Local News
Cleaning up
By Trent MooreRelated Photos
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A worker mows the cemetery grounds Tuesday at Cullman Memory Gardens. The cemetery’s new owner DeArbor, LLC. hopes the first phase of clean-up work could be finished within the week. Trent Moore
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Add a comment on this storyNearly half a dozen workers have spent time at Cullman Memory Gardens this week, mowing and trimming a cemetery that has largely been neglected the past year.
“It needs a lot of work,” the cemetery’s new owner Anthony Arboritanza, of DeArbor, LLC., said. “We’re trying to get the shrubs cleaned up and hope to get a big bulk of the grounds work done this week.”
DeArbor purchased the cemetery nearly two weeks ago, though the deal did not officially close until Tuesday.
“We bring a lot of experience and are really excited to be a part of the community,” Arboritanza said.
The cemetery was taken into receivership by the Alabama Department of Insurance in 2005, due to mismanagement by previous owner Mike Graham and Associates. The grounds have been left mostly untended, except for volunteer efforts.
Once the initial clean-up work is complete, Arboritanza said a permanent grounds crew will be established for continued up-keep.
“That will make things a lot easier,” he said.
Under the new purchase agreement, DeArbor will assume all assets of the Cullman cemetery. All existing, paid-in-full pre-need cemetery contracts including interment rights, openings and closing of graves and a minimum concrete vault will be honored. An endowment care fund will also be re-established to maintain the facility.
An official opening date for the cemetery office has not been set, though Arboritanza said it should be operational as soon as Friday.
“We’re shooting for that, so hopefully we won’t run into many obstacles,” he said. “We still need some time to get situated, because we’re still trying to get the office cleaned up.”
Plot owners with any questions are encouraged to call the cemetery office and set up an appointment to discuss contract specifics, Arboritanza said. The office can be reached at (256) 739-1015, once it is open.
“We’ve had a few families come up here already, and we’ve had to tell them we’re still trying to get things going,” Arboritanza said. “Everyone has been really patient with us and we hope everyone will continue to be patient with us ... It’s going to take time to get everything put back together.”
* Trent Moore can be reached by e-mail at trentm@cullmantimes.com, or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 225.
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