How a Cemetery in Idaho Is Run and Who Answers the Phone

Idaho has 44 counties and no single office that runs every burial ground. A cemetery in Idaho might belong to a city, a tax-supported cemetery district, a church or lodge, a private company, or the state. That mix decides who sells a plot, who opens the grave, and who keeps the records. Our database lists 84 cemeteries in 51 cities, from Boise Mountain View Cemetery on West Fairview Avenue to Salmon Cemetery on Cemetery Lane. This page explains how those offices work so you can reach the right one on the first call.

Most questions never reach a state agency. A sexton, caretaker, city clerk, or district board member handles plot sales, burial scheduling, and record requests. The state's role is narrower, and knowing where it ends saves time during an already hard week.

The Five Kinds of Cemetery Operators You Will Meet

The name on a listing often hints at who is in charge. These are the common types, with examples from our directory.

What State Government Handles in Idaho Burials

Idaho regulates the people and paperwork around a death more closely than it regulates the ground itself. Three state bodies matter to most families.

The Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses licenses funeral directors and funeral establishments, so complaints about a funeral home go there. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, through its vital records office, issues certified death certificates. Order several copies, because banks, insurers, and the Social Security Administration each want one. A licensed funeral director normally files the original certificate for you.

The Idaho Division of Veterans Services oversees the state veterans cemetery. Title 27 of the Idaho Code sets the legal framework for cemetery districts and related cemetery matters. Idaho law also protects graves from disturbance. If farm work or construction uncovers human remains, stop work and call local law enforcement or the county coroner.

Everything else is local. Plot prices, lot rules, marker sizes, burial hours, and opening and closing fees come from the cemetery or its governing board. Two cemeteries in the same county can differ sharply, so ask each one for a written fee schedule and a copy of its rules before you commit.

Treasure Valley, Panhandle, and Eastern Idaho: The Metro Picture

Ada County has the most listings in the state, 14 in all, and the capital region offers the widest choice. Boise Mountain View Cemetery (208-322-3999) sits on West Fairview Avenue, and Joplin Cemetery (208-939-2448) is on West Chinden Boulevard in Meridian. Browse the full list for Ada County if you are comparing options on both sides of Boise.

Next door, Canyon County has Canyon Hill Cemetery at 2024 North Illinois Avenue in Caldwell (208-455-3055) and Nampa Kohlerlawn Cemetery at 76 6th Street North (208-468-5898). Urban and suburban cemeteries like these tend to keep regular office hours and work closely with local funeral homes on scheduling.

In the Panhandle, Kootenai County is the cluster to check. Coeur d'Alene Memorial Gardens Cemetery is at 7315 North Government Way (208-772-4015), and Post Falls Evergreen Cemetery is at 2795 North Spokane Street (208-773-0539). Cold winters mean frozen ground, so ask how the cemetery handles winter graves before you set a service date.

Eastern Idaho follows a similar pattern. Fielding Memorial Cemetery, on South Yellowstone Highway in Idaho Falls (208-529-1487), falls under Bonneville County. Pocatello Mountain View Cemetery, at 1520 South 5th Avenue (208-234-6195), is in Bannock County, as is Downey Cemetery in the small town of Downey.

Rural Idaho: Small Towns, Grid Addresses, and Part-Time Offices

Rural cemeteries work differently. Salmon Cemetery (208-756-2052) in Lemhi County, Arco Hillcrest Cemetery (208-527-7777) in Butte County, Orofino Cook Cemetery (208-476-4200) in Clearwater County, and Grangeville Cemetery (208-983-1057) may rely on a part-time sexton, a city clerk, or a volunteer board. Expect to leave a message and wait for a return call rather than reaching a front desk.

The Magic Valley has its own mix. Twin Falls County includes Twin Falls Cemetery on Kimberly Road (208-733-6370), West End Cemetery District in Buhl (208-543-4251), and Filer Independent Order of Odd Fellows Cemetery (208-736-0369). Just east, Gem Memorial Cemetery in Burley (208-878-9219) is in Cassia County.

Addresses in southern Idaho often use a rural grid, such as 2350 East 4000 North in Filer or 1574 East 4150 North in Buhl. A phone map may place you on the wrong road, so ask the cemetery for directions and a landmark. Also check the town named in a listing. Bonners Ferry Copeland Cemetery, for example, is listed at an address in Rigby, so the name and the location do not match. A quick call settles it.

Winter matters in the high country and the north. Ground frost and snow around Salmon, Arco, Orofino, and the Wood River Valley can delay digging or block access. Ketchum Cemetery District (208-726-9201) is listed there, and Ketchum is also the burial place of Ernest Hemingway. Families sometimes hold a service in winter and schedule the committal for spring. Ask what is possible.

Mind the clock when you call. North of the Salmon River, including Coeur d'Alene, Lewiston, Orofino, and Grangeville, Idaho runs on Pacific time. Boise, Salmon, and the southern and eastern parts of the state use Mountain time. A call at 4 p.m. in Boise reaches Orofino at 3 p.m.

Veterans Burial and Paperwork to Gather Before You Call

Boise Veterans Cemetery in Garden is a state veterans cemetery serving the Boise area. Eligible veterans and their qualifying family members can ask about burial there. Bring the veteran's discharge papers (DD-214) and call 208-334-4796 to confirm eligibility and scheduling. Separately, the federal Department of Veterans Affairs provides a headstone, marker, or medallion at no cost to eligible veterans, whichever cemetery you choose.

