MONROE, N.C. — Officials at Lakeland Memorial Park in Monroe had to call in extra security Monday after they received threats from people upset that knick-knacks and other mementos were removed from grave markers without any notification.
[IMAGES: Gravesite mementos trashed without notice, families say]
Some trinkets even dated back to the 1990s.
Families were left to dig through dozens of items left on tarps in the back of the cemetery near a dumpster. Among those items there were headless angels, dozens of American flags, miniature bibles and other mementos.
Shannon Hilton, whose mother was buried in 1999, said she found a clay angel from her mother's grave sitting near a dumpster in the back of the cemetery instead of sitting next to her mother’s headstone.
"The most disrespectful thing out here are all the flags,” Hilton said.
She found the angel broken and in the trash on Sunday.
"Now, as you can see, she's missing her nose and her mouth,” Hilton said.
Ellen Jackson, whose son was buried at the site in 2015, said she found a butterfly, a small helmet and other items that were on his headstone among dozens of other items that were laid out on a tarp.
"I can't buy him a birthday present tomorrow,” Jackson said. “All I can do is leave a trinket on his headstone. This is my child. This is all I have of Willie."
Family members claim that no one contacted them before removing their items.
"They could have sent a letter, they could have made a phone call,” Hilton said. “I would have gladly got my stuff, rather than this."
The cemetery's general manager told Channel 9 that the public was notified via radio and newspaper ads, but nothing was sent directly to families.
The general manager gave Channel 9 a rule book that said families have to contact them to learn about the cemetery's clean up schedule. The rule book also stated that workers can remove items from grave sites whenever they want.
The cemetery's corporate office sent Channel 9 a statement on the matter:
"We are committed to providing all families with a well-maintained environment for visitation and remembrance. We are addressing the concerns our client families have brought to our attention."
Nancy Brookbank told Channel 9 on Monday that it's been an issue that has been going on for years. She said items have disappeared from her husband’s and mother’s graves, even when she felt like she had followed all the rules.
“It’s not just me -- as you can see, there are other families,” Brookbank said. “People, friends lost their loved ones, and it's the holidays – it’s just very disheartening.”
"Look around, there are thousands of stories out here,” Hilton said.
Several families picked up some of their items, but they said they are waiting to hear back from the people in charge to see how they'll be handling this moving forward.
Read more top trending stories on wsoctv.com:
- Charles Manson, whose cult slayings horrified world, dies at 83
- Loved ones' gravesite mementos trashed without notice, families say
- END OF AN ERA: Georgia Dome demolished Monday morning
- WATCH: Keith Monday's Monday forecast outlook
- UNCLAIMED CASH: The state may be holding money with your name on it
Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/LH3JSJEF3VBLRJLJQESEAG34AM.png)
