Heritage Family Cemeteries takes pride in bringing the deceased dignity and respect during the burial or interment process and beyond.
They also help families and friends navigate their grief while creating a space where they can memorialize their loved one.
These goals are met through a variety of services.
Cremation services
According to Tyler Tetrick, President of Heritage Family Cemeteries, final wishes for cremation are on the rise. He estimates that 50-60% of individuals nationwide are cremated.
Tetrick says that while more individuals wish to be cremated upon their death, many families struggle with what to do with the remains. Traditionally, there have been just a few options.
Some families choose to keep a loved one’s remains in a cremation urn or other tangible keepsake. This is very comforting to many people.
However, as generations of family members pass on, people begin to inherit the cremation urns of deceased that they never knew.
Tetrick says their business receives phone calls from people who have inherited or found cremation urns in basements or attics – even those who unknowingly purchase cremation urns at yard sales. The callers are usually making inquiries about how they can respectfully pass on the contents of the urn.
Scattering a loved one’s remains in a meaningful location can be personal. Such as scattering on family land, at the beach or on the top of a mountain.
Yet scattering often lacks a place where the deceased can be memorialized, making it difficult for future generations to learn about their ancestors, friends and family to pay their respects.
Tetrick believes that Heritage Family Cemeteries has a creative solution to the question of what families can do with cremated remains.
Cremation gardens
“A cremation garden is an area of a cemetery set aside especially for those who choose cremation,” says Tetrick.
Tetrick describes several ways that the deceased can be memorialized in a cremation garden.
Cremation gardens can vary from small community lawns with plots for urn burials to paths dotted with cremation benches and boulders designed to hold cremated remains.
In addition, cremation gardens may contain scattering gardens surrounded by rose bushes.
It is very common for people to place the cremated remains in the ground at the cemetery with a traditional monument above or place the ashes inside of a bronze or granite memorial that encases the remains.
Glass-front cremation niches – like the frame for a painting – display cremation urns in a beautiful way. Niches can also hold photos, mementos or other meaningful pieces to make the space more personal. Niches are normally housed in a climate-controlled environment like a mausoleum.
As Tetrick explains, “Many memorial parks have a variety of options for creating a place of remembrance. Our cremation gardens offer a peaceful final resting place, as well as a place for friends and family to remember and reflect for generations to come.”
Memorialization
According to Tetrick, people from all over the United States visit the seven cemeteries of Heritage Family Cemeteries.
These visitors don’t just want to see the date of birth and the date of death on their ancestor’s memorial, such is the way with traditional tombstones.
Visitors want to learn who their ancestor was as a person. The way they lived their life. The things that they loved.
Loved ones want to visit a memorial and be reminded of who their loved one was when they were alive.
Personalization is key to tell future generations the story of the person being memorialized.
Tetrick says, “A memorial serves as a permanent tribute to a life well lived and provides a focal point for remembrance, as well as a record for future generations. Each of us is unique, and our lives should be remembered and celebrated as such.”
He also states that the popularity of ancestral websites and ancestral research indicates that many people want to know the facts of their family ancestry as well as the personalities, hobbies and occupations of their ancestors.
Technology has advanced in such a way that memorials can be personalized to truly show a personality – to give visitors to the memorial a sense of who the person being memorialized was, what they loved and how they spent their time.
“People say a picture is worth a thousand words and this is certainly the case in our profession. We can cast six to eight pictures in bronze not only showing your face, but pictures of you during life and what you were passionate about – a picture of you and your spouse playing golf together, skiing or diving,” says Tetrick.
The ability to bring one’s life to pictures cast in bronze or laser etched in color on a granite monument allows those visiting the memorial to more fully understand the life that was lived.
Perpetual care
Heritage Family Cemeteries is a perpetual care cemetery company.
“All of our cemetery locations have established a perpetual care endowment fund to ensure the future care and maintenance of the cemeteries forever without assessing the owners or families any additional cost,” says Tetrick.
Perpetual care means that families will never have to worry about the maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery. This brings peace of mind in knowing that the cemetery will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Tetrick adds, “To uphold this promise, the trust continues to accumulate funds that address the general care and preservation of the cemetery at large, now and in the future. The trust, funded by a portion of the purchase price of burial rights sold, ensures that the cemetery grounds and facilities are properly maintained.”
When faced with the death of a loved one, making plans for their remains may seem like a daunting task. The staff of Heritage Family Cemeteries are there, ensuring that the deceased’s wishes are met while making sure family and friends can remember their loved one and the life that was lived.
Heritage Family Cemeteries operates seven locations in Tennessee and Virginia:
Glenwood/Shelby Hills Cemetery & Cremation Gardens
Bristol, TN
(423) 989-4823
Mountain View Cemetery & Cremation Gardens
Bristol, VA
(276) 669-3051
Knollkreg Memorial Park & Cremation Gardens
Abingdon, VA
(276) 628-7387
Sunset Memorial Park & Cremation Gardens
Damascus, VA
(276) 475-3882
Oak Hill Memorial Park & Cremation Gardens
Kingsport,TN
(423) 246-7778
Washington County Memory & Cremation Gardens
Johnson City, TN
(423) 282-5121
Evergreen Cemetery & Cremation Gardens
Erwin, TN
(423) 743-9421
For more information visit their website at heritagefamilycemeteries.com.
