St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery is located at 11100 Burlington Road, just north of US Route 12, in Richmond, Illinois.
To purchase a gravesite, please contact Bruce Adams at Ehorn Adams Funeral Home, (815)678-7311.

Cemetery Rules and Guidelines
revised May 2024

Providing for a respectful environment of reverence, and remembrance, for those interred at our cemetery, and for their families and loved ones, is of utmost importance to the Parish of St. Joseph Catholic Church. Observance and adherence to these Cemetery Rules and Guidelines is necessary not only to accomplish that goal, but also for staff and visitor safety, and desired aesthetic purposes. 

Decorations

• It is the responsibility of the person or persons placing decorations at gravesites to maintain and remove those decorations.
• Temporary placement of natural and artificial plants and flowers is permitted on all graves, upon monuments or on headstones only. Please limit decorations to one per grave, placed on the East side of the grave marker. The Cemetery will not take responsibility for damaged or stolen decorations. 
• Plant containers, vases, boxes, or pots are prohibited. 
• Live plantings are prohibited. 
• Evergreen blankets or grave coverings are prohibited. 
• Metal stands, shepherd hooks, glass, statuary, decorative stones, and border edging are prohibited. 
• Illuminated lights, candles, or open flame devices of any kind, are prohibited. 
• Veteran’s stakes are prohibited. 
• Patriotic flags may be placed in the ground adjacent to a monument of headstone. 
• During the lawn maintenance season, the maintenance staff will, at their discretion, remove decorations that interfere with their operations. 
• All winter decorations must stand above ground, upon an easel. 

* If a family attaches flower holders, momentos, or flag holders to the gravestone or on its base, these will not be removed in future cleanings. THEY MUST BE ATTACHED AND NOT BLOCK EFFORTS TO KEEP THE CEMETERY CLEAN AND PROPERLY MOWED.

Every effort must be made to prevent items left at gravesites from becoming a hazard to cemetery staff or visitors Additional restrictions may be imposed, and decorations removed, without advance notice, at the discretion of St. Joseph Catholic Church personnel and contractors.  

Spring and Fall Cemetery Clean-Up

Days between March 15-30, and November 1–15, are designated for clearing of the cemetery grounds, in preparation for spring and winter. All decorations will be removed and disposed of during these times. If you wish to save your decorations, please remove them before March 15 and November 1. Please do not place any decorations during these clean-up dates. 

Reverence and Respect

St. Joseph Catholic Church encourages the placement of decorations at gravesites as a way for loved ones to express their love and feelings of loss for the departed. Our staff will try to be as careful as possible to avoid damage and displacement during our normal interment and maintenance activities. We regret that we cannot guarantee that all decorations will be free from damage or loss and we cannot accept responsibility for these occurrences. 

Expected Behavior

A Catholic Cemetery is a holy place. These sacred grounds are blessed by the church and dedicated as a place of prayer and dignity for our faithful departed. Please maintain a quiet reverence and respect for all those visiting the cemetery, as well as our surrounding neighbors, and abide by the following rules while in the cemetery:

• Proper behavior and appropriate attire is expected as a sign of respect for all of those at rest in the cemetery. Park vehicles only on the paved road surface. 
• Avoid loud speaking and use of expletives, such as swear words. 
• No picnicking is allowed in the cemetery. 
• Do not exercise pets in the cemetery. 
• Do not bring or consume alcoholic beverages. 

Please contact the St. Joseph Catholic Church Parish Office with questions or concerns about these Cemetery Rules and Guidelines,
by calling (815) 678-7421, or by mail to, 10519 N. Main Street, Richmond, IL, 60071.

rules for Richmond Township Cemeteries my be found at https://www.ehornadams.com/dynamic/communityeventfile/46000/RULES%20AND%20REGULATIONS.pdf