With 9,500 people buried at Killeen City Cemetery and remaining plots sold, the property has run out of land but may acquire more.

“The city has plans to expand on existing property,” Killeen spokeswoman Janell Ford said.

She declined to say how much land may be needed, whether the city owns it or which property is being considered.

“There’s nothing for release at this time,” she said.

The Herald reported on Aug. 24 that city officials said the cemetery is on 51 acres — 29 of which are used for 10,000 plots. Another 22 acres is used for roads and walkways and a pavilion, maintenance building and main office.

Durrett Parten, 67, told the newspaper in August that he inquired with the city cemetery about buying a plot near where his relatives are buried, when he was told that none of the remaining 500 plots were available.

“Staff did not advertise to residents that plots were about to be sold out,” Ford said.

The cemetery at 2408 E. Rancier Ave., was once a burial site for the Fleming family in 1856, according to the city’s website. With the construction of Camp Hood — now Fort Hood — in 1942, 768 bodies were disinterred from 15 cemeteries and reinterred at the East Rancier Avenue site. Killeen assumed control of the cemetery in 1950.

Ford said that plots for adult residents are $1,000. For infant residents, they are $250. Plots for non-resident adults are $1,635 and $275 for non-resident infants.

Other cemeteries are in Killeen — the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery at 11463 State Highway 195 and Killeen Memorial Park at 3516 Lake Road. That cemetery is owned by Letum.

“Residents may purchase any available cemetery plots as they see fit,” Ford told the Herald in August, referencing the non city-owned cemeteries.

According to perfectmemorials.com, 20,272 registered cemeteries are in the U.S. About 7.8 billion people are on Earth, but more than 108 billion people have been born since the beginning of human existence. At that rate, almost 14 people have died to every one person still living.