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MURRAY -- It's not really the kind of Saturday shopping Gloria Van Dam is used to. But when you're looking for a final resting place, the sales at the mall can wait.
"We just haven't picked out a spot yet," said Van Dam.
She and her husband Stephen spent a couple of hours at the Murray cemetery, after hearing there were less than a hundred spots left.
"It had an impact enough to get us down here and look at some of the plots that are available," she said.
We're down to around 30 to 40 plots, and that's it. We're going to be sold out. People are just dying to get in here.
–Daniel Snarr
"This is one of the places we really would like to end up," said Stephen. "We drive past this cemetery all the time, so when we heard they were running out of places, we had to get here."
It's an issue many cities are facing with their cemeteries. Eventually, room just runs out, especially when it's been open since the late 1800s.
"We're down to around 30 to 40 plots, and that's it. We're going to be sold out. People are just dying to get in here," laughed Murray mayor Daniel Snarr.
Snarr said the cemetery averages 270 burials a year, which means by the end of summer, all of the plots will be gone. But now that residents are hearing about the limited space, plots will go even faster, he added.
"We've looked into buying more property, and there are some additional land resources available," said Snarr. "But again, it comes down to being able to get the land at a fair price."
Another option available to the crowded cemetery is stacking. That's where two caskets of loved ones can be buried on top of each other.
"When you look at the resources you have, if you can find a way to get more out of that resource by allowing two people, I thought, ‘Man, maybe we can go a little deeper and get three,' " Snarr said.
He is joking, of course. But for those who want to end up in the Murray cemetery, Snarr suggests buying a spot fast.
"We like it here, and we would like to be buried here," said Gloria Van Dam. "Hopefully we can find a plot we like."
Email: acabrero@ksl.com
