A Simple Guide to Pre-Planning Final Arrangements
Learn how pre-planning final arrangements can reduce stress, clarify your wishes, and help protect your loved ones. Explore burial, mausoleum and cremation options at Woodlawn Cemetery in Syracuse.
General Articles
Caring for Sacred Spaces: Woodlawn’s Commitment to Respect and Preservation
At Woodlawn Cemetery, we believe that every life deserves a place to be remembered with dignity, beauty and peace. That’s why our commitment to caring for these sacred spaces extends far beyond the moment of interment – it’s a daily promise to honor those laid to rest and provide comfort to the families who visit. […]
The Rise of Genealogy and the Role of Historic Cemeteries
In an age of DNA test kits and online ancestry trees, Americans are diving headfirst into their family histories – and cemeteries are emerging as unexpected, invaluable research destinations. Genealogy has long been a pursuit for professional historians and hobbyists alike, but in recent years, it has experienced a dramatic resurgence, particularly among Generation X […]
What Is a Permanent Maintenance Fund? Ensuring Long-Term Care at Woodlawn Cemetery
Selecting a final resting place is a profound decision, intertwining personal values with the assurance of perpetual dignity and care. At Woodlawn Cemetery, we understand this deeply, which is why we maintain a robust Permanent Maintenance Fund. This fund ensures that our serene landscapes and sacred grounds are meticulously preserved for generations to come. Understanding […]
As Choices Change, Memorialization Matters More Than Ever
Cemeteries are more than final resting places – they are reflections of our culture, values and evolving beliefs about life, death and remembrance. Over the past 145-plus years, Woodlawn Cemetery has not only witnessed these shifts, but has embraced them to ensure that generations of families have a place to remember, reflect and celebrate life […]
The Historic War Stories of Woodlawn Cemetery
A walk-through Woodlawn Cemetery is thick with American history, particularly when it comes to under-heralded war veterans. Take the magnificent Lilly Post, for instance, a 40-foot-tall monument dedicated in 1887 as the final resting place of 110 Civil and Spanish-American War soldiers and sailors in Section 32, Lot 66. While those stories are largely untold, […]
A Little-Known Soldier and His Major Role with the Rough Riders
Under a lone maple tree on a small island surrounded by Sections 31, 32, 33 and 34 at Woodlawn Cemetery lies a single soldier named Gustave A. Kalbe (Nee Kolbe). While all alone now, he is a testament to some amazing United States history, patriotism and family tragedy. Gustave was born in Hamburg, Germany, in […]
The Advantages of Mausoleums
If you’re pre-planning funeral and cemetery arrangements or grieving the recent loss of a loved one, the mausoleum option for remembrance is worth consideration for several reasons. Just what is a mausoleum? It’s an above-ground collection of spaces called crypts, where bodies are entombed. These free-standing structures are constructed from ultra-durable materials like marble and […]
Before You Choose a Cemetery…
The time has come to choose the final resting place for a loved one or to handle some pre-planning for your own arrangements. It can be an overwhelming and emotional process, especially if you’re not sure where to begin. Think of cemetery decisions like those you would consider when buying a new home. Similar to […]
Urns and Scattering Ashes Aren’t Your Only Cremation Options
As its popularity of cremation continues to rise in the United States, so do the number of options for memorialization. As of 2023, a little more than two thirds of families were opting for cremation with that number expected to rise to roughly 80 percent by 2045, according to the National Funeral Directors Association. For […]