At Angelus Memorial Park and Valley Memorial Park, we understand that choosing a final resting place is a deeply important decision. We value the trust you extend by choosing one of our cemeteries. Understanding your options is an important first step. While the terminology and details can sometimes feel overwhelming, our goal is to provide clear guidance and support so that you feel equipped to choose what is best for you or your loved one.
Understanding Graves & Burial Spaces
Ground Burial
Our parks are thoughtfully organized into distinct areas to help families locate and understand burial spaces with ease. Each burial location follows this structure: Park → Garden → Lot → Space #.
- A garden is a designated section within the park.
- Each garden contains lots (groups of graves).
- Each lot is divided into individual graves, also referred to as spaces.
Select gardens permit upright markers & headstones, but most allow flat, flush-with-the-grass markers only. Our staff is happy to help you understand which gardens allow different marker types.
grave spaces
Each full-size grave can accommodate one full adult-size casket, and up to two cremated remains vaults. In the event you wish to place 3 sets of remains in this space, the casket must be buried prior to any cremated remains in order to avoid disinterment (removal of human remains) fees.
Each park has one garden dedicated to ground burial of cremated remains. These graves are a reduced size and can only accommodate one cremated remains vault.
PLEASE NOTE: double-depth (double stack) casket burials ARE NOT AVAILABLE at either park.
Columbarium Niches
At Angelus Memorial Park in Anchorage, we offer indoor and outdoor columbariums for the above-ground placement of cremated remains and approved memorabilia. Locating a loved one is easier when you understand how the columbariums are organized:
- The columbarium name identifies the general location.
- Each columbarium is divided into walls, similar to lots within a garden.
- Each wall contains individual spaces called niches. Niche numbers are assigned by counting from the top left, moving right, row by row.
Indoor Niches
Our indoor niches are located within the climate-controlled comfort of our main office, providing a welcoming environment for visitors year-round.
- Multiple niche sizes are available to accommodate various urn sizes
- Most indoor niches feature a glass front, allowing families to display urns, photographs, and small memorabilia
- A name plate with life dates is included at no additional cost for indoor niches
Outdoor Niches
The Tutqiun Columbarium is a freestanding structure specially constructed to withstand Alaska’s climate.
- Niches are available in various dimensions to accommodate different urn sizes
- Each niche space is sealed and protected by a heavy black granite front
- Bronze name plates are required to identify the individual(s) placed inside each niche space, but are not included in the price of the space.
- In the event a sealed niche needs to be reopened to place additional urns, an opening and closing fee applies.
PLEASE NOTE: Only deedholders may authorize the placement of urns or markers.
Crypts
Crypts provide above-ground placement for full caskets and are located at Valley Memorial Park.
Availability is very limited. Please contact our office for current availability and additional information.
Vault Requirements
The main purpose of a vault is to prevent the ground from collapsing over time due to the weight of the earth along with cemetery equipment. Vaults are required for any in ground burials at all of our parks. We respect culture or religious differences at Angelus. When religious or personal preference mandates placement of caskets touching earth; we have a special style of vault that can accommodate this request, while still preventing ground collapse.
Vaults for Cremated remains
Cremated remains also require a vault. We encourage families to test that the urns selected fit in the cremains vault in our office. Depending on urn sizing multiple urns can be placed in a single vault. Families can also place memorabilia with an urn if desired.
Please note: Although multiple urns can fit in a single vault all cremated remains MUST be placed in the vault at the same time in order to be buried.
Designing a Meaningful Memorial
Choosing a headstone or marker is an important step of the burial process. Only deedholders can make decisions about markers design and placement. We have very skilled staff that can assist in the design of a suitable memorial for your loved one. Understanding the options and materials is the first step in the design process.
Ground Burial Markers
Flat Markers
Flat Markers are markers that do not protrude from the level of the grass. All sides and the bottom of the marker are buried to be level with grass or surrounding earth. Multiple people can be listed on a single marker depending on size and design.
Upright Markers
Upright Markers per our definition is anything that sticks above the surface of the grass. Most often families are interested in uprights with a base of stone and a tablet that stands erect and can have things engraved on both sides as well as clearly marks the grave from a distance. However there are other styles of markers like “slants” that are shorter than traditional uprights and have a triangular shape. There is also a “pillow style” that is slightly higher in the back and has a gentle slope for engraving to be easier to read.
