Choosing a cemetery sounds simple until a family actually has to do it.
Then the questions start.
Does our family already own a plot somewhere? Does the cemetery allow an upright monument? Can cremated remains be buried with a spouse? Is there room for another family member later? What does the grave cost, and what expenses are separate from the purchase price? Does the cemetery serve a particular faith community? Who handles opening and closing the grave?
In Northeast Philadelphia, the answers are especially varied because families have been burying their dead in this part of the city and the surrounding counties for generations.
Some cemeteries are closely connected with Catholic life. Others were established around historic neighborhoods such as Frankford and Tacony. Several have served generations of Jewish families. Veterans and their spouses have federal burial options nearby as well.
This is not an exhaustive list of every cemetery available to a Northeast Philadelphia family. It is a practical guide to some of the names families encounter most often and the questions worth asking before making a decision.
Start by Understanding What You Are Purchasing
Buying cemetery property is different from paying for a funeral.
The funeral home handles the funeral arrangements, care of the person who died, transportation, services, and coordination. The cemetery controls the burial property and its own charges and rules.
That means cemetery costs often appear separately.
You might pay for the burial space itself, opening and closing of the grave, a burial vault or liner when required, monument foundation work, a grave marker, installation, and other cemetery services.
Cremation does not automatically eliminate cemetery costs either. Families might purchase an urn grave, niche, mausoleum space, or the right to place cremated remains in an existing family grave.
The Remembering A Life guide to choosing a final resting place explains that cemetery choices range from single and double depth graves to family lots, lawn crypts, mausoleums, and cremation spaces. It also recommends asking about maintenance, perpetual care, monument rules, and decoration policies before buying.
Those questions matter as much as the location.
Resurrection Cemetery in Bensalem
For many Catholic families in Northeast Philadelphia, Resurrection Cemetery feels local even though its address is across the city line in Bensalem.
The cemetery is located at 5201 Hulmeville Road, close to the Far Northeast and convenient to families in neighborhoods such as Somerton, Parkwood, Torresdale, and nearby Bucks County communities.
Resurrection is one of the Catholic cemeteries serving the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and has been an important burial location for Catholic families since the twentieth century.
Its proximity to Northeast Philadelphia makes it especially familiar to families whose parish and family histories cross the Philadelphia and Bucks County line.
Traditional grave burial, mausoleum options, and cremation memorialization are among the choices available, depending on current inventory.
The cemetery’s Catholic identity also affects eligibility. Archdiocesan guidance states that Catholic cemetery property is generally purchased by Catholics, while non Catholic family members are welcomed so families who lived together are not necessarily separated in death.
Holy Sepulchre Cemetery on Cheltenham Avenue
Holy Sepulchre Cemetery is another major Catholic cemetery serving Philadelphia families.
Located at 3301 W. Cheltenham Avenue, it sits outside the Northeast proper but has long been connected with Catholic families from throughout Philadelphia, including families whose parish roots later moved north and east.
For someone researching older family graves, Holy Sepulchre often appears because generations of Philadelphia Catholics were buried there before many newer cemeteries farther north were developed.
The cemetery offers traditional graves, crypts, and options for cremated remains.
The Catholic Cemeteries of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia directory lists Holy Sepulchre and Resurrection among 12 Catholic cemetery locations serving the Greater Philadelphia region.
Catholic families choosing between the two often consider where relatives are already buried, travel distance for surviving family, available property, parish tradition, and whether future family burials are planned.
Cedar Hill Cemetery in Frankford
Cedar Hill Cemetery sits directly in the history of Northeast Philadelphia.
Located around Frankford Avenue near Cheltenham Avenue, the cemetery dates to the middle of the nineteenth century. It became the resting place of many early Frankford families, including names that still appear on neighborhood streets.
This makes Cedar Hill different from a large regional cemetery built later outside the city.
Its history is tied directly to Frankford itself.
Families with several generations rooted in Frankford, Wissinoming, Bridesburg, Mayfair, and surrounding neighborhoods sometimes find relatives here going back well over a century.
For genealogical research, older community cemeteries like Cedar Hill often reveal how closely family history and neighborhood history overlap.
When considering an older cemetery, ask specifically about current grave availability, existing family lots, monument restrictions, access to old burial records, and whether additional cremated remains may be placed in an existing grave.
Magnolia Cemetery in Tacony
Magnolia Cemetery is another cemetery whose story is closely tied to the neighborhood around it.
