About

 

Green Haven is a “green” cemetery, one that is maintained in harmony with the environment.  A green cemetery allows the physical body to return to the earth naturally without using containers to protect the body.  After the funeral service and other memorial services, the body is placed in a biodegradable shroud directly in the ground.

Green Haven Cemetery is a place for those who want to have a more environmentally friendly burial choice.

Green cemetery is not cluttered with monuments or memorials.  Rather, a Monolith Cenotaph marks the entrance of the cemetery on which families may have the name of their loved-ones engraved. 

Green cemetery provides an opportunity to conserve nature with an honorable funeral and a natural burial

 We may think of this as a new idea, but it is really an ancient tradition as applicable today as it was in the past. A burial in a flowery meadow of native grasses is appealing to someone who loves nature and the outdoors.  The cemetery will be maintained in its natural habitat.  As a perpetual-care cemetery, Green Haven will be using sustainable land care methods.

The types of green burials vary. There are hybrid cemeteries that provide both traditional graves and green ones. Another type is a conservation burial ground, in which proceeds from customers buy and conserve the cemetery property.  These burial grounds are often old cemeteries where there are few if any burials, mainly because the burial space has been used up.  Then there are natural burial grounds dedicated to the green concept, which prohibit the use of materials that do not decay.  Green Haven is a “natural burial ground” cemetery.

A growing number of people are choosing to live their lives in an environmentally friendly manner, by recycling and by using products that are biodegradable, renewable and non-toxic.  Now it is possible for them to make end-of-life choices that mirror the value system they had during their life.  Green Haven Cemetery is striving to offer natural burial options for these individuals who wish to have an environmentally-friendly burial.

  5 Responses to “About”

  1. I would appreciate details regarding green burial arrangements.
    Thank you,
    Howard

  2. My family and I would like to express our sincere gratitude to Bill Bernhardt and Green Haven Cemetery for providing a beautiful space with which to bury our loved one on November 16, 2013. The graveside service was simple, moving and spiritual.

    • Karen, thanks for the wonderful comments. I am so pleased your experience at Green Have was a positive one at the time of your loss. Your appreciation makes all our efforts worthwhile.

  3. I hope that I can choose your cemetery for my burial and have some questions I imagine others would benefit from seeing answered. Thanking you in advance, J. Burkett

    Do you use embalming fluid?
    How deep is the body buried?
    How do you keep animals from digging bodies up?
    Do you perform memorial services, if so what does this include/involve, and what is the fee?
    Is the shroud included in the price of the burial?

    • Hello J. Burkett,

      Those are very good questions. Embalming is optional, wheather to embalm or not is an option you should discuss with your funeral director.

      We have used different depths for burial and have settled at about 50 inches. It has been almost 4 years since the first burial; and we have not had any problems with animals entering the graves.

      We are a cemetery and just provide a place for burial. All services connected with the body, other than preparing the grave, are usually placed in the care of a funeral home. Of course, for most of the interments, there have had services at the grave in addition to any other memorializations. The shroud can be provided to the funeral director by the family; or the funeral director can procure one.

      Our only fee is for the use of the grave space ($ 600.00)and the opening and closing of the grave ($ 425.00).

      It is a good idea to tell your loved ones about your desires. You need to use a funeral director that we have certified to inter bodies at Greenhaven Cemetery. It is easy for the funeral director to become certified. If you have selected your funeral home, have them contact us; and we will help them become certified. The reason they need certification is this is the only green cemetery in Oklahoma, and very few funeral directors know how to prepare a body for green burial; therefore we help them with the informaton.

      Thank you for your inquiry, and I hope this answers your questions. If you have additional questions plese write or call me. Our phone number is 405.747.9642.

      Bll Bernhardt

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