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Clarkston officials caution families about winter delays for cemetery openings
Summary
Council members and cemetery staff told the Clarkston Town Council that frozen ground and staffing constraints can delay gravesite openings in winter; officials said they generally need at least four days' notice and urged families and funeral homes to coordinate early.
Council members and staff told the Clarkston Town Council that cemetery operations slow in winter and that families and funeral directors should expect delays for gravesite openings.
Council member Mike Kelly said the cemetery department recorded six burials in January and already had two more scheduled, stressing that frozen ground and the need to thaw grave sites create unavoidable delays. “We need at least four days after the headstone is moved,” Kelly said, noting that thawing and locating graves can require additional time. He explained that some families request funerals within a few days of notification but that the town does not have enough full-time cemetery staff to guarantee rapid turnarounds during winter months.
Staff said they use heating blankets and other measures when possible but that heavy frost lines—often far deeper in canyon locations—can make prompt openings impossible. Council members asked clerks to ensure funeral homes and families understand the town’s procedures and to set realistic expectations for winter burials.
Source: Clarkston Town Council meeting transcript (cemetery operations discussion at 00:39:05).
