Cemeteries

“The burial of the dead has always been recognized by the Catholic Church as a religious rite and a corporal work of mercy. Catholic cemeteries exist because of our belief in the resurrection of the body. They are places which bring together a number of elements of the Church’s pastoral mission: the proclamation of the gospel to arouse faith, examination of the reasons for belief, celebration of the Eucharist, integration of the Church community, evangelization and apostolic witness.” Per Catholic Diocese of Lansing, Office of Pastoral Planning

St. Agnes Catholic Parish Cares for Two (2) Cemeteries

Locations:

• Mt. Olivet Catholic Cemetery
  4415 N. Cemetery Road, Fowlerville, MI
  located just east of Fowlerville off Grand River
• Eisele Catholic Cemetery
  2500 Bull Run Road, Fowlerville, MI
  located seven miles south of Fowlerville

All written correspondence should be mailed to:

St. Agnes Rectory

855 E. Grand River,

Fowlerville, MI 48836

or sent via email to diana.stagnes@gmail.com

Contact Information:

Sextons of Mt. Olivet Cemetery – Jim Marcinkowski (810) 588-8789  or Tom Evanoff (517) 294-2538
Sexton of Eisele Cemetery – Gerry Munsell (810) 522-2772
Parish Office – (517) 223-8684

Cemetery Lot/Columbarium Niche Prices:

• The parishioner cost for a full grave OR a columbarium niche is $1400
• Non-parishioner cost for a full grave OR a columbarium niche is twice the parishioner cost
  
  
• NOTE:  Above price includes lot/niche only. Other costs (such as footing, monument setting, etc.) should be discussed with your funeral planner.
• FOUNDATIONS/FOOTINGS: Foundations/footings must be purchased and installed through Genesee Valley Vault Co. (810) 695-5166

Cemeteries of St. Agnes: Mt. Olivet Cemetery and Eisele Catholic Cemetery Rules

(Revised October 1, 2026) (Click here for a downloadable copy)

In order to preserve the natural beauty and dignity of these cemeteries, St. Agnes Catholic Parish reserves the right to adopt any regulations for the governance of these cemeteries. These regulations may be changed without notice and will be enforced.

1. The use of a lot is for the lot holder or the lot holder’s relatives, for right of burial only. Resales, transfers or exchanges must go through the cemetery manager.
2. Non-biodegradable outer burial containers, grave liners or vaults shall be necessary for all interments in cemetery.
3. All work and improvements must be approved by cemetery management. Any work done that is not in compliance with cemetery rules will be corrected at lot owner’s expense.
4. Cars are to be parked on the road so that other cars can pass easily; with no more than two wheels off the road and onto the grass. No vehicle is to exceed 15 mph.
5. Throwing of trash on roads or any part of the cemetery is prohibited. Visitors should take with them any refuse from their visit. 
6. No alcoholic beverages or illicit drugs shall be consumed/used or brought on the cemetery property.
7. The management may immediately remove without notice all items that in the determination of the cemetery sexton have become unsightly, overgrown with weeds, are dangerous, inappropriate, or are encroaching onto another grave.
8. Any business coming into the cemetery to perform any work must first provide a copy of their liability insurance to the parish cemetery manager.

In a Catholic cemetery, memorials have the purpose of acknowledging and honoring the dead and inspiring the living with the appropriate inscriptions which bespeak the faith and dedication of God and of those who pray for the living.

1. Foundations are required and must be purchased and installed through Genesee Valley Vault Co. (810) 695-5166. 
2. The lot holder or family must notify the cemetery manager of which monument company is chosen prior to delivery. 
3. Monuments, including monument benches, may not be larger than 38 inches wide for single lots and monuments for companion lots cannot exceed 76 inches. If your monument is larger than 38 inches wide or 76 inches for companion lot, it will be denied and returned to the monument company at the lot owner’s expense. 
4. All memorial work is subject to the approval of the cemetery and if unsatisfactory, it will be removed at the lot owner’s expense. Cemetery management has the right to determine the appropriateness of any memorial placed in its cemeteries. Items which are found offensive, improper or inappropriate for such a setting will be removed without prior notice by the cemetery staff. 
5. A headstone and a flush mounted footstone are allowed per single grave lot.
6. Grave markers and/or monuments shall not be placed on lots or graves unless full remittance has been made for said lots or graves. St. Agnes is not responsible for the deterioration of temporary markers.
7. Monument placement, repair and upkeep, are the responsibilities of the grave owner. 
8. Columbarium engraving must be purchased and completed by Heritage Monuments (810) 818-5201. 

