Prior to a Funeral

• The cemetery groundskeepers are responsible for carrying out most of the "behind the scenes" operations of the funeral. They are instructed to dig the hole into the ground by either pick and shovel or backhoe. In most cases, the displaced dirt will be placed discreetly out of the way of the mourners. The groundskeepers arrange chairs for the grieving to sit in during the graveside ceremony and a tent to protect people from rain or excessive sunshine. The groundskeeper will ensure that there is an appropriate implement available to the mourners for the committal. Often, when the casket is lowered into the ground, or committed, the mourners will be directed if they choose to shovel dirt on top of the casket. They may also drop flowers or trinkets.
  
  

Tools and Equipment

• Typically, the casket will be lowered into the ground with a casket-lowering device. These devices are built to support various weights and different-sized caskets. The groundskeeper is usually responsible for setting this device up properly. The devices are made of different materials and have advanced mechanical functions, but are simple to operate. Most of these devices can lower a casket with the flip of a switch and don't require assistance from the groundskeeper. In fact, groundskeepers aren't typically present at the funeral.
  
  

After the Funeral

• When the mourners have left the cemetery, the groundskeeper must remove the casket-lowering device and completely inter the body, and then replace the grass evenly over the site. He will also take down the tent, remove the chairs and pick up any debris. The headstone is not typically available to be erected at the time of the funeral. It can take days, weeks or months to design and fabricate a headstone. Once it arrives at the cemetery, it's the responsibility of the groundskeeper to install it at the site of the burial.
  
  

General Grounds Maintenance

• The groundskeeper is responsible for maintaining the lawns and areas around the headstones. The mowing and weed whacking is managed by the groundskeepers, who also maintain trees and shrubs. Groundskeepers attend to broken headstones and deal with any issues of vandalism. They remove dead flowers that were left after a funeral and take away plant containers that held flowers at a grave site. The groundskeeper corrects anything that's unsightly in order to give the visitors a feeling of peace.