MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Memphis family says they can’t pay their respects properly, because they aren’t even sure their loved ones are in the right spot.
On Mother’s Day, Vickie Knipper made her way to the mausoleum inside Forest Hill cemetery to see her grandmother. That’s where she says she found her grandparent’s slab busted and blank.
“The corner piece was busted, and it was cracked down the middle. It’s very disrespectful,” Knipper said.
Just thinking about it brought tears to her eyes.
“My grandparents pre-paid for all of this. I want it the way they wanted it. I want it back just like she wanted it.”
By Monday the slab had been redone and was no longer blank, but the dates were missing and full names were gone in some spots.
“It’s not the way it’s supposed to be. I want peace of mind with it knowing they will correct it to her standards,” Knipper said.
At first, she said cemetery managers made her think her memory was fuzzy.
“I felt like I didn’t know what I was talking about. They just questioned and questioned me.”
Eventually, Knipper says they explained there was a project going on and that’s the reason the names and dates disappeared temporarily.
“I’m not satisfied with their story. I’m not satisfied that there was a project going on.”
She says she fears her grandparents might have been moved to make room for others. “I’m worried. I wonder in my heart, are they there? Did they move them to make room?”
She isn’t the only one unclear about what’s going on. Her son Chad Moore has questions too.
“There were no names in July. I came back in December after Christmas and there were no names, so I filed a complaint.”
The family tired to get answers on Tuesday, but someone from the cemetery locked the door. The family then tried the front entrance and got turned away there too.
