Is it believable or common in the south that you would see a back porch with family members' graves and headstones right outside the door? This is illegal in many midwestern states.
Does this happen in some states? Most states have long required registration, wide boundaries, and other physical barriers for burial sites on/near private residential property. This didn't add any sort of roughened character to the house to me; it just seemed odd and naive.
Good question lol. I live in Arkansas and have seen many rural areas, but I have never come across this. (That doesn't mean it's not like that in other southern areas. I have just never saw it lol.)
ETA -
Where can bodies be buried in Arkansas?
In Arkansas, a body must be buried in an established cemetery. (Arkansas Code § 20-17-902.) If you want to bury a body on private land, you may be permitted to establish a family graveyard. Contact the local health department and check town and county zoning laws before you proceed.
You must register a family graveyard with the county clerk before holding a burial. (See Arkansas Code § 20-17-901, requiring all cemeteries to be registered with the county.)