Over the past 5 years we have developed a favorites list of local cemeteries in Los Angeles that we serve. These cemeteries have incorporated a smooth process for working with outside vendors such as ourselves when making deliveries, approving drawings or just getting our questions answered on a timely basis. Families have a time frame for services and connecting families with burial plans or making travel arrangements. The last thing they want is a crisis with the cemetery involving the headstone specifications or delivery constraints. Some cemeteries make it very difficult for outside vendors to deliver the marker. We recently tried working with a cemetery in LA area and they managed to make it extremely difficult for a delivery insisting that there was no help available and that the hours of delivery was between certain days of the week only. This is truly a cemetery not focused on customer satisfaction and will not appear on my list.
We also looked at the cemetery grounds for care and maintenance, Is this a cemetery that makes you feel at rest, are there beautiful amenities such as shaded areas, benches, water features, rolling mounds or is it just a flat dry cemetery with poorly maintained grounds. Because we work these cemeteries on a regular basis doing last dates engraving or just plain dropping off headstones we have a feel for each individual cemetery.
Our first prize must go to Pacific View Cemetery in Newport Beach , Calif. This cemetery is sitting adjacent to the Pacific Ocean amongst the rich and famous. A special place to visit with opulent grave sites with special private gardens and views. Price is no object here. A great stop to just look.
Our second best location is the Orange County Cemetery District Cemeteries located in Lake Forest, Santa Ana and Anaheim. All three locations have stepped up in bringing the grounds to a beautiful green lawn with many shade trees and rolling mounds. The new addition of a large cremation garden has only made this a place of choice if you are looking for the best bang for your money. Because it is a district cemetery you will not get the high pressure sales for goods and services. They only sell the bare necessities at a reasonable price. The staff is professional and knowledgeable, they will walk you through the difficult process and show you all of your options. You will not get this at a private or corporate owned cemetery.
Our third choice is one that we have watched for 20 years now and it has finally started to blossom. Located in a somewhat faraway place is Artesia District Cemetery in the city of Cerritos, Ca. Over the last year there has been a change of management and a discipline to make this a beautiful cemetery. The manager there has transformed this into a good choice for the families located around the Cerritos/Norwalk areas. The lawns are now green with regular cutting, watering and trimming. There is now cremation pedestals located throughout the lawns allowing a place for setting urns.
At American Headstones Company we hope this helps when shopping for a burial site. Of course there are many others to choose from when making your decision.
