HISTORY OF SKYVIEW MEMORIAL PARK, NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA PERPETUAL CARE CEMETERY HISTORY

             
Our History

SKY-VIEW MEMORIAL PARK

PAST ... PRESENT ... AND FUTURE.

 

     AFTER WORLD WAR II, THE GEORGE T. REICHNER FAMILY FELT THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR A MEMORIAL PARK CEMETERY IN THE AREA. ON SEPTEMBER 7, 1946 A LARGE ADVERTISEMENT APPEARED IN THE TAMAQUA EVENING COURIER ANNOUNCING THE ESTABLISHENT OF A NON-SECTARIAN BURIAL ESTATE AND MAUSOLEUM IN THE VILLAGE OF HOMETOWN. THE CEMETERY WAS CALLED SKY-VIEW MEMORIAL PARK.

     REICHNER WENT TO CALIFORNIA TO VISIT FOREST LAWN MEMORIAL PARK TO SEE THE LAY OUT OF THE CEMETERY. THIS WAS THE START OF THE TRI-COUNTIES MOST BEAUTIFUL CEMETERY. IN THE EARLY YEARS, THE OFFICE WAS LOCATED ON THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE TAMAQUA NATIONAL BANK, NOW THE SITE OF THE BERWICK HOUSE APARTMENTS. IN 1957, THE OFFICE WAS RELOCATED TO THE PRESENT LOCATION IN HOMETOWN (TAMAQUA) ACROSS FROM THE CEMETERY.

     THE ORIGINAL PARCEL WAS COMBINED FROM THE FORMER DANNER AND MILL FARMS. THE CEMETERY CONSISTS OF 126 ACRES WITH APPROXIMATELY 38 ACRES DEVELOPED TODAY AND MANY MORE IN THE YEARS TO COME. A NARROW STRIP OF PROPERTY, ABOUT 10 ACRES, WAS DONATED BY THE CEMETERY AS THE SITE OF THE HOMETOWN ARMORY.

     IN 1950, SKY-VIEW MEMORIAL PARK CORPORATION WAS FORMED AND IS STILL THE OWNER TO THIS DATE. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONSISTS OF SEVEN LOCAL STOCK HOLDERS.

     THE EARLY YEARS HAD A STAFF OF FIVE SALESMEN THAT SOLD CEMETERY LOTS DOOR TO DOOR. OVER TIME, THE STAFF OF TWO SALESPERSONS USED TELEMARKETING AS A TOOL FOR SALES. DUE TO THE "DO NOT CALL" LIST, THAT IS NO LONGER AN OPTION. TODAY, THE OFFICE IS RUN PRIMARILY BY THREE WOMEN. THE SALES LEADS COME FROM ADVERTISING, LETTER WRITING AND WORD OF MOUTH.

     THE PARK IS MAINTAINED BY OUR OWN FULL-TIME STAFF. THE USE OF OUR OWN EQUIPMENT ENABLES US TO HAVE A TRULY PERPETUAL CARE CEMETERY. OVER THE YEARS, MUCH OF THE CONTINUED SUCCESS OF OUR CEMETERY IS DUE TO A GROUP OF LOYAL EMPLOYEES. THE LONGEST EMPLOYEE TO WORK AT SKY-VIEW MEMORIAL PARK WAS EDDY PUCKLAVAGE. AFTER 52 YEARS OF SERVICE, EDDY RETIRED IN JANUARY 2001.

     LAURA M. FRY WAS THE FIRST PERSON INTERRED AT SKY-VIEW MEMORIAL PARK ON DECEMBER 15,1946. TODAY, THERE ARE OVER 12,000 PERSONS BURIED AND ENTOMBED AT SKY-VIEW. THE SKY-VIEW STAFF HAS NEVER POSTPONED A SERVICE DUE TO WEATHER OR ANY OTHER CIRCUNSTANCE.

     FOR THE FAMILIES OF FALLEN HEROS, THAT HAVE NOT RETURNED FROM WAR, THERE ARE MANY SIMULATED GRAVES MARKED BY TREES AND BRONZE MEMORIALS THROUGHOUT THE CEMETERY.

