Three cemetery organizations existed for many years in Ohio.

The oldest organization, the Ohio Association of Cemetery Superintendents and Officials (OACS&O), was founded in 1901 and was the first such organization in the United States. It was comprised of superintendents with an emphasis on the advancement of knowledge in the development, operation, and maintenance of Ohio’s cemeteries while at the same time, encouraging the very highest moral and ethical standards; with little, or no, interest in marketing and sales. Many of their members were non-profit, fraternal, and religious cemeteries.

The second organization was the Ohio Association of Cemeteries (OAC), which was established in 1938. At that time the OAC was made up of many memorial parks and for-profit cemeteries that were focused on sales and marketing. They later added funeral homes to their membership due to the growing number of cemetery and funeral home combinations and became the Ohio Association of Cemeteries and Funeral Homes (OAC&F). Many cemeteries belonged to both organizations.

The third organization was the Catholic Cemeteries of Ohio (CCO). Covering 6 diocese in Ohio, it was organized in the late 1960’s.

The Mid-America Cemetery Supply Association (MCSA) was instrumental in bringing the three cemetery organizations together for one annual convention and trade show. Mainly to consolidate their efforts in supporting the three separate cemetery organizations. This arrangement was very successful until 1999 when the MCSA disbanded. The three cemetery organizations returned to doing their own programing.

The Ohio Cemetery Association (OCA) was founded in January of 2011, and is the result of a merger between the OACS&O and the OAC&F. Our continuing purpose is to increase knowledge in the development, operation, and maintenance of Ohio’s cemeteries and to encourage high moral and ethical standards. ALL Ohio cemeteries – traditional, nontraditional, governmental, corporation, association, religious, fraternal, union and private as well as suppliers, companies that supply goods and/or services to these cemeteries, are welcome to be members of the OCA.