The 5 Star Rating is because of Elmwood's history, burials & remarkable sculptures & mausoleums. If…read morethe review was for its current unkempt state its rating would be far different. The condition of the cemetery, owned by the City of Norfolk, is deplorable. Their budget allocation for the city owned & maintained property must be woefully inadequate. Elmwood Cemetery sits on the north side of East Princess Anne Road near its intersection with Monticello. Directly adjacent on the west is West Point Cemetery, the history of which deserves its own review. Across the road is the older Cedar Grove Cemetery. The entrance is guarded by stately brick columns and surrounded by a brick wall. Enter into a veritable picture of Norfolk's History. Elmwood, opened in 1853, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was established because the older Cedar Grove was nearly full. Drive past beautiful old mausoleums & picturesque grave markers & tombstones. There is a plethora of styles many designed in fascinating Victorian style. Some were designed by a Norfolk sculptor of international fame, who is also buried in the cemetery. A walking visit to marvel at the innovative artwork is a reason to visit without consideration of the burials. Follow the entrance to the cemetery's office, which is no longer staffed. In earlier years an employee of Norfolk Cemeteries manned the office and assisted one in locating burial spots. They kept a book of internments, including the occupants of the multi grave burial lots, which were purchased and inherited by descendants. Permits & fees still apply for opening a grave. Now with an unstaffed office an information board has a QR code to direct one to a Web Site for a search. The catalog has been digitized with individuals, plot numbers & location within the cemetery. A picture of one of the records found by the search is included in this review. Due to this current unkempt state of the cemetery navigating the grid to find the unmarked aisles & lanes is almost impossible. But that's a later story. For those interested in the Revolutionary War you'll find not just Patriots, but also a Real Daughter of the American Revolution, the daughter of Patriot Matthew Floyd. You'll find the final resting place of a Virginia Governor, U.S. Senators & Congressmen, one of the first two women House of Delegates members & local city leaders for whom many of the city's streets are named. In addition to the city's wealthy & famous you'll find gravesites for the poor in the paupers plot at the back of the cemetery. There's even an early actress, artisans, artists and those in their time who were just ordinary citizens. As would be expected in our coastal seaport you'll find gravesites of sailors, including individuals who died in ship wrecks, some to a violent storm. A local legend is that the Captain's wife and child died on the shipwreck of "The Dictator" off the coast of Virginia Beach. The mother was buried in Elmwood, separated from her child. There could be sounds of a child crying at the Oceanfront. The crying ended when the child was interred with its Mother. A mass grave exists for victims of the yellow fever plague, which ravaged the city. All this beauty and history is threatened by the lack of maintenance. Ivy has overgrown many beautiful markers & sculptures. Aisles & lanes are overgrown, some completely covered with grass so one has no idea if it's an actual lane. Even having a cemetery map & plot information we were unable to locate burial plots we had previously found with ease. This historic gem of Norfolk's past with its beautifully designed sculptures & mausoleums lies as threatened as the waterfront. But the reason is different. It could easily be cleaned & maintained with proper funding.

I must admit that old graveyards are my jam. Okay, it may seem weird, but I am not alone. A…read moregraveyard is a museum of a different kind. The history and the beauty captivate me. As well I love capturing them through photos. Not to mention it's great exercise when done on foot too! Elmwood Cemetery established in 1853 is the cities second oldest public burial space. It is a beautiful example of a Victorian rural park cemetery. It was placed on the National Register for historic places in 2013. It is 1 of 3 featuring Yellow Fever mass graves. At its height in 1850 one hundred Norfolk residents a day succumbed to the deadly disease. Also VA Governor Littleton Waller Tazewell 1774-1860 remains are here. Hundreds who fought in the Civil War have their final place of rest at Elmwood. There is a memorial statute toward the front by the cemetery office. The huge Core mausoleum seen from the road is the center piece and most famous on the grounds. Built in 1910 for $100k and featuring two beautiful brass statutes flaking the entrance Also of note is the Recording Angel that watches over Euphania Couper's grave site. Her world renowned artist son William who was a Norfolk native designed it. (See pic for the inscription on the scroll) The property is in fair/poor condition with a back brick wall caved in, markers damaged, or destroyed. Robberies to get brass etc. have been an issue over the years. There are efforts by a local group to fund restoration of the three burial sites that are grouped together. The city has on going conservation efforts as well thru NorfolkSocietyforCemeteryConservation.org or their Facebook page. The next time you feel an urge to learn about the history of Norfolk in a different way check Elmwood, or its sisters Cedar the first Municipal cemetery in Norfolk and West Point. Tours are available by appointment only.

It is with a sad heart that I'm in attendance of this place again. To lay to rest my dearest…read morefriend's son. My heart breaks for her. Graves does an amazing job and is very professional.

Graves Funeral Home, Inc. served my family with so much love, care and dignity. They treated me and…read moremy family with so much kindness and professionalism. They took care of me and my family when my husband died 3 years ago with EXCELLENCE. Now a week ago they took care of me and my family when my mother passed away with the same amount of EXCELLENCE. They have truly demonstrated to me, my family and community that they truly have a heart for people. Thank you, J W. Johnson (A. M. Wright-deceased) Love, The Family

This beautiful & well maintained cemetery lays adjacent to H.D. Oliver Funeral Apartments & Eastern…read moreShore Chapel Episcopal Church. It is on the north side of the dead end section of Laskin Road as that street approaches Great Neck Road from the east. The tree filled cemetery is a serene final resting place. The only interruption is the sound of low flying fighter jets landing at Oceana Master Jet Base. But somehow that feels fitting, especially when laying to rest a long time resident of our city. Look here for history also. Many burials & tombstones from centuries ago have been moved to this cemetery as development encroachment disturbed what was meant to be their final resting place. One's heart may be sad as a dear family friend is laid to rest. But leaving them in such a peaceful place is a comfort.

