Mission and Purpose
Fairview EPC’s cemetery serves as an integral part of the church’s ongoing sacred ministry to the congregation that begins at baptism and ends when they meet the Lord of Glory. The purpose of our cemetery, therefore, is to offer suitable burial options to its congregants and to serve as a tangible witness to the resurrection of the saints.
It is the aim and intention of Fairview EPC to bring glory to the Lord Jesus Christ by maintaining a well-run cemetery that is beautiful, dignified, and an appropriate final resting place for those who await the return of Christ and the resurrection of their bodies.
For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15: 52-57
History of Our Cemetery
The oldest part of the cemetery lies immediately to the rear of the church building adjacent to Devereaux Road and dates back prior to 1870. In 1870 an additional 2.5 acres were added to the cemetery on the eastern and southern sides next to the church building. As time passed and the congregation grew, it became clear by the mid-twentieth century that more land needed to be added to accommodate the demand for burial lots. Additional cemetery acreage was then developed to the south of the sections that were opened in 1870. It was in 1949 when this “new cemetery” began selling burial lots. In 2010, the church decided to erect a columbarium in the southeast corner of the cemetery as an affordable above ground alternative to in-ground cremains burials.
What Our Cemetery Has to Offer
Today, our cemetery occupies about 5 acres of beautifully landscaped ground in a serene and peaceful setting. There are approximately 2500 grave spaces and 80 columbarium niches in the cemetery, many of which are still available for purchase. When someone purchases a lot, which can be one or more grave spaces, or purchases a columbarium niche, the buyer receives:
- rights of burial in a specific lot or rights of inurnment in a specific columbarium niche, depending on the burial option chosen
- a deed that certifies rights of burial or inurnment
- perpetual care
Optionally, cornerstones that mark the boundaries of a purchased lot can be purchased through Fairview EPC as well. FEPC will sell the cornerstones, mark the lot, and install them for a price that is normally at a significant discount compared to an independent memorial company.