FPC Southold

The Memorial Garden

The Memorial Garden lies between the Monument and Memorial sections. Those who choose cremation can purchase niches in the Garden’s columbaria. The Garden owes its existence to a generous donation that Mrs. Virginia Campbell made to honor her late husband, Dr. John Campbell, who died in 2001. Dr. Campbell, a noted physician in Southold, lived here with his family for many years. Dr. and Mrs. Campbell were early and tireless supporters of the proposal to create a Memorial Garden.

Each columbarium is faced in black granite, a material chosen for its reflectiveness. The facades are designed to mirror and thus bring together the traditional Monument and Memorial sections and the new Memorial Garden. Their unity symbolizes the common purpose the three sections share, a resting place for all eternity for those interred.

In a cruciform design, the Memorial Garden makes use of crosses and circles, the latter a Christian symbol of life. It includes two stone structures, known as columbaria, with niches to hold cremated remains. Each niche is able to hold two urns. Stretching north and south from an elegant fountain between the columbaria are paths bordered by boxwoods and surrounded by gardens (where future columbaria can be located in years to come).

For those who choose cremation, niches are available in the new Memorial Garden’s columbaria. One niche (holding two urns) costs $1,350. Niches may be purchased in installments. The Cemetery will buy back a niche at the original purchase price. Contact the church office at 631-765-2597 or e-mail: fpcsouthold@optonline.net

The Memorial Garden is a special place for remembering loved ones and a refuge for quiet reflection. Like the older sections of the Cemetery, the Garden is open to members of the First Presbyterian Church and to all residents of Southold Town.
 

Memorial Garden Rules and Regulations

1) PROPERTY RIGHTS

- The Purchaser of the Certificate of the Right to Inurn acquires no property rights in the Memorial Garden, in any Columbarium therein and in any niche in any Columbarium. The Purchaser agrees that the Session of the First Presbyterian Church, Southold (Session) has the sole ownership and control of all of the foregoing.

2) NICHE

- The capacity of a Niche is two urns. The door of a Niche may be inscribed with the names and dates of the decedent(s). Any exception to the foregoing inscriptions must be approved. The font used for the door inscription will be as approved by the Session. Access to a Niche will be provided by the Church, a duly appointed representative or the provider of the door inscription. The cost of inscription will be borne at the expense of the Purchaser of the Certificate of the Right to Inurn.

3) URNS

- The Church will not provide urns to be placed in the Niches. Urns will be accepted only if they provide permanent inurnment and conform to the size of the Niche.

4) ORNAMENTATION AND VISITATION

- The use of flowers or other ornamentation is prohibited except as determined by the Church. Visiting the Memorial Garden is permitted at all times except as determined by the Church.

5) DESIGNATION OF CHURCH USE

- The use of the Niche shall be limited to the deposit of urns containing the cremated remains of such persons and no others as are specified in writing by the Purchaser on the date of issuance of the Certificate of the Right to Inurn. Such designation shall be filed with the Church and may only be changed by the Purchaser during his/her lifetime by written notice to the Church or upon his/her death by a specific provision in his/her Last Will and Testament admitted to probate. The Purchaser shall limit such designations to members of his/her “immediate family” which shall mean any of the following: a spouse (at the time of purchase or the time of death), mother, father, child or legal ward or life partner. In an individual case, the Church may authorize another family member.

6) REMAINS PERMITTED

- The cremated remains of one person are the authorized contents of one urn. The cremated remains of pets or other creatures are not permitted.

7) TRANSFER OF THE RIGHT TO INURN

- The right to inurn may not be sold, bequeathed or otherwise transferred by any individual. The right to inurn may only be surrendered to the Church. Upon such surrender, the Church will return the original payment for the Certificate of the Right to Inurn less the cost of a new door should the original door have been inscribed or otherwise been used.

8) REMOVAL OF REMAINS

- Except as provided in Paragraph 9 below, cremated remains may not be removed from any Niche without the written consent of a) the Church and b) the surviving spouse or the next of kin, or the legal representative of the deceased.

