Title 7

CEMETERIES

CHAPTER 1

CEMETERIES
Section 100. Oak Lawn Cemetery.
Section 101. Supervision.
Section 102. Cemetery Sexton.
Section 103. Sale of Lots.
Section 104. Grave Regulations.
Section 105. Shrubbery Regulations.
Section 106. Monuments.
Section 107. Dogs Prohibited.
Section 108. Potter's Field.
Section 109. Previous Acts Ratified.
Section 110. Penalty.

SECTION 100. OAK LAWN CEMETERY
The following tract of real estate owned by the City of Tulsa, as successor to the
Incorporated Town of Tulsa, Indian Territory, Oklahoma, to-wit:

The South half of the Southeast Quarter of the Southeast Quarter of Section One
(1), Township Nineteen (19) North, Range Twelve (12) East, and all of Block Four
(4) except lots One (1) and Two (2); all in Oak Lawn Addition to the City of Tulsa
as shown by the recorded plat thereof, shall be known as Oak Lawn Cemetery.

SECTION 101. SUPERVISION
Oak Lawn Cemetery and any other cemeteries now owned or hereafter acquired by the
City shall be under the supervision and control of the Mayor who shall have the power to adopt
and enforce such rules and regulations for the maintenance and care of those cemeteries as to
him shall seem necessary and proper and not in conflict with the Revised Ordinances of the City
of Tulsa. The subdividing of lots and the laying out, defining and establishing of drives, walks
and public ways in the City shall be by the City Engineer.

SECTION 102. CEMETERY SEXTON
The Cemetery Sexton shall keep City cemeteries in a good state of repair, shall keep the
weeds mowed in the cemeteries and in a space of three (3) feet on the outside of cemetery fences.
He shall dig all graves and fill them at the time of burials. Ord. Nos. 113, 4503

SECTION 103. SALE OF LOTS
All lots sold in City cemeteries shall be sold, subject to the provisions of this section.
A. Paid in Full Before Interment. Persons desiring to acquire lots in cemeteries
or to have interments made upon lots already owned shall obtain from the City Clerk the
correct description and cost of such lot or grave, and shall pay the entire amount of the cost of
such lot or grave into the Office of the Director of Finance. It shall be the duty of the Director
of Finance to issue receipts in triplicate for such payment. The original receipt shall be delivered
to the purchaser of the lot, the duplicate of the receipt shall be given to the City Clerk, and the
triplicate of the receipt shall be retained by the Director of Finance. No lot or parcel of lot or
any interest therein shall be sold to any person other than the City until the provisions of this
section shall have been complied with, and no interment shall be made by any person until the
lot wherein the interment is to be made shall have been paid for in full, in cash. The price of lots
shall be prescribed by ordinance.

B. Mayor Executes Deed. Any person holding a receipt for the payment of any
lot in City cemeteries shall be entitled to a deed for the lot, and it shall be the duty of the Mayor
to execute the deed and have it attested by the City Clerk; provided that all deeds, when
executed, shall be construed as granting the right only to use the lot or lots for burial purposes
for the interment of the grantee, or his relatives, descendants, and such other persons as may
be permitted by the grantee. Such burial right shall not be transferable by either voluntary or
involuntary conveyance without the express consent of the Mayor.

C. City May Repurchase -Other Sales Invalid. No owner of any lot or parcel
of lot shall sell the whole or any part thereof, except that the City of Tulsa may repurchase the
lot or parcel of lot whenever the Mayor shall, after investigation of a particular case, agree to
repurchase a lot formerly sold. No money, except One Dollar ($ 1.00), shall be repaid to the
original purchaser until the lot has been resold by the City, and the original purchaser shall
receive, upon reconveyance by him of the lot or lots, only the amount of money which shall be
received from such resale, less One Dollar ($ 1.00). No interment shall be allowed until full
payment for the lot or lots or any part thereof has been made. Ord. Nos. 1500, 4503

SECTION 104. GRAVE REGULATIONS
All graves shall be dug by employees of the City. A reasonable charge will be made in
an amount to be prescribed by ordinance, and shall be uniform in all cases. The graves of
adults must be at least four and one-half (4-1/ 2) feet deep, and those of children under the age
of fifteen (15) years of age, not less than four (4) feet deep. In case of contagious diseases, the
Mayor shall have the power to prescribe the kind of casket and depth of grave. All graves shall
be sodded over by the City at its own expense with mounds not to exceed four (4) inches of
elevation in the center with rounded sides and ends. The graves shall be cared for by the City.
No curbing or fence shall be allowed or upon any grave or lot; nor shall any lot or grave be
raised except as provided in this section. Ord. No. 669

SECTION 105. SHRUBBERY REGULATIONS
No person shall plant any trees, shrubbery, flowers or plants of any description within
City cemeteries except by direction of the Mayor. Ord. No. 1500

SECTION 106. MONUMENTS
The proprietor of each lot shall have the right to erect stone markers or monuments lying
flush with the ground, so as not to interfere with proper care of the grass. He shall have no right
to erect any mausoleum, stone monuments, or other structure not lying flush with the surface;
provided, however, that the Mayor, upon application particularly describing the mausoleum,
monument or other structure desired to be erected, may grant a special permit in writing,
particularly describing the structure to be erected, if the Mayor finds that the structure will be
in harmony with structures already in the cemetery and will not interfere with the care thereof.

SECTION 107. DOGS PROHIBITED
No dogs shall be allowed within cemetery grounds.
Ord No. 669

SECTION 108. POTTER'S FIELD
It shall be the duty of the Mayor to set apart a certain portion of the cemetery grounds
for the use and benefit of the poor, which shall be known as the "Potter's Field," where all
persons who are unable to purchase lots shall have the right to inter their dead free of charge;
provided, however, that all persons who wish to inter their dead in the Potter's Field shall first
procure a permit from the Director of the Tulsa City-County Health Department, which permit
shall give them the right to bury in the Potter's Field only. Ord. No. 113

SECTION 109. PREVIOUS ACTS RATIFIED
All acts of any nature or kind which have been performed by any Cemetery Board,
heretofore appointed by the Mayor of the Incorporated City or its governing body, pertaining
to the selection, purchase, surveying, fencing and platting of the cemetery ground, or in any
other way appertaining to the same, is hereby ratified. Ord. No. 113

SECTION 110. PENALTY
Any person violating any of the provisions of this chapter shall be guilty of an offense
and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of not more than ONE HUNDRED
DOLLARS ($ 100.00), including costs. Ord. No. 16530