History

Serving The Community Since 1945

The Madera Cemetery District was formed by the vote of local residents and property owners in 1945. It currently maintains five cemeteries and is one of the largest public cemetery districts in the State of California providing a beautiful final resting-place for those qualifying district residents and their families.

Two cemeteries were included in the formation of the district. One formed in 1885 by the Ladies Social Aid Society of Madera-Fresno County known as the Arbor Vitae Cemetery. The second formed in 1889 was given to the District in 1946 by the Roman Catholic Monterey-Fresno Diocese. It is known as Calvary Cemetery.

In 1875 baby Frankie Nichols died at the age of eight months in Fresno Flats. There was no cemetery nearby, so his father chose a beautiful site on an oak covered hill and dug the first grave for his small son. Now known as Oakhill Cemetery in Oakhurst it has been under the umbrella of MCD since 1955.

In North Fork, the U. S. Forest Service issued a land-use permit for a 30-acre cemetery site in 1910. In 1957 upon the request of the North Fork community and the U. S. Forest Service, the North Fork Cemetery was included into the Madera Cemetery District.

The Woodsmen of the World started a pioneer cemetery in Raymond in 1905. It was incorporated into Madera County in 1928 and the Raymond Cemetery became part of the District in 1953

MCD is able to provide a beautiful, park like setting, some with gently sloping hills for a very reasonable price as compared to private cemeteries. Our operating budget is subsidized by property taxes paid by district residents and property owners. We offer many services and will be happy to answer any questions you may have concerning “pre-need” and “at-need” arrangements.

As a Special District of the State of California, the Madera Cemetery District is a public cemetery established by the voters of the Madera-Raymond area in 1946; expanded to the Coarsegold-Oakhurst area in 1955 and to the Madera County area of North Fork in 1957.

For over a century our cemeteries have been chosen as the final resting place for the Madera County residents and their loved ones. The early pioneers of Madera County are memorialized by the many monuments located throughout the grounds.

We have five cemeteries, Arbor Vitae, Calvary, Oakhill, North Fork, Raymond and our undeveloped cemetery in Oakhurst. Each of these cemeteries are owned and operated by the Madera Cemetery District, and are the County’s oldest and most established, with each having recorded burials prior to 1900.

Although privately owned in the beginning, the cemeteries were formed into special districts in the 1940’s.

The Madera Cemetery District is an independent special district governed by the appointed Board of Trustees who serve four-year terms. Our boundaries encompass the majority County of Madera and include cemetery locations in Madera, Oakhurst, North Fork and Raymond.

Madera County residents may purchase burial rights from an authorized representative of the District at the business office located on the cemetery grounds. In the past year, over 700 spaces were sold and more that 450 burial services performed. The District provides residents with a selection of services including traditional ground burials, mausoleums, niches, specially designed urn gardens and ossuary.

As a guardian of family and community heritage, the Madera Cemetery District provides a beautifully landscaped living memorial, quality care and exemplary service in perpetuity where families come to honor and celebrate life.

It is the District’s mission to manage and maintain Madera Cemetery Districts in a manner that preserves their beauty, dignity, historical and cultural values, and offers affordable interment services for county residents.

The District cemeteries are “Endowment Care” cemeteries, which means that the District collects and endowment fee for each ground burial, mausoleum, niche, or ossuary placement into an investment fund strictly for the perpetual care and maintenance of the grounds.

Throughout the year the District is proud to host a variety of veteran and other patriotic services. Our “Little Church” in Oakhill Cemetery is a historical point of interest which is governed by a board under the Madera Cemetery District’s Board of Trustees. It has walk in tours, weddings, and fund raisers to help keep the “Little Church on the Hill” in historical condition.

We invite you to consider these serene and beautiful historic cemeteries as a loving tribute to your family members or as peaceful final resting place for yourself.

We have available both at need and pre-need services.