LEETONIA Oakdale Cemetery considers building public mausoleum

Oakdale Cemetery will have a mausoleum if there is a need, one board member said.
By NANCY TULLIS
VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU
LEETONIA -- For some people, the thought of their earthly remains buried 6 feet under simply scares them to death.
That's why Oakdale Cemetery board is considering construction of a public mausoleum.
Board members say residents have asked about mausoleum burial over the years.
"It's just what some people prefer," said cemetery clerk Mary Ellen Cutchall. "They just don't want to be in the ground, but they don't want to be cremated."
Fear of snakes, confined spaces or being buried alive are some reasons people have given for seeking mausoleum space, she said.
Mausoleum burial would be offered as an alternative to traditional interment, cemetery board member August Cerrone said. It's not a space issue for the cemetery, which has plots available for years to come, he said.
"If people respond and we find there is a need for the mausoleum, we will build it," Cerrone said.
Will assess demand: There are few public mausoleums in the area, he said. The board, however, cannot afford to build the mausoleum and then hope to sell the spaces.
Construction would cost $100,000 or more, and the smallest mausoleum has 65 spaces, Cerrone said. The board would need firm commitments from 30 or more people before proceeding, and it will consider a larger structure if needed, he said.
Burial in Oakdale Cemetery is not limited to Leetonia residents, he noted.
Burial costs have not been determined, but will be cost-effective and comparable to -- if not less expensive than -- the cemetery's rates for interment, Cerrone said.