Bonner Springs – Cemetery
Sheidley and Metropolitan

Rita Hoag, City Clerk
City Hall, 205 E Second, (913) 667–1716
fax: 913-441-1366
ritah@bonnersprings.org

Mission

To provide a pleasant, beautiful, peaceful and well–maintained place of rest.

Contact Us

If you are interested in purchasing graves, arranging for a burial, inquiring about burial records or cemetery policies and procedures, please contact Rita Hoag, City Clerk at (913) 667-1716 or for assistance (913) 667-1720.

In This Section:

• Fees
• Rules and Regulations
• Purchase of Lots
• Interments
• Plant and Flower Displays
• Monuments and Markers
• Monument Permit 
• Access to Cemetery
• Prohibitions
• Cemetery Memorial Fund 
• Bonner Springs Cemetery Flag Donation Replacement Program 

Fees

Rules and Regulations

Purchase of Lots

1. The cemetery lots, or any part of any lot, in the city cemetery shall be conveyed by a deed.
2. The city will repurchase grave lots at one–third the current sale price. However, graves that were purchased for $150 or less will be repurchased for $50.00.
3. Transfer of lots is permitted. Transfer letters are available from the city clerk's office. There is a $15.00 transfer fee.

Interments

1. A grave opening permit must be obtained from the city clerk, providing name, age, sex, race, date of death, place of death, cause of death, date of interment, number of lot or part of lot on which interment is made. A burial permit is required, in addition to the grave opening permit, when it involves transfer of the deceased from another state.
2. All interments and disinterments shall be made under the supervision of the sexton after payment of the proper fee.
3. Interment in lots, or parts of lots, is restricted to members of the family and relations of the lot owner.
4. No interment of any body other than that of a human being shall be permitted in the cemetery.
5. No interment shall be made on Sundays or legal holidays.
6. Whenever interments are to be made, notice shall be given to the cemetery sexton 24 hours prior to time of such interment, giving location and size of the grave. Interments made on Monday should be after 2 p.m. if 24 hours notice is not given due to the weekend.
7. All caskets shall be enclosed in a vault, which shall be constructed of concrete or metal.
8. It is the responsibility of the funeral home to arrange with a vault company for the vault to be at the cemetery for a scheduled burial. It is also the responsibility of the funeral home to make arrangements for the tent and chairs to be delivered and set up.

Plant and Flower Displays

1. Shrubs, bushes, flower or plants are not permitted. If owners of graves or residents wish todonate funds to the City, they may do so and the City will plant such plants, flowers, shrubs or flowers in landscaped areas of the Cemetery as determined by the City.
2. Care. The cemetery sexton shall have the right to trim, prune and/or remove all trees and shrubbery as is necessary.
3. Temporary Display of Plants, Flowers & Artificial Arrangements – The City of Bonner Springs assumes no responsibility for plants, flower arrangements or any other items. No glass containers are permitted. Winter decorations are permitted to be placed between November 1 and March 1, but must be removed by March 2. If not removed, the City will remove them. All flowers and decorations set out for Memorial Day shall be removed and discarded by the sexton the seventh day after Memorial Day.
4. Hanging plants and other decorations may be displayed on “shepherd hooks” or similar device placed directly next to (touching) or attached to the monument or headstone; but shall not interfere with maintenance or be made of glass.
5. Items placed on a grave prior to the placement of a monument or headstone will be permitted for a period not to exceed six months following the date of burial. If not removed by that date, the City will remove all items.
6. The City will remove any items found to interfere with maintenance
7. Permitted decorations shall not include containers of cereal malt or alcoholic beverage, any obscene items or words, weapons of any type or any illegal substances or paraphernalia.

Monuments and Markers

1. The face of all markers, monuments and headstones within the city cemetery shall be set true and square and shall be set at least six inches in from the line of the lot where placed, not exceed the width of the grave or exceed two feet in length. All monuments and markers shall be of granite, marble or granite and marble composition of approved standard quality or brass. All monuments shall be erected and located in accordance with the administrative regulations. Ground mausoleums shall not be allowed after April 20, 2000 except for those adjacent to existing mausoleums installed before April 20, 2000. Headstones in Sections N, O, P, Q & R, as replatted in the Second Replat of the Bonner Springs Cemetery, shall be restricted to ground level headstones. Ground level headstones shall be level with the ground.
2. Stepping stones shall not be permitted unless the stone is made of the material required for monuments and headstones and used in place of a monument or headstone, with an appropriate foundation and a permit obtained for its installation and shall not exceed the length and placement requirements in Paragraph 1.
3. Permanent Vases above ground are permitted only when attached to or made a part of the monument or headstone.
4. In ground vases will not be permitted after October 25, 2007, the effective date of the ordinance amendment.
5. Benches are permitted when made a part of the monument and constructed of the same material required for a monument or headstone and as provided in Section 12-410 and 12-411. Benches integrated with the monument or headstone shall only be installed at the head of the grave and cannot the dimensions in Paragraph 1.
6. No walkways, boxes, fences, edging material, mulch material, gravel, chairs, settees, structures or other materials or items of any kind shall be permitted.
7. Any item placed on a grave in violation of Paragraphs 2 through 6 shall be removed by the City.
8. Care & Maintenance of Headstones, Monuments, Benches & Stepping Stones Used in Place of a Headstone or Monument - The owner will be responsible for maintenance with the exception of damage caused by the City or where owners cannot be located and the damage to the stone is a safety or maintenance issue.
9. Military stones at foot of graves should be flush with the ground.
10. Organization and Lodge markers should be placed directly behind the headstone.
11. Temporary funeral home metal markers will be removed after one year.

Access to Cemetery

1. The hours of general access to the city cemetery shall be from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
2. Entrance to the city cemetery after hours may be allowed when necessary by obtaining permission from the sexton.

Prohibitions

1. It shall be unlawful for any person to willfully or maliciously injure, mar, deface, destroy or remove without permission any headstone, monument, marker, or decoration on any cemetery lot.
2. It shall be unlawful to disturb or molest any grave. Exception: This does not apply to the cemetery sexton, or anyone authorized by the sexton, in the performance of maintenance duties.
3. It shall be unlawful for any person to drive any vehicle in the cemetery faster than 10 miles per hour.
4. No person shall use the cemetery grounds or any driveway therein as a public thoroughfare.
5. No person or persons with refreshment merchandise for sale, firearms, or dogs shall be permitted to enter the cemetery or to be therein.

Cemetery Memorial Fund

Donations are accepted for the cemetery and are used for beautification efforts or improvements in the cemetery. For every $100 donation, the donor's name is placed on a memorial plaque located at the cemetery entrance. Donations may be made in memory of an individual.

Checks are made payable to the City of Bonner Springs and can either be mailed or deposited at Bonner Springs City Hall, c/o Cemetery Memorial Fund, 205 E Second, P O Box 38, Bonner Springs, KS 66012. For more information, contact Rita Hoag, City Clerk, (913) 667–1716.

For Proper Flag Disposal Assistance please contact:
Jim Jenkins; VFW Commander at 913-441-1234 or
Rick Ledgerwood; Ranger at Camp Naish at 913-422-1035