Thanks for the input, y’all! Very helpful all the way around.
As it turns out, the Eastern Star folks – and I thought they were all going to be sweet little old ladies, not male chaplain-types who gave tie-tying advice! – did their little deal at the funeral home before we went to the cemetery. They were over and done with. I did get a little education as to the nature and character of the Eastern Star bunch. Interesting, for sure…
And speaking of education…
When we got to the cemetery, the deceased was to be interred in a mausoleum or crypt thingy (technical term there!). Now you would think that living in New Orleans for a couple of years would have been all the education I needed about above-ground burials, but I guess I just never paid attention to the grave closing guy. With the caulk gun!
Oh, well, another interesting day that will most likely find its way into the chapter on weddings and funerals!
Thanks again, guys, for the help!