Co. in Breese, which will also handle niche engraving for families. Delivery is expected within four to six months, with hopes it will be installed and ready for use this fall, according to Koehnemann.
The columbarium will be located in an area of the cemetery that allows space for future additions and is a common style that can be matched later if needed.
Koehnemann noted that several neighboring communities offer similar memorial spaces.
