A little north of the now absorbed town of Chilson is the Chilson Hills Cemetery. It is one of the oldest in the county having its beginnings in 1837. It is located at the northeast corner of the east half of the southwest quarter of Section 28 up on a lovely hill.

Genoa Township spent thousands of dollars in putting up a beautiful wrought iron fence and works with the boy scouts and the Sunrise Rotary to restore broken head-stones and clean up debris.

Genoa Township in which it is situated has information that some of the burials include the first settlers of the area. When the original owner Nicholas Kriesler sold the property in 1867, he excluded the three acres on which the cemetery stood. He later sold the burial ground to Asa Rounsifer and it was sold to the Genoa Township Burying Ground Association in 1870. This was then deeded over to the Township in 1924 by the existing board of directors of the association.

As noted above, the Township has made a number of improvements lately including a strong fence to keep vandals out and to protect the heritage of the Township residents residing within. More plans are expected to keep the grounds respectable for any visitors.

The transcriptions of the rural cemeteries of Livingston County by the DAR in the 1940 have included this cemetery in Volume II and data was compiled into a new index.

Genoa Charter Township

Rules and Regulations Governing the Chilson Hills Cemetery

Adopted: September 19, 1994

Amended: September 7, 1999

Amended: August 3, 2009

Amended April 5, 2010

Amended November 24, 2016

The following rules and regulations shall govern the Chilson Hills Cemetery; owned, managed and controlled by Genoa Charter Township and adopted pursuant to the Genoa Charter Township Cemetery Ordinance.

1. A person authorized by the Township and known as the Sexton will install all monuments and make arrangements for all burials. All monuments will need a foundation. The Township must be notified before any stone is placed.

2. Only the remains of one person shall be allowed within the same grave with the following exceptions: One regular burial in addition to the remains of one cremation or the remains of two cremations if no regular burial.

3. Markers shall be placed at the head of a grave as platted. No marker shall be placed nearer than four inches to a lot line. No more than one marker shall be placed on any one grave. The Township Manager shall first approve the location of a marker.

4. No tree will be removed or pruned except with the consent of the Township Manager.

5. Vaults will be required. The minimum standard will be a concrete grave liner to allow maintenance of the cemetery grounds and prevent skinning. Caskets less than four feet in length, will not require a concrete grave as long as the burial is in a combination casket/vault.

6. Grave sites may be purchased for $400.00 each. Designated cremain sites may be purchased for $200.00.

7. Sales are limited to property owners residing in Genoa Charter Township.

Please consult the Chilson Hills Cemetery map on the right to view available plots. Any member of the Clerk's department is more than happy to help you with any questions or concerns you may have, please contact them at (810) 227 - 5225.

Genoa Township Herbst Road Cemetery at St. George Lutheran Church Cemetery

The lots at the Herbst Road cemetery are for Genoa Township residents only.

Rules and Regulations

A.      Decoration of Lots.

Section1 – Definition – Lot decorations shall be deemed to include all structures, ornaments, planting, or other embellishments, with the exception of monuments and markers, which are placed on cemetery lots with the intention of improving their appearance. Because certain types of individual lot decorations are not in harmony with the development of the cemetery as a whole or because they may intensify maintenance problems, St. George enforces certain rules regarding the decoration of cemetery lots.

Section 2 – Decoration of lots with Upright Markers – The following rules shall be observed with regard to the decoration of cemetery lots with upright markers in the cemeteries:

a)     Roping, fencing, curbs, benches, steps, structures or wood or other equally perishable material are prohibited. These structures or enclosures established on any lot previous to the adoption of these regulations which have, in the judgment of the cemetery committee, become unsightly by reason of neglect or age shall be removed.

b)     No elevated mounds shall be built over graves and no lot shall be filled above the grade established by the St. George Cemetery Committee.

c)      Receptacles for cut flowers will be permitted if installed flush with the surface of the lawn. The use of glass jars or bottles as receptacles for cut flowers is strictly prohibited.

d)     Winter decorations may be maintained on graves until April 15.

e)     Urns shall be permitted only if properly installed and maintained.

f)       Arches for hanging baskets and urns are permitted only if properly installed adjacent to head stone and/or monument.

g)     Toys, and other unsightly objects will not be permitted as grave decorations and when used, they will be removed without notice. Committee, and after receiving written permission. Therefore, plantings placed on a lot without a permit will be removed without notice.

h)     The planting of hedges is strictly prohibited. Existing hedges will be removed whenever they become unsightly or encroach upon an adjoining lot or path.

i)       The St. George Cemetery Committee will remove all flowers, trees, and shrubs which have become unsightly or dangerous.

j)       One (1) flag holder will be allowed for each veteran’s grave.

k)     No deciduous tree or conifer shall be removed or pruned except under the direction and with the consent of the St. George Cemetery Committee.

B.      Location of Markers on a Lot. Markers shall be placed at the head of graves as platted. No marker shall be placed nearer than four (4) inches to a lot line. No more than one marker shall be placed at any one grave. No marker shall embrace two (2) or more graves, except on a two (2) or three (3) grave lot and then a double or triple grave marker is permitted. No marker shall be set unless it is first approved by St. George Cemetery Committee.

C.      Inscriptions. Inscriptions on all markers at the same end of a lot shall read from the same direction. Flush markers with raised letters shall be protected with a raised panel one (1) inch in width.

D.     Monument and Marker Foundation. All monuments and markers shall be on a foundation of a depth and size of a material determined by the St. George Cemetery Committee.

E.      Installation of Monuments and Markers. Those persons engaged in placing monuments and markers shall provide planking adequate to protect turf and shall remove materials and equipment immediately upon completion of work. The site shall be left in a clean, orderly condition. Markers and monuments will not be permitted to be delivered to lots until a proper order for a foundation installation has been placed.

F.      Cremation Remains shall be interred within an approved container.

G.      Only the remains of one person (one earth burial and one cremation or two cremations) shall be allowed within the same grave. Appeals to this rule can be made to the St. George Cemetery Committee.

H.     Grave Curbing is expressly prohibited.

I.        All Caskets shall be installed in an approved grave liner so that the grave will not sink. In order to properly maintain the cemetery grounds, the minimum interment receptacle will be a cement or metal vault. Wood rough boxes will not be allowed for any burial.

J.        St. George Cemetery Committee sells the right of burial, not the lot therein, for deceased humans only.

K.      St. George Cemetery shall not be held responsible or liable for any vandalism or damage to markers, monuments and plantings in St. George Evangelical Lutheran Church Cemetery. Repair and/or replacement is the responsibility of the family of the deceased.

Adopted – October 26, 1996

*Items in italics were revised and adopted on May 24, 2012

Key to Cemetery

Complimentary to cemetery lot owners

Grave Opening & Closing

Varies please contact the Township Clerk at (810) 227-5225 for more information (handled by funeral parlor through the Township sexton)

Cremains Opening & Closing

250.00 (or two cremains on the same day for 350.00) Cremains Opening and Closing on Sundays/Holidays is assessed a $100 fee on top of the base fee.  (Township will coordinate with the sexton per owner's request)

Stone Setting

.50 cents a square inch (done by sexton and includes foundation)

Cremains Lots by the fence

Monuments must be placed along the fence line with the cremains in front.

Please note: Costs are increased on Sundays and holidays. Please call for details.

Herbst Road/St. George Lutheran Church Cemetery Rules and Regulations