Cass County Cemetery Board adopts abandoned‑cemetery policy; directs Springvale addendum rewrite to allow cremated remains

Cass County Cemetery Board members on Feb. 24 approved a new county policy for abandoned cemeteries, formalized steps to register county cemeteries with the state, and directed staff to rewrite an addendum to the Springvale Cemetery policy so that cremated remains may be buried on top of a spouse's grave under specified conditions.

The action clears a policy the sexton drafted after review by county legal staff and adds provisions on maintenance contracts, reimbursement for volunteer mowers, and registration requirements for cemetery point‑of‑contact information. The board voted to move the Springvale addendum — revised to emphasize cremated‑remains allowances and related procedural safeguards — to the Cass County Commission for consideration.

“I took this policy in front of legal for Cass County and had them look at it too, and they thought that it was good,” said Colleen, the county sexton, describing the abandoned‑cemetery draft she prepared. Colleen told the board she intends the policy to explain why abandoned cemeteries become county responsibilities under state law and to…