MEMPHIS, Tenn.– A Memphis woman is searching for answers after she says someone vandalized her late mother’s resting place at Forest Hill East Cemetery.
Every Sunday, Karen White stops by Forest Hill East Cemetery. Overshadowed by the memory of her mother is the state of her grave.
“I shouldn’t have to go through this, nobody should,” she said.
Mounds of dirt sit inches away from the tombstone, along with a hole full of water and tire marks. White said it has been like this for over a month.
“Her resting place don’t deserve that. She tried to do a good job raising her kids and I’m not gonna just sit back and say oh,” she said.
White said after repeated attempts to reach the cemetery, she filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. She then took matters into her own hands, cleaning up the mess.
She said someone dug up the grass a week later, leaving it in its current state.
“That was intentional what they did and I’m gonna go Sunday and I’m very nervous about what I’m gonna see when I go out there,” White said.
WREG Problem Solvers found out this is not the first-time issues were reported at Forest Hill cemetery. In 2020 and 2021 they were fined by state regulators for improper care.
We stopped by the cemetery Thursday, but management declined to comment. They instead directed us to their parent company, Stone Mor.
As for White, she’s left to wonder when this problem will be addressed.
“I’m go be respectful of what she wanted and that was to come visit her grave site and I’m not go see it treated like that,” she said.
We did reach out to Stone Mor for comment and have not heard back from them.