Most of the time the cloak of peace and quiet hides a very busy place. Of those arriving for burial, about 80 percent come from a 150-mile radius of these 265 manicured acres that have been carefully carved away from the surrounding Withlacoochee State Forest. By the end of this month it will expand significantly, when development begins on a140-acre addition. Weekends and holidays are a times of rest. During the week the hearses arrive, one after the other, typically to find families waiting at the end of the oak-canopied entrance drive.
Families supply their own clergy for services held in four covered shelters on the property.
Most often an army of volunteers that make up the Sumter County Honor Guard is there to assist. The group draws its ranks from two local Veterans of Foreign War posts, an American Legion Post and an Am Vets Post. They supply the final 21-gun salute, firing three volleys from seven rifles. They make sure the flag that drapes the coffin is neatly and properly folded before presenting it to the family. But most often the answer is no.