Frequently Asked Questions

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We have compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) to help answer the questions we receive most often. If you don't find what you're looking for, please contact us and we will be glad to help.

  • May I sell my burial plot or columbarium niche?

    Yes, you may. However, any transfer or assignment of ownership must be recorded in the Ridgeview West Memorial Park office and confirmed in writing. Please note that your interment right purchase in our memorial parks is the right to bury either casketed remains or cremains as determined by the grave space you own. Your ownership is not the property itself. 

    Once you have agreed upon a sale, you and the purchaser will need to complete a Transfer of Interment Rights worksheet prior to the sale being finalized, and this form will become part of our official Memorial Park records. A transfer fee will be collected at the time the transfer is made. 

  • What is perpetual care and why does it matter?

    Perpetual care provides ongoing maintenance of cemetery grounds and roadways. A portion of your purchase price at Ridgeview West Memorial Park is deposited into our perpetual care trust fund, respecting the legacy of your loved ones. 

     

    Please note that perpetual care does not include maintenance, repair, leveling or restoration of monuments, markers, statuary, tablets or other memorials placed on plots, niches or mausoleums; nor does it extend to placement of flowers or ornamental plantings. 

     

  • What kind of flowers or memorials may I place on a grave?

    The guidelines are very specific for flowers and other ornaments that may be placed on graves, crypts or niches. These guidelines are designed to maintain the  beauty, safety and integrity of the park.

     

    Some of the highlights include: 

    • Flowers must be in the permanent vase that is a part of the cemetery memorial. If the memorial with the permanent vase has not yet been placed at the gravesite, then you may use containers easily picked up with one hand, not glass or cement. Please do not recess containers into the ground. We also request that you not use wire or metal rods as they create an extremely dangerous hazard both to visitors and equipment. Approved receptacles (metal or plastic) may be purchased from the Park. 
    • On special holidays (Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Memorial Day), flowers and standing wreaths are allowed on sites, and must be removed by five (5) days after the holiday.
    • Christmas wreaths and blankets are allowed during December and must be removed by January 10. Christmas flowers in the permanent vase of the memorial will be allowed to stay as long as they are not weathered. 
    • Special occasion flowers (anniversary or birthday) are allowed with advance notice. Please visit the Memorial Park office or our flower shop to receive a tag that confirms the dates of the placement.
    • Objects and ornaments (toys, vases, statues, flags, etc.) are not allowed except as provided by regulations. 
    • No item may be attached, such as with adhesive or wire, to any grave, niche, bench, statuary, or other structure. 
    • All items that are not in keeping with Park regulations are subject to removal and disposal, without notice.
    For detailed information, please refer to the full text of our Flowers and Memorials Regulations. 
  • Do you have a flower placement program?

    Yes, we are pleased to offer a flower placement program available throughout Ridgeview West Memorial Park. 

    Most of our guests choose a schedule that places flowers 4-5 times per year:

    • Spring placement, typically around Valentine's Day
    • Summer placement in May, that incorporates Mother's Day, Father's Day, and Independence Day
    • Fall placement in late August
    • Winter / holiday placement in December
    • One extra, at your discretion: birthday, anniversary, or other special day
    This schedule, of course, may be customized to your wishes.
    You may choose fresh or permanent flowers, and tell us what flowers to include or let us create a designer's special for you. When you enroll in this program, we will take care of the rest - following the schedule you have selected, creating the arrangements as arranged, and billing your credit card. 
    If you are interested in this program, please call us and we will be happy to create a placement program just for you. 
  • Can more than one person be buried in a grave?

    Yes, when specific provisions are met. Only one person may be interred in any grave, vault, crypt or niche unless the grave, vault, crypt or niche has been purchased with written agreement for more than one right of burial. For more information, please discuss your request with our cemetery staff. 

  • What benefits are available for veterans?

    The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) furnishes upon request, at no charge to the applicant, a government headstone or marker for the unmarked grave of any deceased eligible veteran in any cemetery around the world, regardless of their date of death. 

     

    A government-furnished headstone or marker may be provided for eligible veterans who died on or after November 1, 1990 and whose grave is marked with a privately purchased headstone. A government-furnished medallion may be provided for eligible veterans who served on or after April 6, 1917 and whose grave is marked with a privately purchased headstone or marker. 

     

    Flat markers in granite, marble, and bronze and upright headstones in granite and marble are available. Bronze niche markers are also available to mark columbaria used for inurnment of cremated remains. The style chosen must be permitted by officials in charge of the private cemetery where it will be placed. 

     

    When burial or memorialization is in a national cemetery, state veterans' cemetery, or military post/base cemetery, a headstone or marker will be ordered by the cemetery officials based on inscrption informaiton provided by the next of kin or authorized representative. Spouses and dependents are not eligible for a government-furnished headstone or marker unless they are buried in a national cemetery, state veterans' cemetery, or military post/base cemetery. 

     

    Note: There is no charge for the headstone or marker itself, however arrangements for placing it in a private cemetery are the applicant's responsibility and all setting fees are at private expense. 

     

    Setting Government Headstones and Markers

    Cemetery staff in national, military post, and military base cemeteries are responsible for setting the headstone or marker at no cost to the applicant. Some state veterans' cemeteries may charge the applicant a nominal fee for setting a government-furnished headstone or marker. Arrangements for setting a government-furnished headstone or marker in a private cemetery are the applicant's responsibiity and all placement costs are at private expense. 

     

    Please visit the National Cemetery Association's page on the VA website for complete information on eligibility, forms, current rules, and all other information. 

  • Where do I file a complaint?

    Complaints may be directed to the Texas Department of Banking, 2601 North Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78705; (877) 276-5554 (toll free); www.dob.texas.gov.