GRAVE DECORATIONS

The burial of your loved ones with dignity, and the ongoing care of their graves are the main mission of the Catholic Cemeteries of St. Agnes. It is quite natural to want to leave tangible evidence of devotion to the lot of a loved one. However, there are incidents when decorations become damaged or missing during our mission. These incidents are not deliberate nor show a lack of compassion for the deceased. We regret that we cannot guarantee to safeguard the grave decorations from damage or disappearance, and we also regret that we cannot accept the responsibility for their damage or loss.

The management has the right to regulate the method of decoration of lots. Contact cemetery management prior to placing any decorations not specifically outlined below. Decorations will be removed without notice from the grave when they are damaged, soiled or do not conform to the rules of the cemetery. 

Permitted 

*****Annual tags for grave blankets, pillows and wreaths need to be purchased through the parish office and affixed to the decoration prior to placement at the grave.*****

Grave decorations are important to us. We recognize that for many, decorating a grave shows respect, sorrow over the lost and allow a moment for cherished thoughts. Some decorations, however, when placed in contact with cemetery equipment, pose a danger not only to cemetery workers, but to the visitors and memorials around them. Other decorations actually hinder our ability to effectively keep the cemetery clean, mowed and trimmed. We thank you in advance for not placing the following items in our cemetery.

Not Permitted 

• Trees, shrubs, etc. Lot holders are not permitted to plant trees, shrubs, evergreens, thorn bushes or vines.
• Stones or Rocks, etc. Stones, bricks, rocks, pea stone are not permitted. These items can cause serious injury to visitors and memorials when projected by a lawnmower. 
• Benches.
• Glass votive lights, candles.
• Columbarium decorations. No decorations are permitted on or around the columbarium structure. 
• Decorative Borders. The use of any type of border including but not limited to fencing, edging, decorative borders, bricks, pavers etc. as these hinder the ability for the cemetery to be mowed and trimmed effectively. Structures of wood and other perishable materials are prohibited.
• Glass, China or Porcelain. Glass, China or Porcelain of any kind which when broken present a serious safety hazard. 
• Ramblers, Vine Plants or Ground Cover and Plants with thorns. 

 Spring and Fall clean-up dates will be posted on the St. Agnes website and in the St. Agnes Church bulletin.

Cemetery Points of Interest

....Did You Know?

• A sexton looks after the general upkeep and needs of the cemetery.
• Genessee Valley Vault Company sets the grave markers, opens the graves and seeds at Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
• St. Agnes cares for two cemeteries. Mt. Olivet Cemetery is at 4415 N. Cemetery Road just east of Fowlerville and the Eisele Catholic Cemetery at 2500 Bull Run Road, seven miles south of Fowlerville. Written correspondence should be mailed to the St. Agnes rectory at 855 E. Grand River, Fowlerville, MI 48836.
• Most work at the cemeteries is voluntary. The cemetery funds pay for lawn mowing, tree removal and road upkeep. The laying of headstones and interment of bodies is paid by the individual family.
• St. Agnes’ Mt. Olivet cemetery was opened in 1901. The first recorded burial was in 1883.
• The Eisele Catholic cemetery was consecrated in 1890. The first recorded burial was in 1881.
• Not all Catholic Parishes have cemeteries. St. Agnes has two of the 34 parish cemeteries in the Lansing Diocese. There are also five diocesan cemeteries.
• The parish pastor or administrator has final assent on all cemetery issues. St. Agnes Cemetery Committee is comprised of volunteers who make recommendations to the parish pastor or administrator.
• The cemetery committee completed a cemetery survey in 2022. At that time, Mt. Olivet had 216 unsold grave sites and Eisele Cemetery had 382 unsold grave sites
• The cemetery is currently funded by sale of grave sites, land rent on 3 undeveloped acres, interest from accounts and as of 10/1/10, collection of wreath and grave blanket disposal fee. Eighty five percent of the income from the lots sold can be used for cemetery upkeep (maintain road, fencing, lawn mowing, tree removal, dumpster rental etc.) The remaining fifteen percent of this money is placed in St. Agnes’ cemetery perpetual care fund with the Dioceses of Lansing.
• The cemetery committee began charging a wreath and grave blanket disposal fee to cover increasing related costs. The costs which include dumpster rental and grass reseeding that result from rodent destruction under the winter grave decorations.
• St. Agnes owns three acres of land, just west of the current cemetery, for expansion. This acreage will require road and fence placement when it is developed for cemetery use.
• The cemetery has bi-annual clean up days. One day is in the spring and one day is in the fall. The actual dates are posted in the bulletin. All are welcome to participate in helping to spruce up the cemetery. Burial of the dead is a corporal work of mercy. Comforting the sorrowful and praying for the living and the dead are spiritual works of mercy. You could do three at once!