Cemetery Prices Given Boost; Land Donated
Glasscock County’s Commissioners Court on Sept. 12 raised the prices for burial plots at the Garden City Cemetery, effective immediately. The two tier pricing will be $250 per individual plot for Glasscock County residents, former residents and those with family buried here. For others, each plot will cost $1,500. In addition, sales will be only to individuals, with no sales to commercial entities. In the past, burial plots were $25 each, with no restrictions.
The changes were made at the recommendation of the Garden City Cemetery Committee, which felt that local prices should be more in line with area cemeteries. The committee was also concerned that limited burial space in nearby cities and super-low prices here could combine to cause a future problem with out-of-county purchases in the local cemetery. Another option recommended by the committee would have closed the cemetery to anyone but county residents, former residents or those with family buried here.
Area pricing for single burial plots include: Stanton, $100 for Martin County residents, $1,000 for others; Sterling City (city-owned and Montvale), $200 for residents, $500 for others; Big Spring Trinity $1,000 – $1,700, Mt. Olive (city owned) $916; Midland Resthaven $1,395 – $2,395. Both Stanton and Sterling City are planning price increases.
Land Donated for Expansion
Ray Walker has agreed to donate four acres of land immediately north of the Garden City Cemetery to the county for future cemetery expansion. The land was needed because the cemetery is nearing its capacity, and the cemetery committee asked for land north of the existing cemetery so that the new entrance would remain at the cemetery’s center. The new acreage, when put into use, will effectively double the cemetery’s size. The acreage is to be surveyed this week, and the deed drawn soon, but no fencing will be done until there is a need for expansion.
The county commissioners agreed to contract mowing and trimming at the cemetery, and will open bids at their next meeting.
At the request of the cemetery committee, the Glasscock County Sheriff’s Department is locking the highway gate to the cemetery at night and opening it in the early morning. If the gate happens to be locked when you want to get in, there is a key that can be checked out at the Halfmann’s Store.