At a public or private cemetery, a cemetery caretaker performs a variety of grounds maintenance and burial preparation tasks. On a daily basis, he or she uses lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, clippers, and other gardening tools. When a grave needs to be dug, the cemetery caretaker is usually in charge of locating the best spot and excavating the ground to the proper size and depth. The caretaker may also have control over the machinery that carefully places caskets into graves. The majority of cemetery caretakers work for the city, but some work for privately owned parks or funeral homes.
The daily responsibilities of a cemetery caretaker, like those of most groundskeeper jobs, are heavily influenced by the weather. During the summer, he or she mows and waters the grass, trims trees, and looks after the flowers. During the winter, a caretaker may spend time raking leaves, removing debris, leveling the ground, and planting new seeds. The caretaker, in addition to gardening, opens gates during the day and ensures that the grounds are locked and secure at night.
When funeral homes give them notice, cemetery caretakers are frequently responsible for digging and preparing burial sites. The caretaker may be able to excavate a grave entirely by hand, using shovels, picks, and wheelbarrows, depending on the softness and composition of the soil. A tractor and a backhoe may also be used to quickly remove large amounts of dirt and rock. He or she usually erects grave markers and tombstones and ropes off open graves to avoid accidents. In order to complete such tasks efficiently, a caretaker should be in good physical condition and have excellent vision.
The majority of caskets are lowered into graves using hydraulic or pneumatic lifts controlled by the cemetery caretaker. The caretaker is expected to be well-dressed, quiet, and respectful because the job is performed in public and often in the presence of grieving friends and family. The caretaker disassembles and stores the lowering equipment after the caskets have been placed. He or she lays down sod, fills in the plot, and levels the ground.
A person who wants to work as a cemetery caretaker usually needs a high school diploma and several months of supervised on-the-job training to master the necessary skills. Experienced groundskeepers teach new employees how to operate lawnmowers, tractors, hydraulic lifts, and other specialized equipment. As the worker gains experience, he or she is often given more responsibilities and eventually allowed to work independently.