By Chris Yow
Editor
TRUSSVILLE — The Jefferson Memorial Gardens are in the process of beginning construction on another mausoleum, an addition to the existing Abbey Mausoleum.
Jefferson Memorial has contracted with Gibraltar Mausoleum Construction to build the project, and the design was recently approved by the Trussville Planning and Zoning Board.
Jefferson Memorial General Manager Eddie Seal said the mausoleum will just be another option for families.
“The benefit to the mausoleum is it is above ground in a totally dry environment. Some people have told me they just prefer to be above ground and not in the wet mud with the worms,” he said.
Entombment, as Seal calls it, is really just a matter of preference.
“Many people don’t want to visit the ground,” Seal said. “This gives them an opportunity to never walk on wet grass or mud. They can even pull out a chair and sit on the concrete.”
The popularity of mausoleums are growing, according to Seal, and this will be the fifth mausoleum on the grounds of Jefferson Memorial. Currently, the pricing for anyone who would like this option are at the lowest they will ever be, Seal said.
“There are three phases to the construction of a mausoleum. There is the pre-construction, under construction and completed,” he said. “We have been selling spots in this addition for a few years, and a portion of those payments goes into a fund to build the mausoleum. That’s how almost every mausoleum in the country is built these days.”
The price will increase once construction begins, and Seal hopes that will be mid-October. There will be an increase in the under-construction phase, but it will continue to be discounted off the full price. Only after completion of the project will the price be at its highest.
“Because those who prearrange help build the mausoleums with their payments, they get the biggest discount,” Seal said.
All of the mausoleums are on the grounds at this facility, meaning they offer convenience, Seal said. There is even a chapel attached to the Abbey Mausoleum where funeral services can be held.
Availability can be obtained through Jefferson Memorial Gardens.