The taking and damaging of property or rights therein by any cemetery district to carry out the purposes of its creation, are hereby declared to be for a public use, and any such district shall have and exercise the power of eminent domain to acquire any property or rights therein, either inside or outside the district for the use of such district. In exercising the power of eminent domain, a district shall proceed in the manner provided by law for the appropriation of real property or rights therein by private corporations. It may at its option unite in a single action proceedings to condemn property held by separate owners. Two or more condemnation suits instituted separately may also in the discretion of the court be consolidated upon motion of any interested party into a single action. In such cases the jury shall render separate verdicts for each tract of land in different ownership. No finding of the jury or decree of the court as to damages in any condemnation suit instituted by the district shall be held or construed to destroy the right of the district to levy and collect taxes for any and all district purposes against the uncondemned land situated within the district.