The first meeting of the Chanhassen Pioneer Cemetery Association was held on January 20, 1861. The association was made up of persons who planned to be laid to rest in the Pioneer Cemetery, or who had family members already buried at that location. It was their responsibility to keep the cemetery records, maintain the grounds and tend to the graves. At that first meeting, the price of a lot was set at $1.00 and the labor to dig a grave was set at 75 cents per day. The last association meeting was held in 1982. In 1987, the cemetery maintenance and records were turned over to the City of Chanhassen as fewer and fewer descendants were interested in maintaining the cemetery. The city installed the new arch and driveway, straightened some of the monuments and repaired concrete aprons.

The size of each grave is 3 feet 9 inches by 10 feet. There are 8 graves in each lot (exception: the lots closest to the north property line contain 4 graves each). Property pins showing the lot numbers are located in the northeast corner of each lot.

Unless noted otherwise, a maximum of two burials are allowed per grave:

• 1 casket and 1 cremation urn*
• 2 cremation urns*

*Cremation urns do not need to be placed in a vault.

Any type of monument is allowed (flat, slanted, or upright); however, all monuments must have a 4-inch concrete apron, and only one monument is allowed per grave. The city must be notified to mark the monument location on the grave prior to installation (location cost included with Interment Fee).

Type of Fee	Resident	Non-Resident
Grave Fee*	$400.00	$600.00
Interment Fee	$150.00	$150.00

 

*The city collects the fees for the grave purchase. The intermit and excavation fees are typically collected by the funeral director for later disbursement to the city and excavator. 

Type of Fee	Caskets	Urns & Infant Burials
Excavation Fee*	$575 Monday - Friday (may be higher in winter) $725 Saturday - Sunday (may be higher in winter)	$400 (may be higher in winter) $100 per additional Urn

 

*The city will contact the excavator and schedule the excavation. Although not paid directly to the city, excavation fees are mandatory and due prior to or at the time of burial.