First Memorial Park Cemetery

In observance of Labor Day, our offices at First Memorial Park Cemetery, Camero Funeral Home and Crematory and Camero Funeral Home at City Base will be closed Saturday, August 31st, Sunday, September 1st, and Monday, September 2nd, 2024. We will resume business hours on Tuesday, September 3rd, 2024. Our cemetery gate hours will remain the same. If you are in need of a funeral director, we can be reached at 210-624-2428. Thank you.

Daily Email Affirmations
by First Memorial Park Cemetery
Grief Connections
Peace -
For me, it’s tending my African violets. Or creating a stained glass window. What is it you love to do? Perhaps it’s been a long time since you’ve taken the time to get busy with something you enjoy: cooking, gardening, or other outdoor activity. Whatever you did, do it again. Even if it’s just for 30 minutes. You’ll find great peace in doing so.

Quotation for the Day
"Great peace is found in little busy-ness." ~ Chaucer

Daily Email Affirmations
by First Memorial Park Cemetery
Grief Connections
Bridges -
A friend of mine lost his wife, after a long, long illness. He cared for her every day, and the habit of caring for her was deeply engrained into his being. It was the loss of that connection, that day-to-day caring, which caused him the most pain.

For him, the mundane activities of caring for her dying body were the bridge of love between them. After she was gone, he rebuilt the bridge by creating and tending an honor garden, filled with her favorite flowers. “She’s with me, in her garden. I feel her presence very strongly,” he said to me one day.

And I believed him.
Where can you feel the closeness?

Quotation for the Day
"There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning." ~ Thornton Wilder

Daily Email Affirmations
by First Memorial Park Cemetery
Grief Connections
Can I Survive This?
The loss of a close family member creates extra depth and complexity to your grief. You shared a special connection with your loved one, and this relationship truly defined who you were. Losing this person has ripped you apart on the inside, leaving you rather unsure of your own identity.

What you are doing in the process of grieving for your lost family member is also grieving for the lost you. You are no longer the person you were, and what’s more, you never will be again.

With the grieving comes the joy of re-creation. This is a time of opportunity, to create your Self as you now wish to be: wiser, more experienced; more able to cope with change and loss. At some point in the process you will be able to find more joy in the small pleasures of life – I promise that life will become sweet again.

Activity
Take out your journal and spend a few minutes writing down all those people you admire. Whether living or no longer with us – who is it that you most appreciate? And why? What is it about them that you wish you could be?

My list would look like this:

Nelson Mandela: motivated to work for the greater good of his country
Chris Gardner: personal commitment and ambition to succeed
Katheryn Hepburn: dignity and self-assurance
Humphrey Bogart: emotional honesty
Oprah Winfrey: joy for life
Joseph Campbell: intellectual yet spiritual
Esther and Jerry Hicks: connection to well being

The next step in this process is to get some materials related to those people on your list. Currently, I’m re-watching my favorite Humphrey Bogart movies – yesterday it was The African Queen. Do your best to connect with those people on your list – get to know them even better in some way.

Quotation for the Day
"I am my best friend. I need to treat me with dignity and respect, and most importantly, I need to be compassionate with me. I need to accept me in whatever state and condition I am in." ~ Anonymous

Daily Email Affirmations
by First Memorial Park Cemetery
Grief Connections
Understanding Grief

Grief is not an enemy or a sign of weakness. It is a sign of being human. Grief is the cost of loving someone.

Since grief comes to everyone, why do some people seem to work through it better than others?

"Some people think that going through the losses or crises of life are the exceptional times," says Dr. H. Norman Wright.

"I see it differently. I see the times of calm as the exceptions. Life really is going through one loss after another, one crisis after another.

"Instead of avoiding talking about these times, let's do our homework. When you know what to expect, you're not thrown by them as much, and you're going to be better able to recover."

Quotation for the Day
"Grief is something you never really get over, but you put it in a place inside you and deal with it in the way you have to." ~ Laura Branigan

Daily Email Affirmations
by First Memorial Park Cemetery
Grief Connections
Don’t Try to Hurry Along the Path

Your journey through grief cannot be compared to another person's journey. You will grieve in your way and in your time. Grief does not have a set time limit. The only certainty is that it will take longer than you want it to.

"It's a process that cannot be rushed," says Dr. Robert Jeffress. "As a pastor who has dealt with hundreds and hundreds of people who have gone through a loss, I can tell you that it is a process, and it is a longer process than any of us want to believe.

"Going through grief is like going through a tunnel. The bad news is the tunnel is dark. The good news is that once you enter into that tunnel, you are already on your way out."

Quotation for the Day
"This is what I have learned: Within the sorrow, there is grace. When we come close to those things that break us down, we touch those things that also break us open." ~ Wayne Muller

Daily Email Affirmations
by First Memorial Park Cemetery

Look to the Horizon and Keep Walking
Remember the good times; cherish the memories, but live each day moving forward. Focus your thoughts on what is before you and how you are going to get there.

"I often tell people that there are three stages you need to think about: You can't go back. You can't stay here. You must go forward," says Dr. Ray Pritchard. "There may be some good things in the past that you wish you could go back to, but in the end you have to let those go."

Quotation for the Day
"I was never one to patiently pick up broken fragments and glue them together again and tell myself that the mended whole was as good as new. What is broken is broken -- and I'd rather remember it as it was at its best than mend it and see the broken places as long as I lived." ~ Margaret Mitchell

Daily Email Affirmations
by First Memorial Park Cemetery

Staying Right Here Won’t Work

The journey of grief is one that you must ultimately decide to complete. You cannot remain where you are right now. Time moves forward, and so must you.

