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November 12, 2008

Meeting to address cemetery plot owners

By Trent Moore

Plot owners at Cullman Memory Gardens will have a chance to ask questions and get more information about the cemetery’s situation Thursday at 6:30 p.m. on the third floor courtroom of the Cullman County Courthouse.

Doug Williams, who has volunteered to keep the cemetery’s records since its closing, said the meeting will give everyone with a stake in the cemetery a chance to come out and ask questions and have their voices heard.

“We’re trying to let property owners know where we are and where we stand,” he said. “We’re hoping we’ll be able to calm some fears. We want to give everyone a chance to know what is going on.”

A representative from the Alabama Department of Insurance — the agency that took the cemetery into receivership approximately two years ago and has been keeping it open until now — will also be on hand, Williams said.

Ragan Ingram, with the Department of Insurance, confirmed that he and another representative from the department will be present at the meeting.

“We will be there to answer any questions anyone may have,” he said. “We’ll be delighted to try and help.”

The cemetery was recently closed when the Department of Insurance ran out of available funds to keep it open. The department is currently trying to sell the cemetery to a new owner, to help ensure its continued operation.

Complicating matters, there is no longer a stipulation requiring a new owner to honor previously bought plot purchases, mausoleum crypts, or funerary services if the department does sell the cemetery.

Needless to say, this news has created quite a bit of concern among people who had pre-purchased plots and services from the cemetery, as well as family members with relatives buried there.

“I’ve had probably a 1,000 people call me about it,” Williams said. “We’re holding this meeting to try and get all of the information out to property owners. The people who call are upset, but most do understand we’re just trying to help.”

All plot owners, crypt owners, and anyone who has pre-paid for any service from Cullman Memory Gardens is encouraged to attend, Williams said.

“We want everyone to come out, so everyone will understand what is going on,” he said.

When asked if there had been any new developments with the cemetery’s situation, Ingram said things are currently at a standstill.

“At the moment there is nothing new to report, not since the second story,” Ingram said, referring to The Cullman Times follow-up story on Nov. 1.

‰ Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 225.

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