201 Crown Hill RD SW, Preston, MN 55965
Get Directions

Many Minnesotans chose cremation for themselves or for their loved ones. The top two reasons for choosing cremation are conservation of land and affordability. If you choose cremation, you have the option to be interred in a columbaria niche instead of the ground.

General Rules

• Occupied columbaria niches must be marked by an inscription on the niche front. The inscription will be uniform in style and ordered by the City.
• Flower holders, vases or other fixtures shall not be allowed to be attached to the columbaria.
• Urns can be placed directly in the niche; there is no need to encase the urn.

Fees

• Single-depth Niche (north side) $800
• Double-depth Niche (south side) $1,500
• Includes marker engraving

Caskets must be enclosed in a concrete burial vault or concrete grave liner (box). An Urn must be placed in a recoverable urn or vault for burial.

Lot Specifications
The numbers and combinations permitted to be buried in a lot are:

• Burial Lots (5’x12′)
• One Casket; or
• Two Urns, or
• One Casket and One Urn

Fees

• Every marker must be placed in the space located by the City.
• All markers, including slab, must fit within property lines.
• Flat markers are allowed to be direct buried, must be a minimum of 4” thick.
• Upright Markers must be placed on a concrete base or a granite base.
  – The cement foundation must be at least 4” thick and have a 4” border around the monument.
  – Monument Companies must be bonded and insured and is required for marker placement.
• All markers, monuments, and foundations must be located and marked by the City of Preston personnel. Locate requests must be requested 3 business days prior to stone setting.
• No marker may be placed in the cemetery until payment of lot fees have been made to the City of Preston.
• Foot Markers are allowed however must be a flat marker.
• Markers are not required.
• The locate fee will be determined by the City Council and reviewed periodically.

1. Fresh flowers and plants are allowed throughout the year. Flowers planted in vases and urns are also allowed. The vases and urns are the responsibility of the lot owner. The vases and urns shall be removed when not planted.
2. Artificial flowers are allowed in vases and urns that are on approved pronged stands only.
3. Ground Mounted Flags and Artificial flowers must be removed by June 15th.
4. Heart shaped stands for hanging baskets are not encouraged.
5. Planting of flowers, trees, shrubs or bushes of any kind is not allowed.
6. Christmas wreaths and decoration are allowed during the holiday season and should be removed by March 15th.
7. The placing of boxes, toys, stuffed animals, metal designs, chairs, wind socks, lawn edging, gravel, shells, hats, crushed rock, solar powered lights and similar articles upon lots are not permitted.
8. No walking of pets are allowed on cemetery grounds.
9. No glass containers are allowed.
10. No item is to be attached to columbarium monument or niche door.
11. The City of Preston is not responsible for personal items left on site.

Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility for interment is open to all.

• Owners are granted the right of interment in their lots. The City of Preston reserves the right to refuse to permit the interment of anyone who is not at the time the owner of the lot, or a relative of the owner by blood or marriage. Permission, in writing with the seal of a Notary Public, of the lot owner must accompany all requests for permits to bury persons not
  members of the immediate family of the lot owner.
• No interment may be made in the cemetery unless all ordinances, rules and regulations regarding interments have been complied with and until the purchase price of the lot to be used and all burial fees are paid or arrangements have been made with the City for payment.

Purchase of Lots

• No lot shall be used for any purpose other than the burial of human remains and the place of appropriate memorials, as per the rules and regulations of the cemetery.
• Upon full payment of the purchase price of a lot, or lots, the City of Preston will issue a cemetery deed conveying the lot, executed by the City, and the deed shall be recorded in the records of the City. Description of the lots will be in accordance with the cemetery plats, which are kept on file at City Hall.
• Each lot has 2 plots. A plot may be used for a single casket burial, two urn burials, or one casket and one urn burial.
• All fees and charges shall be set by the City and are payable at City Hall.

Transfer of Lots

• The owner of the cemetery lot, or grave, may transfer lots:
  1. By will to any of his/her relatives who may survive him/her for the use and benefit of the person designated in the will;
  2. By will to other persons not related to him/her for the use and benefit of the person designated in the will.
• In all cases, the owner must complete and have signed by witnesses and a Notary Public a transfer of ownership document. The transfer of ownership document must be approved by the City prior to the transfer of lots by the owner.
• A cemetery lot may not be re-sold.
• A cemetery lot may be transferred to the City.
• Lot owners may not allow interments to be made on their lots for remuneration.
• Plot Transfer Fee is $100

Interments

• Only lot owners are granted the right of interment in their lots. The City of Preston reserves the right to refuse to permit the interment of anyone who is not at the time the owner of the lot, or a relative of the owner by blood or marriage. Permission, in writing with the seal of a Notary Public, of the lot owner must accompany all requests for permits to bury persons not members of the immediate family of the lot owner.
• No casket shall be interred in the cemetery unless it is enclosed in a concrete vault or box. Cremains must be placed in a recoverable urn or vault for burial.
• No interment may be made in the cemetery unless all ordinances, rules and regulations regarding interments have been complied with and until the purchase price of the lot to be used and all burial fees are paid or arrangements have been made with the City for payment.
• A plot may be used for a single casket burial, two urn burials, or one casket and one urn burial.
• Lots will be located by the City of Preston. Digging in the cemetery is prohibited except by the designation of the city.

Disinterments

• Written permission of the lot owner and the next of kin shall be filed with the City, and a disinterment-reinterment permit issued by the commissioner or a licensed mortician. The required fees must be paid before any grave may be opened for any purpose. This provision does not apply when disinterment is ordered by a duly authorized public authority.

Descent of Lots

• On the death of the lot owner, such lot shall be granted and conveyed by the City to the deceased’s in order of: spouse, children in order of age, siblings in order of age, descendants who are qualified to be buried therein, unless otherwise provided for by will. The City may request such evidence as it deems necessary to prove that the lots in question are received by the person who would be entitled to receive them.