If you have ever served on a cemetery board — for profit, non-profit, church, or community — there is a pretty good chance that some type of dispute came before you.  It just goes with the territory of centuries old land and plot ownership of cemeteries.

 

The other day I read this article and watched this video news report from Jacksonville, Florida, concerning the Braddock-Mason Denver Cemetery in Putnam County, Florida, which somehow came into private ownership after decades of being a burial ground for the people of that community.

 

The new owner has intended to put living quarters on the property and has had excavators ready the property for his building project even though monuments, tombstones, and other markers are present on the property.  Historians believe that there are at least 100 people buried on the property and it also is a historical site as the Civil War “Battle of Braddock’s Farm” took place on the property.

 

Related — “The Battle of Braddock’s Farm” history

 

And, interestingly enough, the process of turning a cemetery into a private home lot gets even stranger.  The State of Florida has declined to get into the dispute because the cemetery is not currently “a licensed cemetery”.  Proponents of the cemetery see that issue as a problem for the state moving forward as they believe that there are over 3,000 cemeteries in Florida but the state lists only 200 “Licensed” cemeteries.

 

Related — Here is a previous article and video news story on the subject from the same news source.

 

Funeral Director Daily take:  Rural, previous well populated farming areas of the United States are rapidly being depleted of their citizen inhabitants as America becomes a greater urban country.  There are thousands of these type of “overgrown, neglected” cemeteries in our country.

 

The costs of simple upkeep continue to rise causing problems for those with active boards to afford.  And, then there are those who have no functioning board any longer.

 

There is no easy answer in how to finance the upkeep and many Americans would question if there was a reason for upkeep at all.  It leads to a sticky problem that has come to light over time  —  what do we do with those that are abandoned??

 

America has a system of county government.  County governments have the ability to tax and appropriate funds.  What would the average American position be on that thought process?  Would they prefer to see as is happening with this cemetery. . .monuments bowled over and development able to take place.

 

All kidding aside. . . this is a very difficult issue that we will see and hear more about in the future.

 

Related — “The Urbanization of America” – This article will relate the problem of why rural cemeteries have been neglected.  In 1860 America’s population was 19.8% urban and in 2020 America’s urban population had grown to 80.0%. . . . leaving many rural communities lacking a solid population base or finances to support projects or efforts of the past.

 

More news from the world of Death Care:

• Judge orders Shepherd cemetery sold on courthouse steps.  Hendersonville Lightning (NC)
• Funeral giant acquires digital end-of-life firm.  The Business Desk (Great Britain)
• NJDEP reschedules public hearing on Robbinsville crematory plan.  TapIntoRobbinsville (NJ)

 

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