Rules and Regulations

Rules and Regulations

FRANKFORD CEMETERY ASSOCIATION RULES & REGULATIONS

Adopted by Board of Directors July 19, 2012
Revised May, 2013
Revised October, 2020

Frankford is an historic cemetery where pioneers of this area are buried. Although burials at Frankford Cemetery are not restricted to descendants of these pioneers, we hope that you will join us in honoring their memory and preserving the quiet dignity of this sacred place. It is with this intention that we have written these rules and regulations for governing the cemetery.

FRANKFORD CEMETERY HISTORY

Frankford Cemetery is named for the early North Texas community of Frankford in far southwest Collin County. The community developed near the location of an everlasting spring on Halls Branch, a tributary of White Rock Creek. The Frankford site was on the Shawnee Trail, an Indian trail predating Columbus. Native Americans, soldiers, and trail drivers camped in the area west of the creek that is still referred to today as “the wagon yard.”

In 1872 the White Rock Masonic Lodge No. 234 (established in 1858) built their “Hall” on two acres in what is now the northwest corner of the Cemetery. This Hall was a fraternal, religious, and educational center for miles around. The second floor was reserved for lodge meetings while the first floor was used for school and church services open to all denominations, but with the Methodists predominating.

There are stories of Indian burials in the vicinity of present-day Frankford Cemetery, and there are a few known burials of early settlers before the arrival of the lodge. The first known unmarked grave dates to 1862, while the first marked grave, near the location of the Hall, is dated 1872. Members of pioneer North Texas families are laid to rest at Frankford. Strolling through the Cemetery, one sees names of early Collin and Dallas County settlers who were instrumental in forming some of the earliest communities in the Dallas area.

In the 1880s the Cotton Belt Railroad bypassed Frankford for the nearby town of Addison. The population of Frankford began to decline, and in 1907 the Lodge Hall relocated to the newly formed Town of Addison. Despite the decline of the town of Frankford, descendants continued to bury family members in the Cemetery. Today those pioneer families still remain the core of the Frankford Cemetery community. Their descendants continue to bury their loved ones in this historic, tranquil place.

In 2012 the Texas Historical Commission designated Frankford Cemetery an Historic Texas Cemetery. This designation is an official state recognition of family and community graveyards that encourages preservation of historic cemeteries.

PURPOSE

In accordance with the by-laws of the Frankford Cemetery Association, Inc. (the “Association”), the following rules and regulations have been adopted as a guide for the use and management of the Frankford Cemetery and surrounding grounds. The rules and regulations will help protect all who have an interest here. All owners of interment rights, visitors, and contractors performing work on the property are subject to these rules and regulations together with all amendments or alterations as shall be adopted by the Board of Directors of Frankford Cemetery Association from time to time.

 

GENERAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

  1. The Board of Directors may, and it hereby expressly reserves the right to at any time, with or without notice to owners, adopt new rules and regulations or amend, alter and/or repeal any rule, regulation and/or article, section or paragraph in these Rules and Regulations. Special cases may arise in which a literal enforcement of the rule may impose unnecessary hardship. The Board of Directors, therefore, reserves the right, without notice, to make exceptions, suspensions or modifications of any of the Rules and Regulations when, in its sole judgment, such action appears advisable. Any such temporary exception, suspension or modification of the Rules and Regulations by the Board of Directors shall not be construed as affecting the general application of such Rules and Regulations.
  2. The Board of Directors retains, for the benefit of all interment right owners, full and complete supervision, control and management of the land, improvements, roads, walks, utilities, development, books and records, and the full and complete authority, rights and privileges to make, change, administer and enforce all rules and regulations and restrictions not inconsistent with the laws of the State of Texas. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything to the contrary in these Rules and Regulations, the Frankford Cemetery is a non-perpetual care cemetery.
  3. All burial spaces in the Cemetery shall be used in accordance with the provisions of the laws of the State of Texas and shall not be used for any purpose other than as a burial place for human remains.
  4. Visiting hours are from dawn to dusk every day. Any person who is found on the Cemetery grounds outside these hours, without prior authorization from the Board of Directors, will be considered a trespasser.
  5. Individual owners interested in selling their ownership of interment rights for their burial spaces can indicate their intention by entering their contact information on a gravesite sales form found in the Gravesite information section of the Association’s website at www.frankfordcemetery.org. Rules and regulations associated with a transfer can be found below the gravesite sales form. The Board of Directors will not be involved in the listing, marketing or otherwise offering for sale or use of any privately owned lot or space at the Cemetery.
  6. Any assignment or transfer of burial space interment rights must be reported to the Board of Directors immediately through the contact information found on the website. Upon completion and verification of the transaction, the Association will issue the transfer of a Certificate of Right of Sepulture to each owner of interment rights on its burial spaces describing the location and naming the owner or owners of said location.
  7. The naming of more than one owner is indicative of joint ownership in common with rights of survivorship. Duplication of ownership of interment rights is prohibited. Only one owner of interment rights per burial space is permitted at any one time.
    Possession of the Certificate by a person who is not listed on the Certificate is not in itself evidence of right of sepulture. The Association shall be free (but not obligated) to make public or otherwise disclose the names of the person(s) to whom any Certificate of Right of Sepulture has been issued and the burial space(s) specified in such Certificate of Right of Sepulture.
  8. Purchasers of burial spaces do not own the property but simply acquire the right of interment (sepulture) in that specified location.
  9. The owner of interment rights hereunder may dispose of same by will or, should the owner die intestate, such interment rights shall pass according to the laws of this State governing intestacy. The Association shall not be bound by such transfers until an exemplification of record has been presented to it and such change has been recorded on the books and records of the Cemetery. Any lot or burial space in which there are no burials, entombments or inurnments may be transferred to a new owner, providing the original Certificate of Right of Sepulture is submitted to the Association, together with proper transfer agreement.
  10. In the event of loss or destruction of a Certificate of Right of Sepulture and upon the presentation of a written request, the President and Secretary will prepare a duplicate certificate from its records. The request must include an indemnification for the Association and a properly executed affidavit which sets forth the circumstances of loss or destruction of the original certificate.
  11. All owners are required to notify the Association of any change of address. All notices required to be sent shall be sent to the last recorded address and such notices shall be deemed adequate.
  12. No person, other than agents of the Association, shall be allowed to perform any work within the Cemetery without permission of the Board of Directors.
  13. The Board of Directors shall direct all work and improvements within the grounds and upon all burial spaces before and after interments have been made.
  14. The Board of Directors will not be responsible for any loss, damage or injury occurring on the site.
  15. The use of the Cemetery and surrounding land as a thoroughfare is prohibited.
  16. Vehicles and equipment used to perform the business of the Cemetery shall take precedence over vehicles being driven by Cemetery visitors.
  17. The right to use automobiles in the Cemetery is authorized solely and exclusively for the purpose of transporting persons to visit burial plots. The speed limit within the Cemetery is five (5) miles per hour. Parking and/or driving on any gardens or grassy areas are prohibited for purposes other than those obtained from the Board of Directors.
  18. No form of recreation is permitted in the Cemetery. Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult when visiting the Cemetery.
  19. Bicycles, skates, skateboards, all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, horses, etc., may not be used in the Cemetery. Dogs are not permitted in the Cemetery.
  20. Bringing alcoholic beverages or illegal drugs into the Cemetery and/or site is strictly prohibited. Smoking is prohibited on the entire site.
  21. The Board of Directors shall have the right to enter upon or use any adjoining burial space or lot to carry out its duties as to interments, placement of monuments, etc., without prior notice to the owner thereof.
  22. No signs, notices, or advertisements of any kind shall be allowed on the Frankford site unless placed by the Board of Directors.
  23. Panhandling, peddling of any kind or soliciting the sale of any commodity by outside parties is prohibited within the confines of the Frankford site.

INTERMENT AND FUNERAL REGULATIONS

  1. All burials must be authorized by the Board of Directors.
  2. The Cemetery Sexton will locate the burial space for the funeral home. The funeral home will pay the Association for this service and include it in the cost of the burial. When locating a burial space the Sexton will use the gravesite numbering system laid out and authorized by Frankford Cemetery Association.
  3. Interments into a burial space are restricted to those entitled to interment therein according to these rules and regulations. The Board of Directors strongly recommends using one of the following funeral homes as they are familiar with the Cemetery and its requirements:
    John P. Brooks and Family North Dallas Funeral Home
    Ted Dickey Funeral Home
    Ted Dickey West Funeral Home
    Rhoton Funeral Home
    Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home
    Other funeral homes may be used if approved in advance on a case-by-case basis by the Board of Directors or its agent.
  4. The Association shall not be liable for any delay in the interment of a body where a protest to the interment has been made or where the Rules and Regulations have not been followed.
  5. The use of one grave space shall be limited to the interments of one burial, two urns of cremated remains, one burial with one urn of cremated remains buried on top of a casket, or one urn of cremated remains placed in the casket as long as cremains are from a previous death. Once buried, the casket is to remain closed.
  6. No disinterment will be allowed without permission of next of kin, the burial space owner, the Board of Directors, and the proper authorities.
  7. No interment of a body may be made unless the remains are contained in a casket which is enclosed in either a vault or liner.
  8. A permanent type of urn is required for ground interment of cremated remains. The scattering of cremated remains in the Cemetery is prohibited.
  9. Frankford Cemetery Association does not participate in funeral arrangements other than the location of burial spaces.