9) TERMINATION OF THE MEMORIAL GARDEN

- The right to inurn shall continue only so long as the Memorial Garden is owned by the Church. In the event of the demolition of the Memorial Garden, in whole or in part, such right shall cease. Upon notification by the Church of such demolition, the surviving spouse or next of kin or duly appointed representative of the person(s) whose cremated remains are contained in the Niche shall have the right to remove the cremated remains from the Niche. If none of these persons shall remove the cremated remains within a reasonable time, the Church shall have the right to remove the cremated remains and further shall have the right to dispose of them in such manner as it shall deem proper.

10) RECONFIGURATION OF THE MEMORIAL GARDEN

- The Church has a plan for the Memorial Garden but cannot insure that this plan will be followed in the future. The Church reserves to itself the right to remodel, reconfigure or relocate the Memorial Garden. In the event of any such action, if any Niche is affected, the Church shall substitute another niche of substantially like size and character in which event the Purchaser shall have the same rights to such substituted niche as are guaranteed hereby.

11) VOLUNTARY SURRENDER OF RIGHT TO INURN

- The right to inurn in a Niche may be surrendered in any one of the following ways: a) By the Purchaser during his/her lifetime and before any cremated remains have been inurned in the Niche, by written notice to the Church b) By the Purchaser during his/her lifetime and after removal of any cremated remains, by written notice to the Church c) After the Purchaser’s death, the removal of all cremated remains as provided in Paragraph 8 shall be deemed to be a voluntary surrender d) After the Purchaser’s death, if the person designated by the Purchaser for inurnment notifies the Church in writing that he/she does not intend to be inurned in the Niche and furthermore that any cremated remains in the Niche have been removed in accordance with item c of this Paragraph 11, such notice will be deemed to be a voluntary surrender e) After the Purchaser’s death, if the person designated by the Purchaser for inurnment dies or has died and is interred elsewhere and furthermore any cremated remains already inurned have been removed, such interment shall be considered a voluntary surrender. In such event of a voluntary surrender under items c, d and e of this Paragraph 11, all rights with respect to the Niche revert to the Church without reimbursement to the Purchaser or his/her estate. In the event of a voluntary surrender under items a and b of this Paragraph 11, the Church will repay to Purchaser such amount as he/she originally paid to the Church for the right of inurnment less the cost of a door should the original door have been inscribed or otherwise been used.
 

12) PURCHASING ISSUES

a) The same price structure will be held for any niches available at one time. b) The price structure is subject to review and change by the Church from time to time. c) Selection of the location of each niche is on a “first come, first served” basis. d) The right to a location will not be secured until the niche is fully paid for. e) No niche may be used until it is fully paid for. f) The Church is grateful for contributions to the Memorial Garden. These contributions, however, do not reduce the cost of niches purchased by such donors. g) A committal service is not required.
 

13) MEMORIAL GARDEN FUNDS

- Funds made in payment of the right to inurn will be recorded in the Cemetery Fund. The Treasurer of the Cemetery Fund may commingle these funds with other cemetery funds for investment. Money made in payment of the right to inurn and in the Cemetery Fund shall be used to build the Memorial Garden, to pay for administrative and legal expenses as may be required, for perpetual care of the Memorial Garden, to repay such loans as may have been received from other funds of the Church, including the Cemetery Fund, to inaugurate and expand the Memorial Garden, and for such other purposes related to the Memorial Garden as determined by the Session.
 

14) ADMINISTRATION

- The Memorial Garden will be administered by the Church in keeping with good and established practices. These include among others, obtaining certificates of death and cremation.
 

15) LIABILITY

- The Church shall exercise reasonable care in maintaining the Memorial Garden. No liability shall lie against the Church and its cemetery and none is assumed for any loss or damage to urns or ashes of any deceased person. The Church and Cemetery assume no liability arising out of the maintenance or operation of the Memorial Garden.
 

16) SOLE JURISDICTION

- The Memorial Garden and all undertakings and rights with respect to the maintenance and operation of it, and with particular respect to the Certificate of the Right to Inurn, are under the sole jurisdiction of the Session. The Session may designate Church officers or employees or others as its agents to carry out its undertakings and to act for it in respect of all pertinent matters, including those herein specified. Only persons so designated are authorized to act.
 

17) AMENDMENT

- These Rules and Regulations may be altered, amended or repealed by the Session at any time and from time to time.