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The Early Years (1993-1995) Covenant was born from the ashes of failure and broken promises. It began with Gracelawn. The grass was waist high, the woods were overgrown, and the cemetery had become a dumping ground for trash. More people were being removed from the cemetery than were being buried there, and money was missing from the perpetual care fund. Somebody had to do something. In early 1993, Michael and Matthew Butts decided to be that somebody, to fight the decay of the park and restore Gracelawn Cemetery back to its former glory. They started Covenant Cemetery Services as a management company that would be the means to this end. With only their good names and good credit, they borrowed a down payment from a friend for their first tractor. Their pay was $50 a week. When the two brothers first took over the park, they knew a terrific challenge was in front of them. Both the maintenance and the trust funds needed restoring. With the help of lot owners and the support of Flint Councilman Johnny Tucker, Covenant was able to turn the not-for-profit cemetery around. Michael and Matthew's vision was to improve Gracelawn and to make it appealing to sell it to someone willing to care for and continue to improve Gracelawn Cemetery. In 1996, Detroit Memorial Park (DMP), the oldest African-American owned business in Michigan, stepped up to do just that. Covenant continues contracting the burial openings at Gracelawn. |
Families Putting families first is what Covenant is all about. It is inevitable that families will face the loss of a loved one. When that happens, we're here for them. Our Mission Covenant Cemetery Services is an example of what the cemetery business ought to be about, serving families. Covenant seeks to restore confidence to funeral services by becoming a standard against which others are measured throughout the State of Michigan. Our Services Covenant Cemetery Services is a full service provider. We offer traditional funeral services, as well as cremation services, and are looking to the future and green burials. |
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