MONUMENTS

  1. The following monument company(s) are approved for Frankford Cemetery – Spradling Monument Services. Other monument companies require approval in advance by the Board of Directors or its agent and must comply with any Frankford Cemetery installation requirements. Any installation with pre-cast pads will not be approved. The company that makes the monument is responsible for installation. The monument company is responsible for scheduling installation with the Board or its agent and must pay any required sexton fees.
  2. Monuments shall be of simple design and decoration which will continue the historic traditions that Frankford Cemetery Association endeavors to preserve. All design proposals must be sent from the monument company for approval by the Board of Directors.
  3. The material for monuments and their base shall be high-quality granite of soft colors such as gray, rose, or beige. No built-in vases are allowed in the monument. No photographs or porcelain material may be incorporated into any monument. No protective glass or breakable material of any kind will be allowed on the monument.
  4. Monument bases on individual graves shall be no more than 3.5 feet long with the actual marker somewhat smaller. The height of individual upright headstones should be no taller than 3 feet. Both slanted and bevel style markers are allowed with bases. No flat monuments are allowed.
  5. Double monuments should have a base no longer than 6.5 feet with the monument somewhat smaller and no taller than 3 feet. The thickness of both individual and double markers should be between 6 and 8 inches. All designs must be approved by the Board of Directors. Flat footstones made of the same material as the monument are allowed.
  6. Honorary military flat markers must be placed immediately behind the headstone monument.
  7. The Board of Directors shall have the authority to prevent the placement of any monument that does not comply with these rules and regulations. The Board of Directors reserves the right to remove any monument or other objects that do not comply with the standards of the Cemetery.
  8. All monuments shall be placed only by employees or agents of the Association. A representative of the Board of Directors of the Association must be present for the placement of all monuments. The Cemetery Association will charge a fee for this service.
  9. Monuments shall be set in accordance with the general plan of the Cemetery. Only one headstone monument may be placed on a grave. The Frankford Cemetery Association requires that monuments be placed within two years of the burial. If an extension is needed, a request can be submitted to the Board of Directors.
  10. All fees or encumbrances due on the burial space must be paid in full prior to the placement of a monument.
  11. In the event a monument is placed where it is necessary to temporarily remove it for an interment or disinterment, the Association will have the right to remove the monument without notice to the burial space owner. It will be reinstalled to its original position when work is completed.
  12. The Association may, at its own expense and without any liability, correct any error that may occur in the placing of a monument.

FLOWER AND DECORATION REGULATIONS

  1. Fresh flower arrangements, fresh cut flowers, and/or potted plants may be placed on the graves throughout the year.
  2. All flowers, wreaths, or other decorations will be removed from burial spaces monthly or as soon as they become unsightly. All artificial flowers or items removed from graves will be disposed of immediately.
  3. American and/or Texas flags may be placed on graves on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Flag Day, and Veterans Day. Flags should be kept to 12” x 18” in size or smaller. Flags are subject to removal ten (10) days after the holiday.
  4. Trees, shrubs, plantings, and benches are placed throughout the Cemetery by the Association for overall beauty and serenity of the grounds. All landscaping, maintenance, and/or removal of any plants, bushes or trees is only allowed under the supervision of the Board of Directors.

GLOSSARY

Association: The Frankford Cemetery Association, Inc.

Board of Directors: the governing body of the Association.

Cemetery: a burial ground.

Interment: the permanent disposition of remains by burial.

Intestacy: the quality or state of being or dying intestate.

Intestate: having made no valid will.

Lot: an area of usually eight (8) burial spaces or plots.

Monument: a grave marker, sometimes referred to as a headstone.

Monument Company: sells cemetery monuments.

Non-Perpetual Care: a cemetery that does not collect perpetual care funds from its members in order to cover cemetery maintenance in perpetuity.

Plot: an individual space in the cemetery that is used or intended to be used for interment.

Plot Owner: the person to whom the Cemetery has conveyed the exclusive right of sepulture on a particular plot; the person who holds such rights by inheritance; the person who has acquired such rights by transfer in accordance with the rules of the Association.

Sepulture: the act of interment; burial.

Site: includes the Cemetery and any surrounding grounds owned by Frankford Cemetery Association, Inc.

Urn: a container used for cremated remains.