A free cemetery for residents of Astor and Astor Park, Florida
The Astor-Astor Park Cemetery was donated by William Astor, the founder of Astor in the 1880s for the use of the residents of Astor and Astor Park. Cemetery plots are provided free of charge providing that the deceased individual has been a resident of Astor or Astor Park.
William Astor, grandson of the self-made millionaire John Jacob Astor, purchased 12,906 acres of land along the Saint Johns River in March 1874. William Astor, along with his business partners, constructed the first town and called it Manhattan. The town was later renamed after its founder as Astor. The town had a church (the original building of the First Baptist Church of Astor), a school, and a general store. Some of the land on which the cemetery resides was named Astor Park. When William Astor died in 1894, the land passed down to his son, John Jacob Astor IV, who died 18 years later with the sinking of the Titanic in April 1912.
In 1977, additional land was generously donated to the cemetery by Astor resident Patsy Tatum, who passed in 2023. The Patsy Tatum land donation comprises the portion of the cemetery that we now call the “New Section.” The Patsy Tatum “New Section” more than doubled the size of the original cemetery.
The cemetery remains to this day a free benefit for those who live and reside in Astor and Astor Park. The cemetery is not a perpetual care cemetery. In other words, there is no fund to ensure its ongoing maintenance and upkeep; therefore, a nominal donation of $100 is requested for each gravesite. The eight-acre cemetery property and the upkeep of graves, markers, and land is completely supported by donations and through the efforts of volunteers.
The cemetery association is a non-profit corporation, and its Board of Directors and Trustee positions have been handed down over the years. These volunteer board members do not receive any pay for their efforts, and they oversee and maintain the cemetery for all residents of Astor and Astor Park.
Veterans Memorial at the Astor-Astor Park Cemetery
Cemetery Team
President: Barry Haupt, 973-220-3158 or barryhaupt@gmail.com. Contact Barry for more information or to arrange for a gravesite.
Treasurer: Ruth Huntsman
Trustee: Brian George
Trustee: Judy Snell
Trustee: Steven Combs
Trustee: Mark Hendryx
Veterans Memorial Director: David Gulick
Cemetery Rules
The deceased (or immediate family member) must be a resident of the Astor or Astor Park area,
Headstones and plot covers must be level with the ground.
Solar lights, rocks, stones, gravel, timbers, glass items or other impediments to grass mowing may not be placed on or around gravesites.
Planting of flowers, trees or shrubs is only permitted in designated areas.
Flowers and baskets and should be removed within two weeks after the funeral. Faded flowers and unattended grave adornments will be removed by the maintenance team at their discretion.
Volunteers
We love the volunteers who devote their time and effort to maintaining the cemetery. The tasks they perform include mowing, hedge trimming, tree trimming, branch clean-up, watering, planting, painting, weeding, etc. If you would like to become a cemetery volunteer, just contact one of our team members.
The Cemetery and over 600 of its grave sites have been photographed and listed on the Find A Grave website.
Cemetery Donations
Donations are the only source of funding for the cemetery. Regular expenses include the cost of gasoline, electricity, equipment maintenance, shrubbery replacement, etc. If donating by check, please address to Astor-Astor Park Cemetery, PO Box 238, Astor, Florida 32101. If donating by PayPal or credit card, please use the link below.
Astor-Astor Park Cemetery 