Wylie Cemetery: How to respect the dead

It’s common to see people unknowingly be disrespectful in cemeteries. The Wylie Cemetery is still an active cemetery where funerals are held and the recently deceased are buried. People may come to the cemetery to visit their recently deceased friends or relatives. The best solution to accidental disrespect is to educate others about what is seen as disrespectful and rude.

• Don’t sit/stand on graves and headstones:
  This is very disrespectful and many graves can’t support the weight of a person since that’s not what they were built for. Older graves can be fragile and easily broken as well. The cemetery has benches around and a gazebo if you need to sit.
• Do not walk on top of graves:
  One common ritual is to avoid walking on top of the graves where people are actually buried. You can get close, especially when trying to read a headstone. but avoid walking on top of where someone is buried.
  
• Keep your voices down:
  The Wylie cemetery is still an active cemetery and people may be going there to grieve a recently passed loved one. A cemetery is a place of rest, not a place to goof off with friends.
  
• Don’t take trendy/fashion photoshoots in the cemetery:
  Many cemetery photoshoots flood Instagram feeds around fall and Halloween. People can be seen standing on graves and messing around with friends in the cemetery and this can be very disrespectful to the people buried there and their families. To some this can be considered bad luck. There are many other places to take spooky pictures with your friends.
  
• Leave the cemetery better than when you found it:
  Trash can blow into cemeteries, especially when the cemetery is located in a more populated area. If you decide to visit a cemetery, pick up any trash that you see and leave the graves nice and neat.
  
• Don’t visit the cemetery after dark:
  Not only is this considered bad luck, it’s also usually against the cemetery rules. There are no lights in the cemetery so you won’t be able to see clearly, possibly resulting in an accident whether that be damaging a grave stone or hurting yourself. This can also be considered trespassing and could get you in trouble with the police.

It is great to visit and remember the people of our town who have passed, but appreciate the towns history with respect. It is the younger generations responsibility to help preserve and care for the Wylie Cemetery.

Also in this series:

Wylie Cemetery: Where history is buried

Wylie Cemetery: Symbolism etched in stone