Help Needed ....Cemetary Problem

[Junkman]

A friend sent an e mail asking if I had any suggestions how to resolve a problem. I have posted the e mail below exactly as I received it so no information would be lost. Any suggestions how to resolve his delima would be appreciated.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Any ideas here:

A lady at work has family in a family cemetary around Weatherford Texas. The one half is (from what we understand) maintained by the county however the Colored part of the cemetary has to be maintained by a few of her uncles. Its obviously hard work (think Texas sun) and expensive. They are trying to see about getting the state and or county to maintain it as a historical cemetary. Some markers go back to 1890, many (as you can imagine) are unmarked or marked without writing. (blank tombstones)

Do you have any ideas on how they can get the state or county to maintain it like its white counterpart is? Please pass along to anyone who might have ideas.

Thanks,
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[Bob_Skurka]

No idea, but I understand that cemetaries are supposed to set up a perpetual care fund for maintainence after they are full. I'm just guessing here, but I wonder if the "white" cemetary has such a fund and the "black" cemetary does not. It would not surprise me if such laws were not in place if the cemetary has been around for a while, especially south of the Mason-Dixon line.

 

[MossRoad]

Have her contact the local newspaper and see if she can get them to generate some interest in it. If they can't or won't, start calling TV stations. Sometimes getting some politicians' names mentioned in the media during an election year can do wonders.

Also, see if there is a local historical society, a Boy Scout that wants an Eagle project, etc.. Boy Scouts can be pretty effective. Maybe a local church would like to step up and take care of it.

We have a few cemetaries burried in the bushes around here. There is a local organization that has started to document them and has kept them in the news so that the county, township trustees, whoever is responsible, has to take care of them or their name is in the paper with negative publicity.

Hope this helps. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[MarkV]

I think MossRoad is right. It is hard to believe that in this day and age the county could come up with a politically expectable reason to maintain half of a cemetery and not the other half because of a color line. I’d bet the Mayor would be out with a trimmer if the newspaper ran a little “Is this fair” article.

MarkV

 

[LarryRB]

Junkman,
as you know I use to work.run the Holland cemetery.. Mossroad hit it right on the nailhead.. Have this lady type a nice "letter to the local paper editor" and start generating interest and if done just right, the politicoes will jump in as it is an election year,, Second to this, maybe a call to the likes of "60 Minutes" whereas the black vs white segragation still lives on, just most of us don't realize this fact..

 

[IrTxRx]

Junkman-

There was an article in the Austin-American Statesman within the last year specificlaly addressing "Black" cemeteries. I believe there was a society that was trying to discover, improve and maintain these oft forgotten places. you might have them contact the Statesman ro do a search on their web-site

Good luck

 

[frank_f15]

JUNKMAN: Not to be reduntant, but i think your friend needs some public exposeure, don't seem like in this day and age that that kind of stuff would be tolerated.

 

[slowrev]

Frenk,
You are right, that kind of stuff is well tolerated unless it becomes public. Biggotry and prejudice is alive and well, just not publicly.

 

[BillyP]

<font color="blue"> A lady at work has family in a <font color="red"> family </font> cemetery around Weatherford Texas. </font>

I don't know how things are done in Texas but here, the county doesn't maintain cemeteries. The County will open and close graves and keep the roads up. Family cemeteries are suppose to be maintained by the family. City cemeteries are maintained by the City. Community cemeteries are maintained from money paid/donated to a cemetery fund.

 

[IrTxRx]

Here is the citation of the Statesman article I was referring to:




Honoring a history etched on headstones
Author: Robert W. Gee, AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Date: June 14, 2003 Publication: Austin American-Statesman (TX) Word Count: 1032