Oak Hill Cemetery has added a special crematory garden addition, for those who choose to have their bodies cremated rather than buried.

The new addition, called the “Gardens at Oak Hill” was added to help Atmore’s cemeteries provide additional options, Mayor Jim Staff said. A similar garden will be added at Fairview Cemetery in the future.

Staff said that larger cities like Pensacola are starting to add more crematory gardens, and Atmore needed to have a similar facility. Staff noted that cremation is rapidly becoming more popular.

“We’re just trying to get ready for the future,” he said. “More and more people are electing to choose cremation rather than a traditional burial. It doesn’t take as much space, and it doesn’t disturb the ground.”

Staff praised Jeremy Ray and city employees for helping to make the new garden look nice.