Memorial Park Cemetery — Local services in Niles Township

I hardly ever leave reviews but I want all to know what a complete and total mess Memorial Park Cemetery has become. When my father passed in 2017 I never dreamed that a Cemetery could become such a nightmare. First, everything was prepaid so there should of been no hassle. Wrong. I had to make 3 separate trips to the cemetery as staff could not locate his grave site. Each time i was told this is the grave your father bought only to be contacted later by an office representative the gravesite I was shown was wrong. I went back two additional times before I said get it right and get it done. As of this posting I'm still not sure the gravesite is correct. After my Father was buried it took almost a year to get the headstone and grass planted on the gravesite. I called numerous time and was always told we (Memorial Park) are working on it. After 9 or so months of nothing being done I filed a complaint with the Illinois Department of Regulation. They regulate cemetarys in the state. I spoke with an Inspectior in Springfield who told me that he currently had 6-7 open complaints pertaining to Memorial Park. He stated he was coming into the Chicago area to look into Memorial Park. After I got the inspector involved , grass was planted and the headstone was put in place. Earlier this year 2/20 my Mom passed away. She was cremated and was to be put with my Father. We were told the the headstone was to be engraved this spring when the weather breaks. As of today, july 29, 2020 the headstone has not been engraved. Not only that, the headstone is completely engulfed by high weeds. I was so mad at the lack of general maintenance I was shaking. I then went to the other side of the Cemetery to my Grandparents grave as the pine tree planted long ago was brown and dead at this gravesite. It looked to of been dead for a while. I could not speak to office personal in person any this point as I was shaking mad. I waited a day and called when things were calmer. I was the assured by office staff everything would be taken care of. For years I have gone to Memorial Park with my Dad to visit the gravesite of my Grandparents. We never had any problems. When Dignity took over Memorial Park things went down hill fast.. If you have loved ones in Memorial Park and feel like you are getting the run around, call the State of Illinois Department of Regulation to report Memorial Park /...

My great, great, great grandmother is buried here, and no one in the family until now was able to visit her. I noticed there was no head stone (I knew her location due to family contacting the cemetery prior) and when I went into the office to seek out information on how we may be able to eventually purchase a stone for her, the treatment and attitude I experienced was horrific.

The first woman was lovely, but since the grave was so old needed further guidance from presumably her manager. This woman was not so lovely. She immediately seemed annoyed I was looking for a grave that was as old as it was, as if any descendant doesn’t deserve the same respect as a newer one. I watched her go to a back room and directly look annoyed and exasperated of ‘who wants a grave marker for a grave that old!’ To another coworker.

She comes back after several minutes, stating she had no records. That is impossible, as my aunt and I have a death certificate that states she is buried on the grounds. She then tells me ‘my aunt must already be in contact with someone then, and to check with her to get it figured out.’

I told her my aunt had asked me to come into the office today so we could receive information, and she gave me a nasty smile and proceeded to repeat herself. At this point, I told her I simply would be leaving and I walked out.

As someone who has worked in the death industry before I was appalled at the behavior and attitude this woman gave me. I understand it’s an old grave, but it is still my family. Attitudes like this do NOT have a place in death care, it doesn’t matter how bad of a day you are having, you cannot treat people who are seeking solace for their loved ones this...

My parents, aunts/uncles and cousins, all bought cemetery spaces next to each other in Memorial Park in the early 1950s. I have vivid childhood memories of accompanying my parents and siblings to the cemetery on holidays to say "hello" to our relatives.

Recently I lost my mother, the last of her generation, and had the good fortune to be assisted in my decision making by Julian Moldovan at Memorial Park.

At a time of great sorrow and immense stress due to my loss I quickly realized that there were dozens of decisions that had to be made in a very short period of time. Julian gently guided me, keeping me focused, informed and sane as he lead me through the process. What an amazing professional.

I want to mention that the cemetery is as peaceful and majestic looking as I remember it from my childhood. The groundskeepers truly deserve a big thanks.

My thanks and appreciation to the entire staff and crew at...