Libby funeral home considers niche wall
If funeral home owner Steve Schnackenberg’s vision materializes, Libby’s city cemetery will soon have a niche wall in place.
For those not familiar with that option, a niche wall accommodates multiple sets of cremains. Not only are they becoming a more popular option for families but they address overcrowding issues that are cropping up in many cemeteries.
“The cemetery allows two sets of cremains per grave,” Schnackenberg said. “Well, if I buy two lots and put a niche wall on there, that’s 48 sets of cremains. And we’re kind of running out of room out there. The city has a limited amount of space and we’re actually re-surveying – the city is – out there and opening up new lots. Š I just think it’s a good thing.”
Schnackenberg brought his idea to the Libby City Council last week and the issue later went before the cemetery committee. But it seems as though he really doesn’t need their approval because the niche wall would go in the “old section” of the cemetery, where above-ground structures are allowed.
“I can buy lots at any time for personal use and I think I could probably just buy the lots and put up the niche wall because it’s my understanding that once you buy those lots, they’re yours,” Schnackenberg said. “And in the old section, you can put uprights in there, anything you want to do. But I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes, so if I can work with the city on this, fine, and if I can’t, that’s OK, too.
“If I don’t get their blessing, I’m not going to do it,” he added.
The project could carry a pricetag of up to $15,000 for Schnackenberg.
“It could be a little less than that but that’s going to be a ballpark figure,” he said. “That’s going to be the initial investment. The company quoted me a price over there but I don’t think they included the amount for ground preparation, and that’s something they wouldn’t have anything to do with.”
A company out of Spokane, Wash., manufactures the niche walls. The prefabricated structures also include a sidewalk that goes around it. The site prep work involves the pouring of gravel to keep the sidewalks from sinking.
Schnackenberg is looking at a 48-unit niche wall, which would feature four rows of six – 24 on each side. The overall size is 9 by 8 feet. With each lot measuring about 48 inches wide, it will be a tight fit.
The walls come in a variety of colors and styles with granite faces. Inscriptions can be personalized but in general include the individual’s name along with birth and death years. A flower holder could be another option for those who purchase.
The cemetery’s newer section allows only flat markers unless a family plot is purchased. A plot consists of a minimum of four lots in that part of the cemetery.
Schnackenberg, who has been in the funeral home business in Libby over the last 14 years, said he’s seen other niche walls in the area, including those in Sandpoint, Idaho. He hopes to get going on the project right away and install it this fall.
People have inquired in the past about the niche wall option.
“We’ve had a few but we’ll just have to wait and see,” Schnackenberg said. “It’s not something that’s going to turn around and pay for itself immediately. But I think it’s an investment that would be good for the cemetery and good for the community.”