Rules & policies
Conditions and Restrictions
The rules of the cemetery as adopted by Johnson City Lodge No. 561. They are short, plain, and the same for everyone; every deed incorporates them.
Adopted by the lodge
The twelve conditions
Reproduced exactly as adopted. Questions about a particular case go to the Cemetery Committee through the lodge secretary.
- Before opening a grave or setting a headstone the Beneficiary or Agent will contact the Cemetery Committee for assistance in locating the proper grave site.
- Only human remains shall be buried on or in the specified space.
- Concrete grave liners should be used for all graves.
- Burial spaces shall not be divided by the Beneficiary.
- Headstones and footstones shall be erected strictly in accordance with Cemetery guidelines. Headstones and footstones must not encroach on neighboring plots. The headstone base is to be placed at ground level. The headstone is to consist of granite, marble, or other permanent stone. They should not consist of wood, metal, or concrete. Bronze Government Veterans' markers may be added to approved headstones at ground level or mounted to the stone. No upright marker may be used as a footstone. Footstones are to be flushed with the ground. Any shape marker meeting the above guidelines is appropriate, including K-Marker, Base and Die, Flat Marker and Hickey Marker. The temporary plastic/metal nameplates from the funeral home shall be replaced with an approved Headstone within one year. Contact a Cemetery Committee Member for placement assistance.
- Grave surfaces will be covered only with ordinary natural grass for ease in mowing and maintenance. Plants, shrubs, trees, crushed stones, lumber, cacti, statuary, gravel, trinkets, drink cans and bottles, caps, hats, and items of clothing shall not be placed on the grave which shall be kept clear for mowing and maintenance.
- Curbing and/or capping of graves is prohibited except in the original Historic Section.
- Eternal flames or lit candles will not be used in the Cemetery.
- The Cemetery Keeper shall have the authority to remove or have removed by his agents any cut flowers or plants which have died and dried up, and any artificial flowers which have faded and/or fallen apart.
- Artificial flowers shall be placed in approved vases or holders that are securely attached to the Headstone and must not be laid on the grave itself. Approved vases are to be made of stone; all glass vases or containers are to be removed from the Cemetery.
- All non-approved items will be removed and disposed of by the Cemetery Committee without any form of reimbursement or recourse.
- The Cemetery is closed from dusk to dawn.
In practice
What the conditions mean at the grave
- Before anything is dug or set, call the committee (Condition 1). The plat and the deed are checked, and the space is marked. This prevents the one mistake that cannot be undone.
- Headstones: granite, marble, or other permanent stone on a base at ground level; no wood, metal, or concrete. Bronze veterans' markers are welcome on or beside an approved stone. Footstones flush. The funeral home's temporary nameplate has to be replaced within a year.
- The grave surface is grass and nothing else, so it can be mowed. Curbing and capping are allowed only where they already exist, in the historic section.
- Flowers: artificial flowers go in a stone vase attached to the headstone, never on the grave; glass goes home with you; faded or dead arrangements are removed. No candles or eternal flames.
- Anything that does not meet the conditions may be removed without notice or reimbursement (Condition 11). The committee would rather you ask first.
Committee guidance
Ownership and deeds
- The Johnson City Masonic Cemetery is owned by Johnson City Lodge No. 561, A.F. & A.M., which dedicated the 10.523-acre tract exclusively to cemetery purposes on May 21, 2008 under §711.034 of the Texas Health and Safety Code (Blanco County Deed Records Vol. 387, p. 686). The cemetery is open to all; there is no restriction on burial by lodge, church, family, or residence.
- A burial space is sold as the exclusive right of burial in a specific space shown on the recorded plat. Title to the land remains with the lodge. The purchaser receives a deed, recorded with the county, and the lodge keeps the deed book and the record of who is buried where.
- Spaces may be transferred to a family member, or returned to the lodge, in writing with the lodge's consent; the transfer is recorded in the deed book. Spaces may not be resold to third parties. No refund is made after an interment.
- A $500 headstone deposit is required with every grave. It is refunded once a headstone meeting the Conditions and Restrictions is in place within twelve months of burial and the committee has confirmed it from a photograph sent to jcmcemetery@gmail.com. If no stone is placed in twelve months the cemetery uses the deposit to place one; a non-conforming stone is removed and replaced and the deposit is forfeited. Full terms are on the fees page.
- The cemetery is not a perpetual care cemetery under Chapter 712 of the Health and Safety Code and does not operate a perpetual care or endowment care fund. Grounds maintenance is funded by voluntary contributions to the Johnson City Masonic Cemetery Association.
Committee guidance
Interments
- Condition 1 applies to every burial: contact the Cemetery Committee before a grave is opened so the space can be verified against the plat and the deed. Funeral homes should call the lodge as soon as a service is scheduled; at least 48 hours' notice is requested.
- Grave opening and closing is arranged by the funeral home with a vault or grave service company at the family's expense. Per Condition 3, a concrete grave liner should be used.
- Inurnments in the columbarium are performed by or in the presence of the Cemetery Committee. Urns must be of durable, sealed construction and must fit the niche interior. Niche covers are engraved only by the lodge's monument company to the uniform standard; nothing may be attached to the granite.
- Disinterment is permitted only in accordance with §711.004 of the Health and Safety Code: with the written consent of the lodge, the plot owner, and the next of kin in the statutory order (or a court order), by a licensed funeral director, at the family's expense.
- Scattering of cremated remains on the grounds is not permitted.
Committee guidance
Visitors and vehicles
- The cemetery is open from dawn to dusk (Condition 12).
- Vehicles must stay on the lanes and drive at a walking pace. Do not drive or park on the grass or across graves. Funeral processions have the right of way.
- No alcohol, firearms (other than military honors), fireworks, hunting, camping, or recreational use of the grounds. Dogs must be leashed and picked up after.
- Rubbings of the historic stones are not permitted. Do not clean, right, or repair a marker you do not own; tell the committee and the family will be contacted. Photography is welcome; commercial photography and filming require the lodge's permission.
- Please carry out what you carry in. There are no trash receptacles on the grounds.
Texas law
The statutes behind the rules
Chapter 711 of the Texas Health and Safety Code governs cemeteries like this one: dedication (§711.034–.035), the sale of the right of sepulture (§711.038–.039), and disinterment (§711.004). As a fraternal cemetery it is exempt from Chapter 712, which regulates commercial perpetual care cemeteries. The Texas Historical Commission's Historic Texas Cemetery designation records the cemetery in the county deed records and places no restriction on its daily operation.