Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Parks And Recreation Cemeteries topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Cemetery director outlines space, drainage and columbarium plans for Crown Hill
Summary
Crown Hill Cemetery director told Sedalia council that the cemetery has sold more graves and niches than recent averages, outlined maintenance duties and proposed future cremation plaza, committal shelter and security camera installations.
Cemetery Director Roger Waters told the Sedalia City Council that Crown Hill Cemetery has seen increased sales and is planning for new burial sections, improved drainage and additional niche (columbarium) capacity.
Waters said the cemetery — founded in February 1866 — has recorded a total of 25,010 burials to date and, through September 2025, had 76 burials this year and 90 graves sold. He said cemetery staff mow about 70 acres weekly during the growing season and handle routine winter tasks such as headstone straightening and snow removal.
Waters described current and planned work: continued maintenance for Hebrew Cemetery (purchased in 2001) and Calvary Cemetery (maintained under contract), replacements and trimming for trees lost this year, purchase of a columbarium with double-occupancy niches, and site work to open future casket-burial sections. He said the north “new addition” has roughly 1,900 lots still available and that drainage issues in parts of the new acreage will need engineering and investment before new roads or graves can be added.
Waters proposed creating a cremation-only area west of Veterans Memorial Drive — he said the tree cover and terrain make cremation plots more suitable there than traditional casket graves — and noted plans for a committal shelter to be built near the main gate; the shelter will be built with donated services from Sue Heckert and used for services and ceremonial space. He also requested funding in this year’s budget for cemetery security cameras and continued improvements to drainage and road layout.
Council members asked clarifying questions about the 1,900 available lots, the planned cremation area and drainage, and Waters explained that roughly 133 acres drain into the low area west of Engineer Street and that significant rains can quickly raise a branch that flows into the proposed site. He said drainage remediation and road construction would be costly and would be phased.
Waters said additional niches and the option for double-occupancy niches may appear in next year’s budget depending on sales and lead times to order and install the units.
