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Archiver > CEMETERY > 1998-07 > 0901550426


From: "Ted Brooke" <>
Subject: Re: [CEMETERY-L] Re: CEMETERY-D Digest V98 #180
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1998 10:40:26 -0400


Snohomish Pilchuck Cemetery sounds like a total disaster. In Georgia, there
are STATE laws that protect cemeteries. In fact, you can access these on the
internet; Go into the State of Georgia, Secretary of State and then into the
"Georgia Code"; query on "Cemetery" and they will come up. I can't believe
in the state where Snohomish Pilchuck cemetery is (what state is that, by
the way), they have no cemetery laws. I do not see in the rendition of this
desecration, that anyone ever checked for state cemetery laws; someone DID
check didn't they??? Hmmm. Ted Brooke, 2055 Foster Dr,, Cumming. GA 30040
-----Original Message-----
From: Norma Lewis <>
To: <>
Date: Saturday, July 25, 1998 3:27 PM
Subject: Re: [CEMETERY-L] Re: CEMETERY-D Digest V98 #180

>These cemeteries we are talking about are old ones that have fallen between
>the cracks. Nobody has taken care of them for years, and nobody has been
>buried in them for many years. In the case of a family cemetery on family
>property, the deed is written with a reserve or dedication for the cemetery
>which means it is to be used only as a cemetery and protected from plowing
or
>building over for all time. However, when these deeds change hands it is
easy
>to have the dedication set aside by a judge in which case the owner just
>removes the stones and builds over them, unless a judge orders that the
graves
>be dug up and reinterred at the expense of the property owner. Usually, in
>this case, unless it is a large developer, the property owner will let it
go
>and sometime later the stones just disappear and nobody knows or remembers
>there was a cemetery there.
>
>Most of the time, if the land is in the country, a farmer will just remove
>the stones and plow over it. They aren't his people, they are just old
bones.
>Yet, on the other hand, you may see tombstones sticking up in the middle of
a
>plowed field where the farmer has carefully plowed around them for years,
>respecting the covenant in his deed which dedicates this space for a
cemetery.
>Sometimes the farmer cares for the stones and does a little weeding, you
may
>find the area newly fenced, you may find it sadly neglected - same case is
>true in old towns where old cemeteries are no longer used. Unless the city
>takes on the responsibility (or the county) of caring for the cemetery that
>hasn't been used for 50 years, it just lies neglected until somebody like
us
>comes along and gets it some publicity.
>
>Cremation is used now more often than at any time in history as we have
become
>a very practical population. Cemetery directors deplore the idea.
>I have asked to be cremated myself. My father is in a nursing home with
>Alzheimers in WA state but all his family are in Oregon, so my brother and
I
>have decided we will have him cremated and his ashes put into a container
that
>can be attached to a flat bronze marker and buried in the ground so that we
>can have his marker with the rest of his family in Oregon, which I really
>like, as he can buried beside his "Mama" who he loved above all. His second
>wife is buried beside her first husband.
>These are problems that families face with family deaths. You want to do
the
>right thing for your loved ones. Cremation and scattering ashes leaves no
>marker. Large cemeteries are not going to be plowed over in the near
future,
>but who knows in 100 years?
>
>Cemeteries are managed by nonprofit incorporations, the land is not taxed.
In
>the case of Snohomish Pilchuck Cemetery, the incorporation board just died
out
>and there was nobody to take their place. The inc. was closed by the Sec.
of
>State and the land eventually sold to the city (1995) - however, the damage
to
>the cemetery started in 1947 with the road that went through it, however,
it
>was handled legally by the state. It really started in 1968 by the Pioneer
>Boys and Girls Club when they moved an old building onto the cemetery and
>moved tombstones. However, at that time the cemetery was uncared for and
being
>destroyed by vandals. In 1972 the Snohomish Historical Society took over
the
>"Pioneer Village" already in progress and moved more old buildings onto the
>site.
>We believe they have the burial list for the cemetery and are keeping it
from
>us. They charge a fee to tourists to enter this "Pioneer Village" on
cemetery
>property, they have used tombstones for steps and walk ways.
>The incorporation was set aside in the 1980's, the Senior Center building
was
>moved onto the large section of the cemetery in 1992. The city bought the
>property in 1995. Something is really rotten here.
>Norma
>
> wrote:
>>
>> Well, Howard I hope you want to help more than some of the officials want
to
>> do. What I can't understand is why the heck do we pay for these plots
anyway
>> if in a few years we can be dug up and moved or even worse have our
graves
>> blacktop over. What gives those inhumane people the right to do this to
us
>> and anyone else out there who bought their final resting place. I am
just
>> furious that money seems to be the only thing that people care about.
Well, I
>> don't know about you folks but I hope when I am buried that it will be in
a
>> place that won't be torn apart. Maybe I will be cremated and thrown out
to
>> sea. At least they can't destroy that.
>>
>> KMK
>>
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