Established in 1886, Magnolia sits in Tacony near Levick, Ditman, Hellerman, and Cottage Streets. Members of the Disston family, whose industrial history helped shape Tacony, are among those buried there.
For local families, Magnolia represents the older neighborhood cemetery model. It is not miles away in a suburban memorial park. It sits inside the community whose families it has served.
Generations of Tacony and Lower Northeast families have lived within minutes of these grounds.
This kind of cemetery often appeals to families who value neighborhood continuity. A parent might be buried near grandparents, great grandparents, childhood neighbors, or people whose names still appear in family stories.
Again, the practical questions matter. Older cemeteries vary widely in available space and rules, so families should confirm current inventory directly rather than assuming an older family lot has unused burial rights.
Mount Sinai Cemetery and Philadelphia’s Jewish History
Northeast Philadelphia also has a long Jewish burial history.
Mount Sinai Cemetery on Bridge Street in the Frankford area was founded in 1853 and remains one of Philadelphia’s oldest Jewish cemeteries still in active existence.
Its creation reflected the growth of Philadelphia’s Jewish community during the nineteenth century. Over the generations, prominent Jewish businesspeople, professionals, philanthropists, and families were buried there.
For Northeast Philadelphia families with older Jewish roots in Frankford, Oxford Circle, Castor Gardens, Rhawnhurst, or other parts of the city, Mount Sinai sometimes appears repeatedly in family records.
Jewish cemetery customs and rules differ from secular cemeteries, particularly around burial practices, monuments, visitation, and religious observances.
Families should discuss those expectations with both the cemetery and their rabbi or funeral director when appropriate.
Roosevelt Memorial Park in Trevose
As Philadelphia’s Jewish population moved farther into the Northeast and the suburbs during the twentieth century, Roosevelt Memorial Park became an important burial location.
Located at 2701 Old Lincoln Highway in Trevose, Roosevelt has served Jewish families for more than 90 years.
Its location near the Far Northeast made it particularly convenient for generations of families from Northeast Philadelphia and Lower Bucks County.
The cemetery includes traditional ground burial, monument sections, mausoleum options, private estates, and cremation memorialization.
For families whose parents or grandparents lived in Rhawnhurst, Bustleton, Somerton, Oxford Circle, or nearby Bucks County communities, Roosevelt is a familiar name.
If family members are already buried there, ask whether adjoining spaces remain available or whether the existing family property allows additional interments.
Forest Hills and the Byberry Corridor
Forest Hills Cemetery is another location familiar to Far Northeast families.
It sits along Byberry Road near the Philadelphia and Montgomery County border, close to Somerton and Huntingdon Valley.
The larger Forest Hills and Shalom Memorial complex has served families from the surrounding region with ground burial, mausoleum, memorial, and other cemetery options.
For Northeast Philadelphia families, geography is often one of its strongest advantages. A cemetery near Byberry Road is much easier for surviving relatives in Somerton, Bustleton, and the Far Northeast to visit regularly than one across the city.
That point should not be underestimated.
Cemetery selection is not only about the funeral day. It is also about the next twenty or thirty years of visits.
Washington Crossing National Cemetery for Veterans
Veterans have another important option north of Philadelphia.
Washington Crossing National Cemetery is located at 830 Highland Road in Newtown, Bucks County. The 205 acre cemetery was developed specifically to serve veterans throughout southeastern Pennsylvania and the surrounding region.
For eligible veterans, national cemetery burial generally includes the gravesite, opening and closing, perpetual care, and a government marker or headstone. Cremation burial and columbarium options are available as well, subject to current cemetery inventory.
Eligible spouses and certain dependents also qualify for burial under federal rules.
For a Northeast Philadelphia veteran who wants national cemetery burial, Washington Crossing is generally the major active federal option nearby.
Families should locate the veteran’s DD Form 214 and confirm eligibility ahead of time whenever possible.
Do Not Choose a Cemetery Based on the Grave Price Alone
The advertised price of cemetery property is only one part of the cost.
Ask for the full list of cemetery charges associated with the type of burial you are considering.
For a traditional burial, questions should include:
What does the grave itself cost?
What is the opening and closing fee?
Is a vault or grave liner required?
Does the cemetery charge more for Saturday, holiday, or late day burial?
What monument or marker options are permitted?
Is there a separate foundation or installation charge?
Is perpetual care included?
If the family is choosing cremation, ask about urn graves, niches, mausoleum spaces, and the cost of placing cremated remains in an existing grave.
