2nd Illinois Cemetery sued for digging up graves|Yourfuneralguy

2nd Cemetery Sued For Grave digging like Burr Oak

A second Illinois Cemetery has been sued in the Cook County Court for unauthorized grave digging. In a similar type of lawsuit to those in the  Burr Oak Cemetery scandal. The cemetery is Mount Glenwood Memorial Gardens.

The family filed suit to exhume the bodies of 2 relatives to see if they are still in the correct burial plots. The  cemetery is also known as Glenwood Cemetery. There is no evidence of burial plot reselling.  Cemetery management says it is all about a missing headstone, but a  party next to the  lawsuit grave site said they were told there loved ones grave was empty.

From nwitimes.com

“Chiquita Ratcliffe, Phyllis Pearson and Zechariah Thomas III allege Mount Glenwood Memory Gardens South, at 18301 E. Glenwood Thornton Road, improperly interred or improperly disinterred the bodies of two family members. They discovered the missing headstone while visiting the family plot in late June.”

Funeral industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Burr Oak Cemetery owners have another Scandal-YourFuneralGuy

Perpetua Inc has two property crime scenes, Burr Oak Cemetery, Illinois and Wade Funeral Home in Missouri

The owners of the Burr Oak Cemetery have another scandal on their hands. This one occurred in Missouri at the  Wade Funeral home near St. Louis Missouri. Perpetua, Inc  owns that property. They also own Burr Oak Cemetery.

Ironically while Burr Oak Cemetery is closed  as a crime scene. The lady responsible for the theft of $200,000 in preneed funds at Wade FH, Deborah Kellom, will be sentenced on July 24th 2009. The Burr oak cemetery a  Perpetua property will still be a crime scene during her sentencing.

St.Louis From KMOV

“St. Louis, MO: Debora Kellom pleaded guilty to mail fraud involving her embezzlement of more than $200,000 from Wade Funeral Home, Acting United States Attorney Michael W. Reap announced today…..Kellom knew that the Pulaski account was a local account, and not routinely scrutinized by Perpetua management in Arizona.

It is more than obvious that Perpetua is  more than negligent in managing it’s personel and it’s properties. How many times will this Arizona Company be allowed to repeat it’s attrocities?

Funeral Industry|Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Scandal: Burr Oak Cemetery|stays closed past August 1-yourfuneralguy

Burr Oak Cemetery where up to 300 graves were desecrated and 4 arrested

Burr Oak Cemetery to Stay Closed past  8.01.09

The latest news is that Burr Oak Cemetery is to stay closed  past August 1, 2009. Families will not be able to go in to check there graves til after that date. An online data base will be established to help  families determine  if the loved ones are buried there.

Burr Oak Cemetery Owners Address, Phone

Perpetua Inc, 6614 E Villa Dorado Dr, Tucson, AZ. Tel: 520-615-1227.

Arrested Manager Managed 2 cemeteries

In the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal the arrested manager managed  2 cemeteries. Five miles away Cedar Park Cemetery is another Perpetua Inc cemetery. A spokesman for  that  company said that  Carolyn Towns managed both properties.

Snippet According to  the SouthTown

“Carolyn Towns also managed Burr Oak’s sister cemetery Cedar Park Cemetery near Calumet Park, a spokesman for Perpetua, Inc. said. Arizona-based Perpetua owns both graveyards.

She was the manager of both,” Ken Carter said today……”

Funeral industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Sources: Cited and suntimes.com pic from religiondispatches.org

Illinois Comptroller:Funeral|Cemetery Regulator needed-yourfuneralguy

State of Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes recently stated that more Funeral|Cemetery Regulation is needed in Illinois. He stated  that a  Regulator in the State of Illinois needs to be empowered.

He defended his role in the Illinois Funeral Directors Association(IFDA)Ponzi Scheme saying he did a good job based upon his regulator Authority. Hynes suggested that the that either his office or the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation should regulate cemeteries.

Funeral Directors in Illinois are quite upset with the Comptroller for the way he handled the Illinois Funeral Directors Association Mess.

