WHITNEY-L Archives

From: <>
Subject: Re: [WHITNEY-L] Fwd: stolen tombstones at auction
Date: Wed, 5 May 1999 18:03:44 EDT

Allan,

Thank you for posting this response.

However, as I reminded folks on another list, sometimes we get our shorts in
a knot without knowing the facts. These markers may well have been
legitimately obtained and there is nothing illegal about selling them.
The government issued grave markers are very often replaced by family at a
later date, often because they want a tombstone with both husband and wife on
it, or they just want bigger and nicer.
This occurred in my own family when my uncle's son decided to replace his
government marker with an engraved tombstone. He was given the option of
removing the old, and doing with it what he wanted, or he could place it
below the tombstone on the grave. He chose to remove it and it is now in his
brother's garden. But if they are not stolen, it is not illegal to sell them.
Sometimes the name is spelled wrong and it becomes a useless piece of stone
that the tombstone company sells for what they can get out of it.
I know it seemed an outrage at first glance, but folks need to investigate
things before jumping to extreme conclusions. Contacting the seller would
have probably given the most appropriate explanation.
Just offering another possible explanation.
Of course WHY someone would want to buy a grave marker of a stranger is
beyond me. And think about shipping, those puppies are HEAVY. All in all,
it seems rather ridiculous.
Jo Hogle

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