TSGS Hall of Shame - Destroyed Cemetery

From the Minnesota Public Radio web site:
MOORHEAD, Minn. — The last time anyone was buried in the Boerner family cemetery in Grant County was in 1892. For about 20 years before that, it was where early settlers laid at least 10 family members to rest. A small grove of trees at the cemetery was gone. When investigators got a search warrant they found evidence of what Minnesota's state archeologist says is a growing concern, the destruction after years of abandonment of one of the state's thousands of small cemeteries.  The farmer whose field included the cemetery acknowledged clearing the cemetery... damaging a cemetery can be a felony under Minnesota law even if it's abandoned. Even though the farmer owns the land, the cemetery is protected.

 

Top left cluster of trees has been removed in the lower photo... the Boerner Cemetery WAS in those trees!

Photo below are photos of grave markers that were in this cemetery!!!

 

 

Read more about this shameful act of disregard of human dignity and respect:

Pioneer cemeteries fall under plow's threat          by Dan Gunderson,

Minnesota Public Radio                                       

December 28, 2012

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/12/28/human-interest/lost-cemetaries/

TSGS Cruiser Blog reported this article from the Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter (EOGN).

TSGS Hall of Shame

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Cemetery in Lawrence near Boston, MA

http://boston.cbslocal.com/2011/05/30/lawrence-cemetery-overrun-by-brush-grass-weeds/

There is no excuse for the community to let this problem continue [click on link above!]. Watch the video about the cemetery. The Superintendent may have his hands tied with lack of funds, but recruiting volunteers should not be that hard. A fund raiser would be a good way to generate enough money to hire someone to weed-eat around the markers. Where are the Boy Scouts or 4-H members who are great volunteers for this type of "Good Citizenship!" When I was Superintendent of the Evansville (Indiana) 2 city-owned cemeteries almost 20 years ago. We had "work release" prisoners help maintain the cemeteries, along with people with minor legal infractions that needed to complete a couple hundred hours of "Community Service" as ordered by a judge. A civilized community can be judged by how well they respect their dead. Lawrence is proving to have very little respect for their dead. Sad, indeed!

- Compiled by JGWest [Link & story was posted on FaceBook by Bill West]