Welcome to Maple Grove Cemetery, Kansas history, engaged in family research or considering the purchase of cemetery property. We hope to let our community know about what Maple Grove has to offer as a cultural historical resource and as a non-profit organization providing comprehensive cemetery services. We also want to keep in touch with those who have a special interest in Maple Grove, our families, neighbors, and supporters.  Our mission statement really does convey what the Maple Grove Cemetery Organization stands for. OUR GOAL It is our goal to commemorate lives lived in surroundings of exceptional beauty and tranquility that provide comfort and inspiration to the bereaved and the public as a whole, and to offer comprehensive cemetery services to all faiths at a reasonable charge. Direct, usable information about cemetery services and costs. Includes explanation of charges, glossary of terms, and more information necessary to make decisions. Pricing information on pre-arrangement or immediate need. An interesting look at our organization and the cemetery's history. Of related interest is an article reprinted from Sagacity magazine entitled, "Places of Repose: Early Cemeteries of Wichita." Submit a Genealogical Inquiry and find out everything available about those you are researching. Our Roster of Notables lists some of Wichita's most famous residents. The Maple Grove Heritage Association (MGHA) is working on projects like the GAR Civil War Pavilion, Wichita's first monument to the soldiers of the Civil War. Our Newsletter contains information on events, projects, developments and insights.       It is our hope that you will find this information useful and interesting. We endeavor to create more than just an online info-mercial. Please let us hear from you. A wide range of memorial imagery was used, bringing a whole vocabulary for the symbolism of the flora and, to a lesser extent, the fauna. memorial imagery. The oak leaf, acorn and ivy represent strength, the olive branch - peace, the laurel - achievement, the rose - love, the primrose - melancholy, the lily - eternal life, the harvested wheat - mortal life harvested by the Maker. Doves represent faith, doves and sometimes larks - the flight of a child’s soul to heaven, dogs - fidelity, and the lamb - innocence and Christ the Savior. Catholics favored the cross while Protestants favored the open Bible. Widely used, angels can be found assisting in the transition to eternity, having evolved from winged skulls used since the Middle Ages. Fine examples of heraldic, fraternal and military symbolism also exist. Special meaning is found in the use of flowers, shrubs and trees in cemetery landscaping. In a general sense, evergreens, especially cedars, represent eternal life, while deciduous trees and perennial flowers symbolize life renewed. In smaller communities, memorial art and inscription were often the primary public source of art and literature. In addition to the new cemeteries, another industry arose, that of undertaker. Funeral parlors were a common fixture in frontier towns as well as in cities. Commonly, the undertaker would provide the paying party with a coffin for the deceased, often delivered to the home, along with optional merchandise and services such as use of a hearse and coaches for the trip to the cemetery. In many small communities, the undertaker moonlighted or combined his business with another, often a furniture store. Modern embalming was developed during the Civil War, 1861-1865, for the sake of returning war dead to their families. This service, offered by many undertakers in the late nineteenth century, was frequently performed in the home. Until the 1930's, in most cases, the casket laid in state at the residence of the deceased, and the funeral was held in the home. By the dawn of the twentieth century, most undertakers had assumed the new, and more scientific, title of mortician.

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