Yesterday I spoke about living in the now, in the moment. Now, I’m asking you to do that, but with an eye to the path you are walking…toward greater joy, and contentment.

There will come a day when you won’t feel as you do right now. I promise.

Quotation for the Day
"You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair." ~ Chinese Proverb

Daily Email Affirmations
by First Memorial Park Cemetery
Grief Connections
The View from Where You Are
When it's hard to look forward and it's painful to look back, you need a new perspective, a new focus. And that focus is in the moment. Right now.

Notice the weather, and if you can, take a long walk.

Listen to your body - is it hungry? Are you feeling clean, and well-cared-for?

How about nurturing your passions? Reading, painting, fishing - whatever it is, think about it - or better yet, do it.

But, whatever you do, stay in the now. Don’t look back, and don’t focus too far into the future. For your power resides in the now.

Quotation for the Day
"And you would accept the seasons of your heart just as you have always accepted that seasons that pass over your fields and you would watch with serenity through the winters of your grief." ~ Kahlil Gibran

Daily Email Affirmations
by First Memorial Park Cemetery
Grief Connections
Be Kind to Yourself -
The first of the habits we’re going to cultivate is often ‘easier said than done’.

Be Kind to Your Self
Many things keep you stuck in a place I like to call “self-bashing”. While you’re grieving the feelings of guilt and anger are especially powerful – they can send you into a tail-spin of blame and self-criticism. The physical effects of grief, such as sleeplessness, lack of hunger, and depression can bring you into that dark place too, where you feel it’s appropriate to be less than kind to your Self.

Quotation for the Day
"Self-care means honoring and respecting the miraculous being that you are. Self-care means learning to listen with the ear of a dedicated mother to your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs, and then taking full responsibility for getting them met. Self-care means taking 100% responsibility for creating an environment that nurtures your physical, emotional and spiritual selves." ~ Carl Benedict

Daily Affirmations
by First Memorial Park Cemetery

Let the Past Brighten Your Future -
Take out your journal, if the mood strikes you, and write about the rewards hidden within the experience of grief. Reach into your gratitude:
* I am grateful for the sun in the morning and the stars at night.
* I am grateful for each breath.
* I am grateful for the time we shared together.
* I am grateful for my loving friends and family.

Quotation for the Day
"Sorrow has its reward. It never leaves us where it found us." ~ Mary Baker Eddy

Due to the Spectrum Outage, we do not have access to our accounting system, email or phone system. Our cemetery answering service will be forwarding your messages to our office cell phone. If you are in need of a funeral director, please call 210-502-7333. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

In observance of Independence Day, July 4th, 2024, our offices will be closed and return to normal hours, Friday, July 5th, 2024, 9 am to 5 pm. First Memorial Park Cemetery gates will remain open during our normal hours, 8am to 7 pm. (Last entry at 6:30 pm)

Good afternoon, we had heavy rain this past weekend. Please be patient with us as we inspect the grounds for sunken graves. Thank you.

Please visit our website firstmemorial.net for the latest updates.

First Memorial Park Cemetery is ready for our 4th annual Christmas tree lighting and candle light vigil!

First Memorial and Camero Funeral Home and Crematory will be hosting our 4th annual tree lighting ceremony and candle light vigil will take place this Friday, December 8th, 2023 at the First Memorial Park Cemetery mausoleum. Please join us for a prayer service, refreshments, and holiday traditions to remember your beloved during the holidays. We hope you can join us!

First Memorial Park Cemetery offices will be closed on Thursday, November 23, 2023 and Friday, November 24, 2023 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. We will reopen on Monday, November 27, 2023. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! Have a blessed and safe holiday!

Thank you for your honorable service. 🇺🇸

Join us today for our Dia de los mu***os customer appreciation event!! 🎉 11 am to 3 pm for Raffles, Music, Food and Drinks while supplies last, face painting and mariachi!

Thank you for your patience and understanding, First Memorial Park is now open to the public.

We kindly advise all visitors to exercise caution and mindfulness when navigating the cemetery grounds, after rainfall, and in the presence of mud and unstable grounds under repair. The combination of wet conditions and mud can create slippery surfaces, making it necessary to take extra care while walking or driving within the cemetery premises. This precautionary approach ensures the safety of both visitors and the sanctity of the resting places within the cemetery. Your cooperation is deeply appreciated as we strive to maintain a respectful and secure environment for all.

Due to the heavy rains we have experienced sinkholes and flooding on the cemetery grounds. We were forced to make a difficult decision to close the site on Saturday and Sunday, Mother’s Day. This was not a decision we wanted to make, however, in order to keep people safe we were forced to take precautions. We did our best to notify the public via social media and other channels, but due to Mother’s Day, we had many people trying to visit that had not seen our notifications. We take pride in maintaining a safe environment for families to visit with loved ones, and will continue to prioritize safety for all. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. - First Memorial Park Management

Attention: First Memorial Park Cemetery has postponed our Mother’s Day event from this Saturday due to weather until further notice. Please share with your family and friends.

First Memorial Park Cemetery is open to our normal gate hours. Park- 8 am to 7 pm with our last entry at 6:30 pm. Please be mindful when stepping on the grounds as it is still wet and muddy. We will be monitoring the weather and provide updates on www.firstmemorial.net Thank you for your patience and understanding.