Calvary Cemetery, which is part ofHoly Redeemer Catholic Church,estimated only a few decadesremained at its current rate of burial.However, after a thorough review ofcurrent trends toward cremation inthe parish, it recognized a potentialsolution.

“Presently in our parish, we’reseeing a 50 percent burial rate and a50 percent cremation rate,” explainedJim Fuhrmann, president of theCalvary Cemetery board. “Only threeor four years ago, the cremation ratewas 15 percent. The increase of ourparishioners who are now choosingcremation is significant.”

The cremation and burial rates inthe Holy Redeemer parish are compa-rable to the national average.According to the National FuneralDirectors Association’s 2018Cremation and Burial Report, thecremation rate is projected to be 53.5

percent and the burial rate isprojected to be 40.5 percent. And thecremation rate is expected to climbhigher in the years to come.

The NFDA expects the cremationrate to increase by nearly 30 percentin the United States over the next 18years. In Calvary Cemetery’s homestate of Minnesota, the NFDAexpects the cremation rate to exceedthe national average. By 2035, NFDAprojects the cremation rate inMinnesota – along with Colorado,Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana,Nevada, New Hampshire, Oregon,Washington and Wyoming – willexceed 80 percent.

Several factors have contributed tothe trend toward cremation. Thetransient nature of today’s society,environmental concerns, economicconsiderations and a lift on certainreligious bans of the practice have allplayed a major role.

The Catholic Church lifted its banon cremation in 1963, opening thedoor for many Catholics to considercremation. Today, the churchprovides its followers with guide-l ines for proper interment ofcremated remains. According toCatholic teachings, scatteringcremated remains or keeping themin a private residence is contrary tochurch doctrine. Instead, the churchteaches a special resting placeshould be found for the crematedremains, just as a burial s ite isappropriate for a body. Whilecremation is accepted, the newguidelines state the crematedremains should be kept intact and ina proper vessel to be interred in aplace such as a cemetery or church.For cremated remains, a niche in acolumbarium is a recommendedoption for properly honoring thedeceased person.

This article originally appeared in the February 2019 issue of American Cemetery & Cremation, published by Kates-Boylston Publications,and is being shared with permission. Visit www.americancemetery.com to subscribe.

Calvary Cemetery in Marshall, Minnesota, encountered anissue common to many cemeteries across the country. Withburial space decreasing and nowhere to expand, thecemetery faced an uncertain future.

ProfileBy Jason Kron

MAXIMIZING Spacefor a Land locked Ceme te ry

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Opposite page: Calvary Cemetery’snew columbarium includes morethan 630 niches and features granitefrom Coldspring. Below: Each nichefront is pre-drilled for a bronzeplaque, a Coldspring-provided optionfor personalizing the niche space.(Photos courtesy of Coldspring)

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Designed to LastProviding more options for

cremation would allow CalvaryCemetery to continue meeting thecommunity’s needs well into the future.The solution came in the form of abeautifully designed columbarium thatincludes more than 630 nichesfeaturing granite from Coldspring,quarrier and fabricator of the colum-barium.

Granite, one of the hardest andmost durable natural stones,provides an ideal building materialfor columbarium projects. With littleto no maintenance, granitewithstands the elements and makes alasting tribute for generations tocome. For the new columbarium atCalvary Cemetery, polishedCarnelian niche fronts with MesabiBlack trim were the colors of choice.Each niche front is predrilled for abronze plaque, a Coldspring-provided option for personalizing theniche space. Loved ones can add

items such as names, dates andemblems to the plaque.

The columbarium design featuresfive sections: a center unit with 156niches, and four outer sectionsplaced diagonally to each corner ofthe center unit. Each outer unitfeatures 120 niches. Three granitebenches in Carnelian encircle thecolumbarium’s perimeter and houseadditional cremation niches.Beautiful landscape lighting providesa dramatic nighttime effect. Thedesign will allow for futureexpansion outside the existingsections, should the need or desirearise.

Atop the columbarium’s centerunit stands a beautiful statue of acrucifix, an addition with the designof the columbarium. But anotherstatue, which had adorned CalvaryCemetery for decades, stood in thearea where the future columbariumwould be built.

“When we initiated the colum-

barium project, we weren’t exactlysure how we would handle the statue,but we knew we wanted to keep it inthe cemetery,” said QuentinBrunsvold, Holy Redeemer adminis-trator. “The final consensus was toleave the statue in its place and incor-porate it into the columbarium’sdesign.”

The columbarium plaza is centeredon the statue. New masonry aroundthe statue’s base and a change ofbrick color from a light tan to adarker shade complementing thegranite helped tie the statue into thedesign.

Initially, the cemetery boardthought it would construct thecolumbarium in stages, adding theouter units as needed. Ultimately, theboard decided to construct thecolumbarium in full. A campaignallowing people to prepurchaseniches at a discounted rate prior tothe construction helped fund theproject’s initial stages. The project

This article originally appeared in the February 2019 issue of American Cemetery & Cremation, published by Kates-Boylston Publications,and is being shared with permission. Visit www.americancemetery.com to subscribe.

Above: Atop the columbarium’s center unit stands astatue of a crucifix, an addition with the design of thecolumbarium. Right: The columbarium’s design willallow for future expansion outside the existingsections, should the need or desire arise. (Photoscourtesy of Coldspring)

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was completed in July 2017.“Unbeknownst to us, when the

project was completed, enthusiasmreally began to grow in thecommunity,” Furhmann said.“People saw how beautiful it looks,and they really liked it. We’re happywe completed the project all at onceinstead of in stages.”

Soil ConsiderationsSuccess for a project like Calvary

Cemetery’s columbarium dependsupon the correct soil conditions.With the columbarium’s center unitweighing 25,000 pounds and eachouter unit weighing 20,000 pounds,the soil had to be able to carry aheavy load.

“When we received the contractfrom Coldspring, they gave us anestimate that depended on whetherthe ground was rated at a certain PSI(pounds per square inch) level,”Brunsvold said. “We hadn’t had thesoil tested, so we began that process.

We learned soil would need to beremoved and replaced.”

D & G Excavating in Marshall,Minnesota, removed approximately4 to 5 feet of substandard soil andreplaced it with 685 yards of Class 5gravel and 190 yards of screenedblack dirt. Footings were alsorequired to support the colum-barium, and the entire ground levelwas raised approximately 12 inchesabove curb height to allow waterdrainage.

For cemeteries wanting to initiate acolumbarium project, Brunsvoldadvised conducting soil bore testingbefore getting started.

“We didn’t know what kind of soilwe had. Most cemeteries don’t,”Brunsvold said. “A soil test should bethe first thing you do. Do it first, andthen you’ll have the paperwork inplace.”

Furhmann agreed. “Correcting thesoil was an unexpected $17,000expense,” he said. “It’s important for

the budget to have that estimate inplace.”

In the end, correcting the soil andraising it 12 inches proved aestheti-cally pleasing as well as structurallyessential.

“The columbarium is elevated onthe property, so it really stands out,”Brunsvold said. “It has a statelyappearance that makes a beautiful,lasting addition to the cemetery.”

And long-lasting is exactly whatCalvary Cemetery has in mind.

“This columbarium project willsignificantly extend the life of ourcemetery while meeting the needs ofour community,” Furhmann said.“We’re really pleased with theoutcome.”

The columbarium project has beena success by all accounts.

“Sales has exceeded our precon-struction estimates,” Furhmannnoted. “We were hoping we couldsell seven to nine per year. This year(2018), we’ve already sold 30.” •

This article originally appeared in the February 2019 issue of American Cemetery & Cremation, published by Kates-Boylston Publications,

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