Clinton Cemetery General Rules
Introduction
Under Ohio law, cemetery boards are empowered to adopt rules and regulations governing cemetery practices and lot-owner activities, and such rules have the force of law or statute. All persons and organizations on Clinton Cemetery grounds, comprising Clinton Cemetery, Clinton Cemetery East, and Ohio Veterans Memorial Park, must abide by these rules and regulations (the “Rules”). The Rules are subject to change without notice, and the Clinton Cemetery Association (the “Association”) may make exceptions, suspensions, or modifications when warranted. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the failure of the Association to strictly enforce any of the Rules at any time shall not constitute a waiver of the particular rule at issue or the Rules in whole or in part.
Access & Conduct
Clinton Cemetery grounds are open daily from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Conduct and decorum must be appropriate to the cemetery’s purpose, as determined by the Association in its sole and absolute discretion.
Our cemetery is private property open to the public for visitation. The Association reserves the right to refuse access or use of facilities at any time to persons deemed objectionable to the best interests of our cemetery.
It is our cemetery’s responsibility to maintain a dignified and orderly environment for the collective good of all families. Management will enforce the Rules for safety and dignity.
All vehicles must remain on established roadways.
Use of common courtesy when parking autos shall be mandatory.
Park on one side of internal roads only. Improperly parked cars may be removed.
Bicycles, scooters, skateboards, and similar devices must be walked while on the grounds.
Dogs must be leashed at all times and kept out of burial sections. Handlers must immediately remove and properly dispose of waste. The Association shall have the right to order the immediate removal of aggressive dogs, as determined by the Association in its sole and absolute discretion.
Plucking flowers or shrubs, injuring trees, defacing monuments, markers, images, fences, or interfering with the rights of others is prohibited and may be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Alcohol possession or consumption, smoking or vaping, and fireworks or pyrotechnics are prohibited anywhere on Clinton Cemetery grounds.
All refuse must be deposited in receptacles/areas provided.
No signs, notices, or advertising are permitted except those placed by the Association.
Memorials & Markers
All new memorials shall be granite or bronze.
In Clinton Cemetery, foundations are poured, in batch, only in April and September. Requests for a foundation to be poured must be received in advance of these pourings.
In Clinton Cemetery East, monument inscriptions (names/dates) are permitted only on faces oriented toward graves owned by that person, unless prior written permission of the owner on record has been granted. All such permission shall be granted or withheld in the Association’s sole and absolute discretion.
Alterations to a memorial must be approved and may not degrade the memorial.
The Association may correct errors made by staff or others in location/placement of a memorial.
Alteration/replacement of memorials must be approved by the Association prior to the alteration or replacement, all in the Association’s sole and absolute discretion.
No memorial/marker may be removed without the prior written permission of the Association, granted or withheld in the Association’s sole and absolute discretion. Removal of monuments will be conducted consistent with applicable family rights and cost responsibilities as required under the Code of Regulations and Ohio law.
One flush marker, including a government marker, is permitted per person per grave, provided that all markers must fit in a single row within the width of the lot.
All flush markers and backers must meet cemetery specifications (e.g., thickness). It is the lot owner’s responsibility to obtain the specifications from Association staff prior to ordering the merchandise.
A government marker used as an individual’s only marker is to be set flush at grass level. A government marker can also be affixed to the back of an upright marker.
Raised-profile photographs/medallions are not permitted on flush markers. Only low-profile photos recessed into bronze or granite are allowed where provided.
Benches may be permitted as a marker where an upright marker would otherwise be placed, subject to prior written approval of the Association, granted or withheld in its sole and absolute discretion.
Headstones may be installed only on graves that are paid in full.
Only one military flag and flag holder is permitted per veteran. The holder must be placed as close to the marker/monument as possible.
The Association does not permit the planting of trees or shrubbery or the placement of statuaries, urns, or non-headstone benches on any burial lot.
To preserve a uniform and safe appearance, no stones, slag, lava rock, stone pavers/edging, gravel, shells, marbles, rocks, slate, mulch, decorative edging, frames or borders of wood, metal, plastic, or brick, or similar materials may be placed around any flat stone or upright monument at any time due to maintenance interference and potential injury to workers.
Nothing, including monument saddles, may be taped, glued, affixed, wired, adhered to, hung, painted or mounted on, or draped or wrapped around markers, monuments, niches, trees, bushes or landscaping.
The Association will take reasonable precautions to protect private property of lot and niche owners but disclaims responsibility for loss or damage beyond its control, including theft, vandalism, and acts of nature (wind, storms, hail, frost, etc.).
Memorial and lot appearance and maintenance, including cleaning, edging and weed trimming, are the owner’s responsibility.
Interment & Inurnment
Prices for plots, niches, and opening/closing are set annually.
