To view the By-Laws of Monticello Township Cemetery click here 

(Back row from left) Sexton: Chris Cravens, Trustee: Mike Harris, Trustee: John Heider (Front row front left) Clerk Kathy Brown, Trustee: Juli Clodfelter

The Monticello Township cemetery is responsible for the maintenance of the following cemeteries: Haneline - located on Allerton Rd, this was a private family cemetery and is 1 acre in size. The old Monticello City cemetery - located east of the city swimming pool. Monticello Township cemeteries which is now 2 cemeteries with 37 acres at 916 E. 1730 N. and 17 acres at 1720 N. State Street.   Decorating rules and regulations: Decorations are not allowed on the ground from March 1 to November 30 except on the following holidays: Easter, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, Father's Day, Veteran's Day. Decorations are allowed on the ground on these days and for 14 days following. After 14 days the decorations will be removed by the cemetery.   THE CEMETERY IS CLOSED FROM SUNSET TO SUNRISE Weekend burials are only permitted if the sexton is notified by 11:00 a.m. Friday. Plantings are not allowed and will be removed by the cemetery upon discovery. Existing plantings from earlier years may be removed as they become unhealthy or grow too large for the area they are in. Solar night lites may not be placed into the ground and must be mounted on the monument or its foundation. All dogs must be kept on a leash and pet waste must be collected.

 

Burial Lot - $500 (in Township) plus current recording fee / $1000 (Out of Township) plus current recording fee

Opening / closing of grave - $625 (In Township) / $1250 (Out of Township)

Cremation opening / closing - $200 (In Township - 10" or less) / $300 (In Township - greater than 10") / $400 (Out of Township - 10" or less)  / $600 (Out of Township - greater than 10")

Columbarium space - $500 (In Township) plus current recording fee / $1000 (Out of Township) plus current recording fee. There is room for 2 interments in each space. Family is responsible for cost of engraving names and dates on the door to their columbarium space and must use Adams Memorials in Charleston at 1-800-252-6547.

Columbarium opening / closing - $100 (In Township) / $200 (Out of Township)

 

Recording fee - Each sale will be charged the current recording fee set by the State

 
 

As the cemetery became more popular, the association purchased another 6 acres for $60 per acre from Mr. Lodge in 1887. The next purchase was of 2 1/2 acres and the last was for 8 acres known as the Gifford property owned by the Lodge family and is on the west side of the cemetery where the maintenance building is now located. $100 was paid per acre for this piece of land bringing the total acreage to 36.5 acres. Mr. J.W. Coleman was the first superintendant (caretaker). He cleared the land of trees and brush, planted grass, and did all nessasary maintenance for the first 37 years of the cemetery existence.

His idea was to make the cemetery as park like as possible (which would explain the random burials and winding roads) unlike the parallel rows now commonly seen in most cemeteries (to allow for modern maintenace equipment as well as allow for getting the most lots into a given section).

The original Township Cemetery described above is located at 916 E. 1730 N. between Illinois 105 and Valentine park and between camp creek and 916 E.

The next land purchase didn't come until 1999 when 17 acres was purchased from John Dighton and is located directly south of the main cemetery with its entrance at 1720 N. State. 5 acres have been developed for burials while the other 12 acres are being farmed until needed.

A columbarium was erected in this cemetery to give the public an option for burial and to save space for the cemetery.  This above ground columbarium is for cremated remains and will hold 96 burials and only takes up the space of 2 traditional burial lots.