Cadillac Memorial Gardens East

I happened to be in the area yesterday and thought I might try to locate some family graves at Cadillac Memorial Gardens East.
When I entered the gates, I noticed the parking lot to my right. After parking, I spoke with a Navy Sailor who was there to perform a military honors funeral. My heart goes out to the families that have lost loved ones who served honorably in the service of the Armed Forces our country. I used to be part of the military honors funeral team at Selfridge ANG Base, so I know what a privilege it is to serve in that capacity.
After speaking to the Sailor, I went inside the admin building to speak with someone about locating the graves of my family members. The receptionist was most helpful in providing a map and the grave numbers for the plots in question.
As I entered the memorial gardens, I noticed the impeccable landscaping, the various statues and monuments, crypts and mausoleums, and chapels. Also, when driving through the cemetery, I noticed markers proclaiming different gardens by name — names like Good Shepherd, Gethsemane, Sermon on the Mount, Mount of Olives, Summit Hill, etc. They have a couple large Masonic gardens, a Lutheran garden, a couple Adult Singles gardens, Eastern Orthodox and North Orthodox gardens, and two Veterans gardens with an honor section in each. And finally, Baby Land when families can memorialize their lost young ones.
I was able to locate my family graves without much difficulty. They have markers in the ground every so often that are useful in finding your way.
Upon locating the graves, I proceeded to the front office and put in a service work order, so that they might raise and level the grave markers of my dearly departed loved ones. While speaking with Advanced Planning Counselor Mr. Rossvanes, I learned that Armed Forces veterans are buried there for free. What a wonderful program in support of our military veterans!
Such a pleasure to visit this cemetery!

I wish I could give zero stars. I have never been treated with such total disrespect and callousness by people who you’d think would have been trained to show compassion.
Over the years my husband and I have brought a half dozen cats here to be cremated and have recommended the services to hundreds of our friends and families. We were also considering being buried here ourselves (they have both human and pet sections at the cemetery.) I’m not sure if there was a change in ownership or what has happened, but apparently their policies have changed and the employees up front have changed, all for the worse.
I called at 2:35 and was told I needed to be there by 3 pm to have my deceased cat cremated. I arrived at 3:02 pm and walked into the office with my cat’s remains in a small cardboard box. There was no one in the office. Ann, an older well dressed African American woman, came in from outside and asked if she could help me. I told her I had called and why I was there.
She didn’t offer any words of sympathy, instead she told me I’d have to take the pet outside because of health code regulations. In all my years of coming here, that had never been the case. She ushered me outside where I stood talking to her from across the office. She said she also wasn’t sure if they could help me because of the time. I looked at my cell phone and told her it was 3:02 and I had been told to be there by 3 pm when I called.
She left and walked back into the back office. I felt horrible standing outside with my box so I came inside and sat down at one of the desks with the cardboard box on the table, like I had done all the times before (including just a few months before when I brought my friend and her beloved cat here for service).
Five or so minutes went by, and a younger African American woman named Cassandra came into the office. She asked how my day was going. What a stupid question to ask someone who obviously has just lost a pet. I told her «not so great» and motioned to the box. I also expressed discontent over how I had been treated by Ann. Cassandra didn’t apologize and said in a curt tone of voice «our policies have changed» and said the woman who had told me 3 pm when I called was incorrect, that I needed to have been there by 2:30.
She was clearly turning me away, making no effort to try to accommodate me. My guess is that it was Friday afternoon and she was more concerned about closing up the office than accommodating a longtime customer. I left and went out to my car and cried.
I can’t believe this is how they treat people who have experienced loss. I plan to spread the word among my previously referred friends and family to take their business elsewhere, both human and pet.