Foster Hill Cemetery Galway NY Guide

Foster Hill Cemetery Rules & Regulations

Foster Hill Cemetery has posted rules and regulations on-site for lot owners, visitors, interments, monuments, decorations, and cemetery operations. The following summary is based on the rules signs photographed at the cemetery.

General Lot & Burial Rules

• Lots are sold in accordance with New York State law and may only be used as a burial place for deceased human beings.
• No interment is allowed without permission from the Foster Hill Cemetery Association.
• At the time permission is requested, information may be required including the deceased’s name, age, date of birth if known, place of birth if known, date of death, and the time and date of interment.
• For minors, the names of the parent or legal guardian may be required.

Ownership, Lot Use & Burial Rights

• Lot owners are prohibited from allowing interments to be made on their lots for compensation.
• Interments are restricted to those entitled to burial according to applicable New York Not-for-Profit Corporation Law provisions.
• Lot transfers are restricted except as permitted by applicable law.
• The full purchase price must be paid before a deed is issued or burial is allowed on the lot.

Flowers, Decorations & Lot Appearance

• The Foster Hill Cemetery Association reserves the right to remove flowers, wreaths, or other decorations from lots when they become unsightly.
• The association may remove embellishments, effigies, or inscriptions that, in the opinion of cemetery leadership, are unsightly or dangerous after due notice to the lot owner.
• Glass blocks or vases used as flower receptacles, whether artificial or grown, are prohibited on graves, plots, or lots.
• The association may restrict shrubs and trees and may remove any shrub or tree considered dangerous to the public after notice to the lot owner.

Monuments, Markers & Foundations

• No monuments or markers are permitted if they use colors other than those of natural stone.
• Only one monument is allowed on a lot, and it must be set according to the cemetery’s general plan.
• Monuments are restricted in size and may not cover more than 25% of the lot surface area.
• Every monument must be at least 3 inches thick.
• Monument bases must be finished true and level to fit foundations without wedging or spawls.
• No monument may be delivered to the cemetery until the foundation is installed and ready to receive it.
• All foundations are constructed by or under the direction of the Foster Hill Cemetery Association.
• All monuments or markers must be constructed of granite or bronze unless another marker is approved by the board of directors.

Work, Access & Cemetery Operations

• All work done in the cemetery must be performed by cemetery employees or under the control or permission of the superintendent or board of directors.
• Funerals must be at the cemetery by 2:00 PM so workers have sufficient time to close the grave and remove equipment before 5:00 PM.
• Funerals, processions, and vehicles are under the control of the superintendent while in the cemetery.
• Heavy trucking or other vehicle traffic may be refused entrance when the superintendent believes injury to roads or driveways may result.
• Visitors are allowed access during daylight hours while observing cemetery rules.

Seasonal Burial & Cremation Rules

• Graves will not be opened between October and May when frost and weather conditions warrant refusal.
• Bodies received for interment during winter may be placed in a vault until spring.
• Cremated remains may not be scattered in any part of the cemetery.
• The interment of cremated remains is permitted only in appropriate rigid receptacles such as wood, metal, plastic, or concrete.
• Only one human remains and/or one cremated remains is permitted in each grave.
• Concrete vaults or concrete grave liners are required for interments in all graves according to Cemetery Board Directive 201.6.

Source: Rules and regulations summarized from signs photographed on-site at Foster Hill Cemetery. This summary is provided for visitor convenience and should not replace confirmation with the Foster Hill Cemetery Association or the New York State Cemetery Board when official guidance is needed.