Cemetery pledges investigation
Families angered by damage at Floyd Memory Gardens
A series of issues related to cemetery maintenance and operations problems at Floyd Memory Gardens has once again caused Romans to be angry with Pennsylvaniabased StoneMor Partners. The company also owns Oaknoll Memorial Gardens and Sunset Hill Memorial Gardens in Rome.
David Kay was the first to contact the Rome News-Tribune about massive ruts that were driven across graves at Floyd Memory Gardens on U.S. 411. Not only did operation of the heavy equipment on rain-moistened soil cause huge ruts, but the equipment also damaged a number of grave markers and vases.
Donna Jones also reported damage to the grave
markers of her motherin-law’s parents — Bessie and Jesse James Wheeler.
“They were cracked and both of their flower vases were ripped off,” Jones said. She said she had not had any success in dealing with cemetery management to replace the grave markers. Jones
said she wants the ruts fixed but said time might take care of that problem. “But definitely the headstones I think need to be replaced,” she said.
Then Sonia Vinson reported that her father, James Gibson, had been buried in the wrong grave a week and a half ago.
“We purchased the plot a day before his burial,” Vinson said. She got a call from the cemetery saying that he had been buried in the wrong plot. “Now they’re saying it wasn’t the wrong plot, it was just double sold,” Vinson said. “They told us they would move him to the top near the
crosses. Of course the plots are $3,300 up there, the lot we bought was $1,840. I said no we can’t do that, because I’ll have to purchase a plot for my mom. They said they weren’t going to charge for his and I said ‘That’s a given.’”
Heavy equipment left these wide muddy track marks from a burial site across a number of graves to the highway at Floyd Memory Gardens on U.S. 411.
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Kay said it turns out that the equipment that caused the damage to his parents’ graves actually dug the grave for Vinson’s father.
A spokesman for StoneMor sent an email to the Rome News-Tribune that read, “We sincerely apologize to the families involved and plan to fix any damage caused as soon as possible. We have begun an internal investigation into the matter.”
Kay said he had contacted a local attorney to see if there was any kind of recourse to remedy the situation, and has sent attorney Steve Bennett copies of the contract for his parents’ burial and perpetual care. Kay said there was the possibility of teaming up with others who have had problems to file a class action lawsuit to remedy problems.
“But this is a little different than most class actions because you’d have to hunt down all the heirs,” Kay said. “Just because you’re the son or daughter doesn’t make you the heir to them.”
Vinson said what has really bothered her is that the company had not expressed any remorse. “No ‘sorrys.’ It’s as if it’s
no big deal,” Vinson said.
A spokesman for StoneMor said the company was still investigating the problem with the Gibson interment.
StoneMor has owned the cemeteries in Rome since 2005, and last fall came under scrutiny for maintenance-related issues primarily at Oaknoll Memorial Gardens.