Ask for everything in writing.
Ask Who Else Can Eventually Be Buried There
This question becomes important when couples or families are planning ahead.
If you buy one grave, does it allow double depth burial?
Can cremated remains later be added?
If a Catholic purchases the grave, can a non Catholic spouse eventually be buried there?
Does the cemetery permit transfer of burial rights to another family member?
Is the property specifically designated for one person, two people, or a larger family lot?
Do not rely on assumptions based on what another cemetery allowed.
Every cemetery has its own rules.
Understand the Monument Rules Before Buying Property
Families often picture a particular headstone before learning that the cemetery section they purchased restricts the type of memorial allowed.
Some sections permit upright monuments.
Others require flat markers.
Mausoleum crypts and cremation niches use completely different forms of identification.
Cemeteries also establish rules for monument dimensions, materials, foundations, inscriptions, photographs, benches, and other additions.
If having a traditional upright family monument matters to you, say so before purchasing the grave.
The same applies to military markers, religious symbols, family estates, or matching an existing family stone.
Ask About Flowers and Seasonal Decorations
Cemetery rules do not end after burial.
Most cemeteries regulate flowers, flags, wreaths, holiday decorations, solar lights, statues, plantings, and objects placed around monuments.
Catholic cemeteries in the Philadelphia region, for example, limit graveside decorations so maintenance crews can properly care for the grounds. Temporary flowers and certain displays are permitted, while permanent additions or planting around a monument may be restricted.
Other cemeteries have seasonal cleanup dates when decorations are removed.
If your family has strong traditions around Christmas wreaths, Memorial Day flags, cemetery candles, stones, or anniversary flowers, ask about those policies before buying.
Location Matters More Than Families Sometimes Realize
On the funeral day, a cemetery thirty minutes farther away might not seem important.
Five years later, it might.
Think about who will visit.
An elderly surviving spouse might want a cemetery close to home. Adult children might live in Bucks County. A family might attend the same parish for generations and prefer a Catholic cemetery connected to that tradition.
Another family might value being buried in the same Tacony or Frankford cemetery where several generations already rest.
There is no universally best cemetery.
The right cemetery is the one whose location, rules, faith tradition, cost, available property, and long term meaning fit the family.
Should You Buy Cemetery Property Ahead of Time?
For families who already know where they want to be buried, advance cemetery planning has practical advantages.
You have time to compare sections rather than selecting whatever is available during funeral week.
Couples have a better chance of obtaining adjoining or double depth property.
You can understand the full cost before making a decision.
You also have time to ask about monuments, cremation options, future family use, and religious requirements.
Planning ahead does not require planning every part of a funeral.
Sometimes it means answering one question: where do I want my final resting place to be?
Let the Funeral Home Help Coordinate the Details
Once a cemetery has been selected, the funeral home and cemetery work together on the burial.
The funeral director coordinates timing, transportation, required permits, cemetery arrival, and the service sequence. The cemetery prepares the grave or other place of interment and handles its own property requirements.
Families exploring burial, cremation, graveside services, and other funeral choices can review John F. Fluehr & Sons’ funeral and burial service options before meeting with the funeral home.
If you are planning in advance and are not yet sure which decisions come first, the Fluehr family planning and funeral resource center brings together guidance on advance planning, what happens after a death, grief, Social Security, and other practical questions.
The Best Cemetery Choice Is Usually a Practical and Personal One
Northeast Philadelphia families have many options because generations before them created many different burial traditions.
Catholic families might look toward Resurrection or Holy Sepulchre.
Jewish families might have generations at Mount Sinai, Roosevelt Memorial Park, or another regional Jewish cemetery.
Frankford and Tacony families might have deep roots at Cedar Hill or Magnolia.
Veterans might prefer Washington Crossing National Cemetery.
Other families choose a nonsectarian cemetery based on location, family property, available space, or personal preference.
Before deciding, ask about the complete cost, not only the price of the grave. Understand the cemetery’s rules. Confirm what type of marker is allowed. Ask whether a spouse or cremated remains can eventually share the property. Think about who will visit years from now.
Most importantly, find out whether your family already owns cemetery property before purchasing anything new.
A cemetery is more than the place where a funeral procession ends.
For many families, it becomes one of the places where family history stays visible for generations.
The team at John F. Fluehr & Sons is here for your whole family and includes its youngest members. Call us at (215) 624-5150.