     THERE ARE OVER 3700 VETERANS FROM THE SPANISH AMERICAN WAR THROUGH THE PERSIAN GULF WAR INTERRED AT SKY-VIEW MEMORIAL PARK. EVERY MEMORIAL DAY,THE CEMETERY STAFF AND THE QUAKAKE AMERICAN LEGION HONOR THE VETERANS WITH A DIGNIFIED SERVICE. THIS TRADITION HAS TAKEN PLACE FOR OVER 60 YEARS. THE CEMETERY IS AT ITS MOST BEAUTIFUL WITH THE MANY FLOWERS AND FLAGS THAT ADORN THE GRAVES.

     SKY-VIEW IS KEEPING UP WITH THE MODERN IDEAS OF THE CEMETERY BUSINESS WHILE MAINTAINING THE GROUNDS OF THE CEMETERY. IN AUGUST OF 2002, THE FUTURE IN CREMATIONS AND ABOVE GROUND BURIALS BROUGHT THE IDEA OF A NEW STRUCTURE IN THE CEMETERY. AN OCTAGONAL SHAPED GRANITE COLUMBARIUM WAS ERECTED NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE CEMETERY FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT WANT A TRADITIONAL "IN GROUND" BURIAL. RECENTLY, SKY-VIEW HAS PURCHASED THEIR SECOND COLUMBARIUM WHICH IS MADE FROM CARNELIAN STONE AND GRANITE, THUS KEEPING UP WITH THE NEED FOR CREMATION AND "ABOVE GROUND" BURIALS.

     SKY-VIEW ALSO HAS A SCATTERING GARDEN NAMED "PARADISE" FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO BE SCATTERED IN OUR SPECIFIC DESIGNATED AREA. A SMALL MARKER CAN BE PLACED WHERE THE ASHES ARE STREWN.

     PENNSYLVANIA LAW DOES NOT ALLOW FOR THE INTERRING OF ANIMALS IN THE SAME GROUND AS HUMANS. IN OCTOBER OF 2008, OUR "PEACEFUL PAWS" CEMETERY WAS OPENED FOR THE INTERRING OF YOUR FAMILY PET WITH A TRADITIONAL OR CREMATED 'IN GROUND' BURIAL. ALSO, OUR CEMETERY DOES HAVE A PET COLUMBARIUM FOR THE BURIAL OF YOUR CREMATED PET.

  SPARKLE SNYDER WAS OUR FIRST PET INTERRED IN OUR PEACEFUL PAWS SECTION ON MARCH 31, 2009.

     WE OFFER A PAYMENT PLAN FOR MOST SERVICES WITH NO TAX, INTEREST OR FINANCE CHARGE.

     YOU MAY PLACE ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS AT THE GRAVESITES IN THE VASE UNITS FROM MID MARCH UNTIL NOVEMBER 1. WE OFFER A SERVICE IN OUR OFFICE TO PLACE ARTIFICIAL FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS ON THE GRAVESITES BEGINNING MARCH 15. YOU CAN CALL OUR OFFICE AT 570-668-4100 TO PLACE YOUR ORDER. YOU MAY PAY BY CASH, CHECK OR CREDIT CARD.

     A PERPETUAL FLOWER CONTRACT IS AVAILABLE FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO PAY ONE PRICE AND HAVE FLOWERS PLACED ANNUALLY ON THE GRAVESITE OF YOUR LOVED ONE. THIS WILL ASSURE THAT FLOWERS WILL BE PLACED THERE WHEN YOU CAN NO LONGER VISIT THE CEMETERY. 

     SKY-VIEW MEMORIAL PARK INVITES YOU TO COME AND WALK THROUGH OUR CEMETERY, ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS THAT ARE PLACED ON OUR GROUNDS AND SEE THE 3,703 AMERICAN FLAGS THAT ARE HONORING OUR VETERANS WHO ARE RESPECTFULLY RESTING IN OUR CEMETERY. 

               SKY-VIEW MEMORIAL PARK CONTINUES TO GROW AND SERVE FAMILIES FROM ALL OVER THE UNITED STATES AND WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY FOR MANY YEARS TO COME.

     WE HOPE THAT YOU CHOOSE SKY-VIEW MEMORIAL PARK TO BE YOUR FINAL RESTING PLACE.

     OUR THANKS TO EDDY PUCKLAVAGE,

RETIRED SALES MANAGER,

FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION TO THE HISTORY OF

SKY-VIEW MEMORIAL PARK, INC.