Do you think NPC deaths will be more meaningful now?

It is very unlikely that NPCs will be buried in the graveyard. Look at it this way the graveyard will have a finite number of free graves which means that if the NPCs were buried there they will soon fill up so there are no room for your loved ones. I'm not sure graveyards will be added to basegame as most existing worlds have very few vacant lots and unless there are several different sizes of graveyards some worlds might not have a suitable free lot.
But we will have to wait and see.