Granite memorials at Downey Cemetery in Downey, California
VJ Memorials · Downey, California

Downey Cemetery Headstones

Designing, engraving, and delivering granite memorials for Downey families since 1966. Our Chino factory is just 39 minutes from the cemetery.

CemeteryDowney Cemetery
LocationDowney, CA
Established1868
Servicing Downey Since1966
Pricing

Honest Numbers, Backed by Our Price Guarantee

Memorial pricing for Downey Cemetery depends on the type of memorial, size, granite color, and the artwork or inscription you choose.

Starting Prices for Downey Cemetery

Flat Granite Markers

Baby Marker 18″ × 12″: from $452

Single 24″ × 12″: from $570

Companion 28″ × 16″: from $830

Downey Cemetery District charges a setting fee on all markers, billed separately from the memorial (see our FAQ below for the fee schedule). Every quote from us is itemized. Bring us a competitor’s written quote and we’ll match or beat it. See our full pricing page →

Cemetery Regulations

What’s Allowed at Downey Cemetery

Downey Cemetery permits flat granite markers only, set level with the ground; upright monuments and benches aren’t permitted. Markers are a single solid piece of granite, three inches thick, in any of our 18 granite colors, with no border or edge restrictions.

Baby Marker 18″ × 12″ × 3″

The smallest marker permitted at Downey, sized for cremation and infant graves.

Single Marker 24″ × 12″ × 3″

The largest marker permitted on a single adult grave at Downey. Room for a name, dates, and a short inscription.

Companion Marker 28″ × 16″ × 3″

A double-grave marker for two adjoining plots, the largest size the District permits.

The 18 granite colors VJ Memorials offers, shown as polished swatches

Downey Cemetery allows our full palette of 18 granite colors.

Not sure what size fits your family’s plot? Give us a call and we’ll look it up for you.

Setting & Installation

Who Sets the Stone at Downey Cemetery

How It Works

What we handle: Design, engraving, and delivery. We coordinate directly with the Downey Cemetery District office and handle the paperwork, so your marker is ready when it’s time to set.

Who sets the marker: Downey Cemetery District’s own crew sets every marker, once the grave has had time to settle.

Common Questions

What Families Ask About Downey Cemetery

How long does it take to get a headstone made and set at Downey Cemetery?

In-stock flat markers are ready in 2–4 weeks. Special orders may take longer; we’ll let you know up front. The District sets markers no earlier than three weeks after burial, to give the grave time to settle.

What are the setting fees at Downey Cemetery?

Downey Cemetery District charges a single setting fee of $644, paid directly to the District before they’ll accept a marker for delivery. This fee is separate from the cost of the memorial itself. Read Downey Cemetery District’s Grave Marker Policy (PDF) →

Why can’t I buy the headstone from the cemetery?

Downey Cemetery is a public cemetery district, and California law prohibits public cemeteries from selling memorials. Families buy the marker from a monument company like ours, and the District installs it for a setting fee.

Do you handle the approval process with Downey Cemetery?

Yes. Everything goes through our office. You approve the design proof, we take it from there: paperwork, size verification, and delivery coordination. No separate calls to the District on your end.

Can I add an inscription to an existing memorial at Downey Cemetery?

Yes. We add inscriptions to existing memorials on site at Downey Cemetery. We bring our portable engraving equipment right to the gravesite, so there’s no need to disturb the memorial or coordinate a removal. Adding a second name, a death date, or a short inscription typically takes a couple of hours on site. Learn more about on-site engraving →

Your Local Monument Craftsmen

From Our Chino Factory to Downey Cemetery

Our factory and showrooms in Chino are about 34 miles from Downey Cemetery, roughly a 39-minute drive via the 60 and the 605. Every memorial bound for Downey is designed and hand-finished here in Chino, then delivered by our own team.

Downey Cemetery is an easy drive from our Chino factory, so we’d love for you to visit us in person.

Driving directions from VJ Memorials (4737 Schaefer Ave., Chino) to Downey Cemetery (9073 Gardendale Street, Downey).

About the Park

A Downey Landmark Since 1868

Serving Downey Since 1868

Founded when W.A. Spurlock donated an acre beside his young daughter’s grave as a burial ground for the area.

Downey Cemetery traces back to 1868. William H. Pendleton later added more land, and the neighboring Downey Masonic Lodge began its own adjoining graveyard in the 1870s. In 1928, Los Angeles County combined the two into the Downey Cemetery District. Today the cemetery is the resting place for more than 9,000 people, including veterans from the Civil War through the Gulf War.

Families from across southeast Los Angeles County use Downey Cemetery, including Downey, Bellflower, Norwalk, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, and South Gate.

Ownership: Public special district. Governed by a Board of Trustees appointed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Phone: (562) 904-7238

Downey Cemetery District: Official Site · Google · Yelp

Honoring a Loved One at Downey Cemetery?

Visit our Chino factory to see granite samples and full-size markers in every color the District allows, or call and we can talk through what’s possible for your family’s plot at Downey Cemetery. No appointment required, but a quick call ahead lets us make sure the right person is here to help you.

Honoring a loved one at a different cemetery? See all the cemeteries we serve →