NEW CEMETERY WITH 2,000 SPACES OPENS AT PARKVILLE
It seems to be perfect timing.
A new cemetery is opening this week in Parkville. The last available grave space at the other public cemetery in Parkville was sold earlier this year.
The new space is named Parkville Cemetery and it is located in the new Creekside development, which is near the intersection of Interstate 435 and Hwy. 45 on the west end of Parkville.
“Creekside owns it. I will be the caretaker and will oversee all operations,” says Todd DeMint, managing partner of the Meyers Funeral Chapel, Inc., which owns/operates the Meyers Northland Chapel in Parkville.
Parkville Cemetery covers eight acres and will have nearly 2,000 spaces. DeMint says the first burial in the new cemetery took place this week.
Official address for the cemetery is 7583 Homer Parkway, Parkville, Mo. 64152. “It’s at the very back of the northwest corner of I-435 and Hwy. 45,” DeMint says. “It’s a beautiful quiet and wooded area.”
DeMint says the new Parkville Cemetery has been three years in the making. He said the Walnut Grove Cemetery, located along Hwy. 9 near downtown Parkville, no longer has grave spaces for sale, as the last space in Walnut Grove was sold earlier this year.
“I have been talking to Brian (Mertz, developer of Creekside) about this for quite a while, and he realized the need for Parkville to have a cemetery,” DeMint told The Landmark early this week.
“Brian made it happen and I hope to help make it a beautiful place for the people of Parkville and southern Platte County to visit, remember, honor and memorialize their loved ones,” DeMint added.
“It will be a work in progress but I promise to make it as pretty as we did the outside of our funeral home,” he said, referring to the Meyers Northland Chapel at 401 Main Street in Parkville.
DeMint explains that Parkville Cemetery is an endowed care cemetery with the State of Missouri.
“That means that 15 percent of every grave space sold will go into a trust account and be held for maintenance and perpetual care,” he said.
The cemetery is licensed with the state and is regulated by the Missouri Department of Professional Registrations Endowed Care Cemetery Office.
Public postings by the new cemetery list grave spaces for sale at $2,500. Other listed costs include opening and closing a traditional grave: $1,500; opening and closing a cremation grave: $800.
DeMint remarked that tent, chairs, and dressing of grave are all included in the traditional open and close costs. Those are an additional $400 for a cremation grave.
The cemetery requires the use of an outer container for both traditional and cremation burials.
“We are allowing all types of sizes and shapes of markers, monuments and benches. We want it to look unique,” DeMint explained.
“Brian (Mertz) listened when I told him there was a need for this and he and his Creekside team made it a reality. It’s my job to make sure it’s done right,” DeMint added.
For more information about the offerings at Parkville Cemetery, contact DeMint at 816.741.0251.