FAQ

Carolina Cemetery Park Corporation is a North Carolina family of businesses owned by the William Henry Whitley family since 1942. Carolina Memorial Park serves the Concord-Kannapolis area, Carolina Memorial Park of Harrisburg services the Harrisburg-Charlotte community, and Ostwalt Vault Company serves the Piedmont and foothills of North Carolina from our Troutman location.

Location and directions to our locations can be found on our Maps & Directions page. 

Carolina Memorial Park of Concord-Kannapolis covers over 80 acres. Carolina Memorial Park of Harrisburg-Charlotte covers over 50 acres.

Carolina Memorial Park was founded in 1942 and was acquired by W. H. Whitley, Sr. in 1947.

The grounds of Carolina Memorial Parks are open daily from 8:00 AM until sunset. Carolina's business office is open Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM; Saturday, 8:30 AM - 1:00 PM and is closed on Sundays. Please refer to our Contact Us page for further information.

Carolina Memorial Park's Mausoleum Chapel is open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Please see our Mausoleum Chapel page for further information.

In addition to office hours, our (704) 786-2161 business phone has emergency contact options for those requiring services. Our Contact Us page and email addresses are also available for your convenience.

Yes! The North Carolina Cemetery Association, International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association; Cremation Association of North America; National Concrete Burial Vault Association; North Carolina Funeral Directors Association; North Carolina Cemetery Commission; North Carolina Board of Funeral Service.

Carolina’s family counselor can explain all the arrangement options available to you and your family. When choosing traditional burial or mausoleum entombment, you will need to select a grave space, lawn crypt, or mausoleum space and will want to choose a bronze memorial that honors the life of your loved one.

If cremation is your family's preference, it is important to remember that cremation is simply one part of the final memorialization process. A memorial service and tribute is an enriching way to celebrate the life of your loved one.

Yes. While funeral and memorial services have traditionally been held at churches, synagogues, or funeral facilities, they can also take place at a Carolina Memorial Park location chosen by your family. In addition to the immediate event, you may also want to consider catering at our Pavilion or Chapel of Remembrance. Your family counselor can help arrange events in either of these intimate locations.

If you have concerns about cost containment, our family counselors can provide expert advice and assistance for creating personalized and meaningful memorialization on any budget. They will fully explain the cost of any memorialization items you consider before you make any final selection.

The term "memorial property" includes all types of cemetery property that can be used for burial. Please refer to our Memorial Property page for further information.

The first Monday in March, and the first Monday in November.

Mausoleum entombment provides above-ground burial. All mausoleums at Carolina Memorial Park are constructed of materials found in the earth including steel for strong support, concrete for construction, and granite for decoration. Please refer to our Mausoleum page for further information.

Cremation offers a wide range of memorialization choices. Cremated remains may be permanently memorialized, placed in a mausoleum or columbarium, scattered in our scatter garden, or kept in a permanent memorial urn and buried in our urn garden.

Interment refers to in-ground burial.

Entombment refers to above-ground burial.

Inurnment refers to the placement of cremated remains into an urn.

Cremation niches are spaces in the columbarium where the urn containing the cremated remains is placed.

A columbarium is above ground or mausoleum-type structure designed for the interment of cremated remains into its niche. The columbarium unit is usually two-sided for efficiency with rows and columns; inscriptions identify each individual cremation urn inside the niche. The structure is faced with granite, glass, or materials similar to other structures in the cemetery.

Carolina Memorial Park is always developing new ways to memorialize your loved one. Please refer to our New Development page for further information.

Flowers can be placed on the memorial property at any time during Carolina Memorial Park hours. However, please refer to our park and Interment Regulations pages for information regarding bi-annual flower clearing, flower placement plans, and flower rules and regulations.

Carolina Memorial Park does not currently staff an office at our Harrisburg location; however, please contact us for the personalized service families have come to count on at Carolina Memorial Parks. Please see our Harrisburg page for further information.

Carolina Memorial Park handles numerous services daily. Please check out our Services page to see what families we are currently serving.