I have used H.D. Oliver twice for both of my parents. They were very easy to work with and make…read morearrangements. My parents chose to be cremated so we did not use some of the other typical funeral home services. Additionally, they did give me a few tubes of the cremation remains to give to my siblings. I also purchased cremation urn rosaries from an outside source and they kindly filled the crosses with the ashes for me.They also connected us and filed the proper paperwork to have military honors at my Dad's service. I would recommend them for ease of service, kindness and compassion. All of this made the value priceless for the process during such a time of grief. They are longstanding in Norfolk for reason.

This funeral home provides the best of care/services to meet the needs of families experiencing…read moregrievances. Thank you!

Unfortunately we had a death in the family and was in need of services - JT Fisher was recommended…read morehighly. The call was made, we were met with nothing but the highest professional support staff. The timely manner in which the patient was removed until all was complete- the service provider was impeccable... The cost of the services were very reasonable and I will recommend this place of service for your loved one. They handled everything with much respect and care,,,, The request of services were followed responsibly, cremation was handled nicely!

JT Fisher handled my mother's final arrangements via Affordable Cremations, which was highly…read morerecommended by Suncrest Hospice, who handled mom's EOL care. No bells and whistles at JT Fisher, which is exactly what I'd been hoping for. Our family will have an internment in another VA city later this year, so we just needed the minimum. Lovely professional staff who explained all about the paperwork and how to travel with it. Highly recommended for no-frills cremation services!

Veterans Day visit - it was sunny and there were fall colors and a lot of Vets that were resting…read morepeacefully. It was more than moving to walk these historic and hallowed grounds today. Eternal Honor, Respect and Gratitude Cedar Hill Cemetery amazed me today. It was a friend on Yelp (Carissa) that inspired me to visit here on Veterans Day. (I usually just visit one Veterans Cemetery). The grounds are immaculately maintained here. The land has hills and amazing trees and shrubs. The head stones and memorials are amazing - most are very old and historic. There are a lot of vets here. There is an amazing history here. The views are moving. I sure am glad my son (also a Vet) and I came here today and spent time to show gratitude and to take in the history and the beauty. A side note- while my son and I were about to leave - 2 ladies pulled up in a car and asked us if we saw a big Cedar Tree with a Cherry Tree growing out of it. They showed us a book that stated this tree was here and it was a book of Historical Trees of Virginia. We hadn't seen it but started out hunting it. We found the tree and it was most amazing. I'll post a photo or 2 of it. I've added photos from the cemetery already. This is a place I will have to visit again soon.

I lived in Suffolk for two years before I discovered this place. My parents were visiting and they…read moresuggested we check it out. Besides being full of history, the cemetery is such a beautiful, relaxing oasis to take a stroll. I imagine it would be most lovely in the fall due to all of the wonderful trees surrounding the area. There is a brochure you can pick up at the Seaboard Museum and it will give you details for a walking tour. I took more pictures when I went but unfortunately cannot find them. :(

We are deeply grateful for the outstanding service we received for my wife, Evelyn. Walton Funeral…read moreHome exceeded every expectation, and I wholeheartedly recommend them to any family seeking thoughtful, dependable, and compassionate care.

Walton Funeral Home provides loving, compassionate, kind, and the highest quality services with…read moreaffordable rates to support families in their time of bereavement. The climate and culture of the business is set the owner Frank who genuinely cares for his clients and their families. All the other staff members that we met such as Marlon and Ron were consummate professionals, empathetic, and skilled in their craft. Both my mother and sister were gently cared for in the most dignified manner. My wife and I both plan to use their services when our time comes to fall asleep in the Lord. I highly recommend Walton Funeral Home and pray a great blessing over them and all their past, present and future clients. Blessings, Gary Roberts, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints. You have freed me from my chains." -Psalm 116:15, 16b

I am from California and needed information about funeral homes and cemeteries in the Suffolk area…read more They handled my call with professionalism, and gave me the important details that I needed to move forward. Their website and phone etiquette make them top-notch in my book. Thank you for your help!

Doing a review for a funeral home is very bittersweet. Let's be honest, who looks forward to…read morefuneral services? However, during a really difficult time for my family while handling the death of my grandmother, we enlisted Crocker Funeral Home to assist with her final wishes. Millions of THANKS to Ms. Ebony Johnson, who was EXTREMELY helpful to my family, especially to my mother, while trying to navigate such an emotional time. She made the process much easier and took care of so much. When there were "family complications," she was patient and gave us reasonable enough time to get things situated and straightened out. At one point, there was a minor mix-up with the obituaries and Ms. Ebony had it corrected right away without issue. That speaks to customer service for me. Now, in relation to the care, I will say that I literally cried when seeing my grandmother for the first time after her passing. I had to hug Ms. Ebony after seeing my grandmother. My grandmother had not looked like herself in such a long while due to being ill, and they really restored her (pre-sickness) beauty and made sure she was put away with dignity. I admit I was even pretty tickled because they requested we provide necessities that were inclusive of a slip and panty hose. (Why would she need a slip and panty hose??!!). But then it was explained that it was regarding the dignity and properly putting the person away. Also, my grandmother wasn't overly caked with make-up where she looked like a completely different person (you know the strange ghastly look), and each and every person who came said how beautiful she looked! The limo and the hearse drivers were friendly and courteous. We were very happy with what was provided, and we are very grateful for the help from Crocker!