Family Service Counselors hold vigil at burials in New Jersey cemeteries

The other day I left Greenwood Cemetery with the funeral procession with the rest of the family. I soon realized that I left my purse next to the chair near the gravesite of my mother. I turned the car and returned to the cemetery. I found the family service counselor still standing next to the grave watching the grave internment crew finish the grave preparation. The family service counselor was holding my purse and upon recognizing me came over and handed me my purse. This was the same woman that met with me and my sister at the cemetery when we signed the papers to open the grave. She was so helpful and here she is again.

I asked her why she was still at the grave site to which she said this is something that all CMS family service counselors are trained to do. She went on to day; “we hold vigil at the grave until the internment crew is finished. Then we compile the necessary reports for the surviving loved ones and plan a time to meet with them so that we can provide any assistance that may be needed.”

I found out later the next day when she visited with us just how much they do at the cemetery. My sister and I and our families will visit mom and dads graves, Pappy’s and Granny’s graves for many years. Our children will visit ours at Greenwood too. The lady helped us prearrange our graves near mom and dads. She was so helpful…

What’s particularly amazing to me is that these family service counselors genuinely care about making sure those family members who bury their loved ones in these cemeteries; take such measures to reassure and comfort families. I asked the woman who it was that is responsible for all this. She said it is all part of the burial process conduced at all the CMS cemeteries.

I asked the cemetery manager if there was any way that I could show my appreciation. Another woman at the company’s main office said that I could write these comments for their website… Thank you Greenwood Cemetery and CMS Mid-Atlantic, Inc. You have helped our family get through the tough moments when we lost mom.

Mary Richards