Who steals a grave marker?

[terrilhb]

I am so upset.

I was talking to my Aunt tonight. She tells me that my Dad's grave marker is missing. I live in Ga. He is buried in NY State. I have no way of getting there. I am so upset and angry I could hurt someone.

and just cry.

How do people do this? It is horrible. No respect for the deceased. How could someone do this? I really don't understand why or how this happens. I have so many feelings going through me I don't even know where to begin to sort them out. I know I am repeating myself but I don't understand how people can be so heartless and cruel. Why would they do this? I just don't understand. I don't think they would like it if it was done to someone they love. So why would they do it to someone else? Do they think we just don't care? Because I do. It hurts so bad to think of someone doing this I don't think I can stand it. Sorry just had to vent. I don't know what to do. I am devastated. Thanks for listening.

 

[sfw2]

I'm so sorry. Sadly, there are some really scummy people out there.

 

[debilorrah]

That is a horrible thing to do. But you CAN do something about it. You can report it to the police, so maybe they patrol the graveyard at night a little more. You can also call the mortuary that handled your father after he passed and order a new one. I have never run across a mortuary that would not help. They will even place it for you.

I worked for a mortuary way back in the day, and it was rare but not unheard of to have this happen.

 

[terrilhb]

I am just so upset. I don't understand why someone would do this? What thrill could they get out of it? And just really can not comprehend anyone wanting to do this. It is just horrible. They have got to be really demented and not care about anything or anyone. I know this is probably going to sound stupid but it makes me feel violated. I don't know if that is the right word but I am so upset right now I can't think clearly. I just am devastated and so upset. I could just scream and scream. What could a person that is deceased do to someone to make them want to do this? He died in 1970. There really are some sick sick sick people out there. I guess I will never understand. I called my sister and told her and she was like oh oh well. She does not remember our father so it did not upset her and she does not understand why I am so upset. I don't think I am overreacting. Do you?

 

[Glenmar]

Not overreacting. It's terrable someone would do that.

 

[rufus]

Sorry that happened. That marker must have been made of bronze. In today's economy, anything made of copper, bronze, aluminum or iron is fair game to thieves. They have stolen church bells, statues of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.

They even steal the manhole covers and the metal covers for the water meters. They stole the dish we used to feed the alley cats.

In my neighborhood, people don't dare leave their houses for any length of time or the water pipes and electrical lines will be ripped out.

The cops don't care. You have to wonder who is buying all of this scrap metal and where are they smelting it.

A couple of weeks ago, I read an article about a guy that was fried to a crisp while attempting to steal an air conditioner off of a school.

Maybe he got his just desserts.

Rufus

 

[Ridgerunner]

Was it metal? People have been caught stealing metal markers to sell the metal as scrap.

All I can say is that I am sorry it happened. When something like that happens, you feel so helpless. You want to do something, but you just can't. Pure frustration.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
No I do not think you are overreacting at all. I can almost be certain it was some kid who did it on a bet and it was random and not a personal attack. It doesn't make the theft any less painful though.

 

[sourland]

You are not over reacting. It was a crap thing to do carried out by a lowlife! I can appreciate your feelings of loss and violation.

 

[EweSheep]

From time to time, I see that in our city's cemetaries and most of the time it was practical jokes that cost them alot of money. Many of the headstones were broken, particuarly the ones that died in the 1800's and limestone. They would even go the distance in upsetting the bowls, "tootsie roll" style markers and roll them down the hill. Some are purely superstitious like our own Greenwood Cemetary that they would try to see how many they can roll or knock the tombstones off from their platforms. Once in a while, they would even have them go into the crypt and destroy the love ones of higher status like Millikin, Staley, Powers, and other distungrished families in our town.

With volunteers, tour sites of the cemetaries (like we just had one a couple weeks ago during the daytime), haunted tours, those monies would go toward the upkeeps, repairs of headstones, donating markers (for those who could not afford having a stone) and hundreds of volunteers would go out and do those things and believe it or not, Greenwood Cemetary is getting beautiful under all those majestic oak trees. We like to go back and visit once or twice a year for "quiet" time, reading the headstones, how old, and imagine the grief the mothers felt when their children were taken from them such a very young age.

Does your father's cemetery do that kind of thing? Tours and fundraisers helps to keep it going.

What I found are the flat to ground headstones were almost never ever bothered, easy to mow over and trim. The upright headstones take a real beating and most targeted for those hoodlums to do their dirty deed.

For your sister's "oh well", it may be that there is not much she could do about it because I believe there is no such thing as "headstone insurance". Don't expect her to feel the same as you do since you care very very much about it. My hubby's aunt didn't have a date on her headstone and he was pretty ticked at his father for not putting the date down which his father GOT the estate money to have it done but his father pocketed that money on himself. Same for his grandmother, who didn't have a death date on her headstone (his father did the same thing, took her estate money and pocketed that one too!). So he took out his income tax money and PAID it out of his own pocket, got the job done on his grandmother and aunt's tombstones. If hubby would have read into seeing that your father's headstone was marred, you can bet he would be out there fixing it himself if he would have lived closer. Nothing ticked him off seeing graveyards being neglected, headstones smashed by pranksters (not by weather, he would lay it flat next to the foundation because limestone is not really fixable). He loves CW headstones the best!

No you are NOT overreacting!