In June 1912 the Ladies Aid Society of Mt. Zion Church made final payment on a $200, two-acre lot at the corner of Route 216 and Browns Bridge Road, located diagonally across the intersection from the church. In June 1915 the Society transferred the cemetery to the Mt. Zion Cemetery Company, a private, non-profit corporation that published its original set of rules and regulations soon afterward, in 1916.

Initially the corporation made no provision for perpetual care. Instead, it raised funds through public suppers and bake sales. It next tried billing site holders for maintenance, with little success. In May 1953 the Cemetery Company began creating a perpetual care fund that is still in use today. All principal monies from the sale of sites are invested, and the cemetery operates solely on dividends and donations.

In September 1981, the Cemetery Company conveyed responsibility for cemetery property and assets to the Board of Trustees of the Mt. Zion United Methodist Church. The church’s Cemetery Committee manages the cemetery’s funds and administers its affairs.

The memorials committee relocated the Memorial Garden to a 40x40 foot area in the church cemetery in 2008 when the original garden was removed during expansion of the office/education wing. The new garden consists of a central cross surrounded by brick pavers, dogwood trees and granite benches. The names of persons memorialized by contributions to build the original garden are included in the current garden along with the names of people memorialized with funds to build this garden.

The Memorials Committee began selling memorial brick pavers in January 2008. 4x8 inch pavers for $150 hold 3 lines of 18 characters each. 8x8 inch for $300 hold 6 lines of 18 characters.

The light orange circle is where the 4x8 pavers are placed. The red radials in the light orange circle are where the 8x8 pavers are placed. Extending in four directions from the light orange circle are gray rectangles. These are 2’x3’ slate stones from the original memorial garden. In addition to the large and small pavers, five large slates have been engraved. These slates give a short history and list the names of those who contributed to the original memorial garden and the current garden.