Graves are dug only by an independent contractor appointed by the Association, under its sole and absolute discretion.
Lots must be paid in full at purchase. Lots cannot be reserved.
No burial or inurnment shall be made until the opening and closing fee is paid in full.
One grave lot may contain any combination of up to one full burial and up to two cremations.
Graves from recent interments will be leveled and seeded as conditions permit. Funeral flowers are removed when unsightly or when maintenance is required.
Interments and inurnments are performed only by our cemetery personnel or authorized funeral professionals. Scattering on the grounds is not permitted unless expressly authorized in a designated scattering garden and upon payment in full of the scattering fee.
Decoration
Fresh-cut flowers are permitted year-round. Unwrapped fresh flowers may be laid directly on graves.
Occasional Decorations include artificial flowers, wreaths, grave blankets, crosses, Christmas planters, potted plants, ornaments, and similar tasteful decorations. Battery or solar-powered lights of modest size, designed for cemetery or garden use are also included.
Occasional Decorations may be freely placed, between November 1 and March 1, on flush marker graves or in front of upright monuments on graves.
Occasional Decorations may also be placed on graves from 3 days before to 3 days after Easter, Memorial Day, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day.
Occasional Decorations placed on graves during the specified periods above must also be removed by the end of the respective specified period or they will be removed by cemetery staff.
Prohibited Decorations include food, balloons (including balloon releases), Chinese lanterns, Christmas trees over 18” tall, stepping stones, placards, pinwheels, statues, trinkets, staffs, shepherd’s hooks or standing stakes for hanging flags, flower baskets, or chimes, and anything weighing over 25 lbs or deemed dangerous or distasteful in the Association’s sole and absolute discretion. Decorations may be included as incidental parts of floral arrangements or wreaths, provided balloons are never used.
Open flames, including candles, oil lamps, and luminaries, are strictly prohibited due to fire risk and maintenance hazards. Continuous or excessively bright lighting, flashing or colored lights, and string lights are not permitted.
When any decoration becomes unsightly or nonfunctional, it will be removed by cemetery staff.
Items removed for non-compliance may or may not be placed along the service building for pickup. The Association is not responsible for these items.
The Association reserves the right to remove any decoration that interferes with maintenance and mowing, attracts pests, or is not in accordance with the reverent spirit of our cemetery.
In-ground Planting
In-ground plantings are not considered decorations.
In-ground planting of live annual flowers is permitted from March 1 through November 1, on grave spaces with upright monuments only. Beds must be no longer than the length of the marker/monument and extend no more than 8 inches from the base of the marker/monument.
In-ground planting at the back of monuments is not permitted.
In-ground planting of perennials, trees, bushes or shrubs is not permitted.
No in-ground planting is permitted on grave spaces with only flush markers.
No in-ground planting is permitted until a memorial has been placed.
Planting flowers is at your own risk. Mishaps may occur during maintenance, or wildlife may damage plants. The Association is not responsible for damage or missing items due to weather, wildlife, theft or other causes.
Lot Ownership, Transfers & Authorizations
Lots and niches are sold for use by the family, relatives, or descendants unless special permission is obtained.
Sale, transfer, or assignment of deeds, where possible, must be carried out through the Association and cannot proceed without payment of all outstanding charges and the associated transfer fee. Lots can only be sold back to the Association, at the Association’s sole and absolute discretion, for the amount at which they were purchased.
Notification regarding opening/closing must be received at least 48 hours in advance from a family member or authorized representative.
Burial permits must be presented prior to interment/inurnment.
Heirship and ownership are determined per Ohio law. Proof of ownership may be required before interment or memorial installation. Owners may designate, in writing, family members authorized for interment on a lot, and such designations must be filed with the Association.
Notwithstanding that these Rules make references to the transfer and ownership of graves, doing so is merely for convenience, and the deed for each lot conveys a right of burial only and does not convey ownership of the land. The Association retains control and supervision of all lots and improvements thereon. The Association may prohibit, modify, or remove any structure, planting, or adornment that violates the Rules or that, in the judgment of the Association, exercised in its sole and absolute discretion, detracts from the dignity, safety, or uniform appearance of the grounds.
Individuals or families unable to purchase a burial lot may, at the sole and absolute discretion of the Association, be permitted an interment without charge in a single-grave section designated for such purposes. All such burials shall be under the supervision and direction of the Association. No lots or spaces in this section shall be reserved for future use, and no permanent memorials may be erected without the Association’s prior approval.
Miscellaneous
The Association maintains, funds and operates an Endowment Care Trust in accordance with Section 1721.21 of the Ohio Revised Code.
These rules were adopted pursuant to Article Seven, Section 7.6 of the Amended Code of Regulations on 3/12/2026. The official adopted version is maintained in the records of the Clinton Cemetery Association. In the event of discrepancy, the officially adopted version controls.