During the 1880s, some alert businessmen in Ash Grove, Mo. saw the establishment of a cemetery as a way to make money. They believed "anyone who cares enough for their departed love ones will gladly pay for a lasting monument" according to early writings of this organization. When the Ash Grove Cemetery was established, it was the only large cemetery in the area and came with a promise to be "maintained for years." The founders wrote that they wanted "to provide a burial place for all the citizens of Ash Grove and the vicinity and to properly care of the same in a manner that would benefit their memories." Full story can be found here http://southwestregionnewsservice.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-unique-history-of-ash-grove-cemetery.html