Before you call any cemetery, gather the basics: the deceased's full name and date of death, any existing plot deed, the name of your funeral home, and whether you plan a casket burial or cremation. Then ask about the outer burial container requirement, marker rules, opening and closing fees, and when payment is due. Write down names and answers.

Government cemeteries in Idaho include facilities administered by the VA's National Cemetery Administration, state veterans cemeteries funded through state and federal partnerships, and local municipal and county cemeteries operated by city and county governments throughout the state.

Cemetery locations are available in 51 cities across Idaho. They are spread across 30 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Boise, Idaho Falls, Coeur d'Alene, where established municipal cemeteries have served their communities for generations and maintain extensive historical burial records.

Veterans in Idaho may be eligible for burial in a state veterans cemetery at little or no cost. Contact the Idaho Department of Veterans Affairs or Veterans Services to confirm eligibility requirements and available state-operated facilities.

Cemetery by Counties

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Families and genealogists in Idaho can often request burial records from municipal cemetery offices or search online databases maintained by state archives and historical societies. Many Idaho counties have digitized older cemetery records that are available through county clerk or public library genealogy collections.

Browse Cemetery by county across Idaho to find the nearest location.

Visiting and Researching Graves in Idaho

Many people look for a cemetery in Idaho to visit a family grave or trace an ancestor, not to plan a funeral. Those tasks start the same way: find the operator, then ask what records exist. Cemetery offices of any size normally keep burial ledgers or plot maps, and in small towns those may sit with a caretaker, a city clerk, or a county courthouse.

Gate hours vary by cemetery, and some rural ground has no gate and no staff at all. If you plan to visit Salmon Cemetery, Arco Hillcrest Cemetery, or Orofino Cook Cemetery on Upper Fords Creek Road, call first and ask about road conditions during winter and spring melt.

Late spring through early fall is the easiest time to visit across the state. Memorial Day weekend brings the biggest crowds, and many families decorate graves then. Cemeteries often ask that you remove plastic items, glass, or temporary decorations after a set period, so read the posted rules.

For genealogy, pair cemetery visits with county clerk records, funeral home records, and newspaper obituaries. The Idaho State Historical Society in Boise holds archives that can help with older burials. Photograph headstones in good light, note section and row numbers, and ask the office before using any cleaner on stone, since the wrong product can damage old markers.

Cemetery Questions Answered for Idaho

Idaho has no single state office that runs cemeteries day to day. Most are governed locally by a city, a cemetery district, a private owner, or a nonprofit. Title 27 of the Idaho Code covers cemetery matters, including cemetery maintenance districts. At the state level, the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses licenses funeral directors and funeral homes, and the Idaho Division of Veterans Services oversees the state veterans cemetery. For a question about plot ownership, fees, or lot rules, start with the cemetery office itself. If that does not work, contact the city clerk or county clerk for the area.

Start with your funeral home or call the cemetery directly. You will need the deceased's full legal name, the date of death, and proof that you have authority over the plot, such as a deed or certificate of ownership. If no plot exists, the cemetery can sell you one. The office then schedules the opening and closing of the grave, usually in coordination with your funeral director. Ask in advance about outer burial container requirements, marker rules, and payment due dates. Rural cemeteries may need several days' notice, especially in winter, so call as early as you can.

Eligible veterans and some family members can be buried at Boise Veterans Cemetery, 10100 North Horseshoe Bend Road in Garden, phone 208-334-4796. Eligibility rests on military service and discharge status, so have the veteran's DD-214 ready when you call. Separately, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs supplies a headstone, marker, or medallion at no charge for eligible veterans, even if burial takes place in a city or private cemetery. Call ahead to confirm current rules, scheduling, and the documents required, because requirements can change over time and the staff can walk you through each step.

Each cemetery sets its own prices, so there is no statewide rate. Costs usually include the plot or niche and the opening and closing fee, and may add a vault or liner, a marker foundation, and perpetual care. A city-run or district cemetery in a small town can cost less than a private memorial park in a metro area, but compare in writing. Ask for a current price list from places such as Twin Falls Cemetery, Canyon Hill Cemetery, or Gem Memorial Cemetery. Also ask what each fee covers, whether weekend burials cost extra, and whether non-resident rates apply.

Call the cemetery office listed for the town where the person lived or died and ask whether it keeps burial ledgers, plot maps, or an index. Smaller operations, such as Cambridge Cemetery or Emmett City Cemetery on North Washington Avenue, may rely on a city clerk or caretaker who can check handwritten records. If you do not know which cemetery to try, check the death certificate, the obituary, and county clerk records. The Idaho State Historical Society in Boise can also point you toward older records. When you find the grave, note the section, block, lot, and grave numbers.

Ground frost and snow can slow or block grave digging around Salmon, Arco, Sandpoint, Orofino, and the Wood River Valley near Hailey and Ketchum. Cemeteries handle this differently. Some dig with heavy equipment through the winter, while others use a holding vault and schedule the committal after the thaw. Roads to rural sites like Orofino Cook Cemetery on Upper Fords Creek Road may be icy or closed. If you are planning a service between December and March, tell the cemetery early and ask whether a delay or a graveside gathering in spring is the better choice.