Some Funeral Home are out millions. Others may be forced out of business. Funeral Directors are especially upset about his agrreement with Merrill Lynch(18 million) with a get out of Jail Free Card.

In part this is a reaction to the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal.

From the State Journal Register

“Hynes said there are gaps in state law regulating the cemetery and funeral industries. And he said regulating the death industry might not be a good fit for the comptroller, whose central mission is maintaining the state’s financial records and issuing checks.

The comptroller issues licenses to cemeteries and to funeral homes that sell pre-need funeral contracts to the public.”

Should the Comptroller regulate Cemeteries….Will regulation raise or lower funeral cost?

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog Industry Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal|funeral,cemetery,contract rules?-YourFuneralguy

In the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal up to 300 graves may have been desecrated, bones were piled up, 4 workers were involved.

In the United States of America people have have funerals and cemetery burials every day. In most cases the funeral home and cemetery rule. The rules are set in your funeral and cemetery contract. People in grief do not often read the fine print. A Funeral and a burial is both an emotional and a legal contract. Funerals and burials are regulated by contract law.

Often time the funeral director or cemetery sales person does not take the time to make sure the working stiffs understand the fine print.The door is then open to horrible heinous deception and greed. ABC 7 in Chicago has reported the existence of 2 types of burial contracts term graves, and select singles.

Term Graves and select singles are double grave stacking and burial contracts with graves  that can be dug up in 20 years or so and transferred to a mass grave. This all must be spelled out in a contract. No one has stated that these type of Contracts are on file present in  the Burr Oak Cemetery scandal. Note there are cultural, legal and historical aspects of all this which will not be addressed here.

There are 5 Illinois laws that probably apply here. There appears to be violations of these Laws in the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal.

1. The Illinois Cemetery Protection Act
2. Illinois Cemetery Care Act
3. Illinois Pre-Need Cemetery Sales Act
4. Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Business Act
5. Article 16 of the Illinois Criminal Code.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy Funeral Director, Illinois and Virginia.

Disclaimer I am blogging on this subject from the perspective of the Funeral Director.This is not meant to be legal advice, or judgment of anyone involved in this situation, at Burr Oak Cemetery.

Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal|Not a Federal Crime?-YourFuneralGuy

The Burr  Oak Cemetery Scandal  may not be Federal Crime. The Funeral Rule does not apply to cemeteries. The exception is Cemeteries with a Funeral Home on  Site.  A cemetery is covered under the Funeral Rule if they sell funeral goods and services. This appears not to apply to  Burr Oak Cemetery. The Cook county Sheriff would know that for sure.

In the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal 300 graves were desecrated. Bones were piled up and discarded. there is an  ongoing accounting of 100,00 graves.

The people arrested at Burr Oak Cemetery  may  not have committed a Federal crime under the Funeral Rule. This does not mean that the Funeral Rule should not apply to Cemeteries.The Federal Trade

Congress Needs to Amend The Funeral Rule to cover Cemeteries

commission does issue a warning at there website.

According to ftc.gov.

The FTC’s Funeral Rule does not cover cemeteries and mausoleums unless they sell both funeral goods and funeral services, so be cautious in making your purchase to ensure that you receive all pertinent price and other information, and that you’re being dealt with fairly.

The Federal Trade Commission needs to extend the Funeral Rule to Cemeteries.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)needs to issue an Advisory Ruling extending the Funeral Rule to Cemeteries. This will go along way to preventing future Burr Oaks across the United States.

CONGRESS NEEDS TO AMEND THE FUNERAL RULE SO THE BURR OAK CEMETERY SCANDAL DOES NOT HAPPEN SOMEWHERE ELSE

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

More information on this here.

Walter Cronkite Funeral|Family Requests Donations|Link-YourFuneralGuy

The Walter Cronkite Family has requested, in lieu of flowers that donations go to a specific charity.

The Walter and Betsy Cronkite Children have requested that Donations be made in lieu of of flowers. This is a common practice at funerals.

The Fund they would like you to make a donation to is called “The Walter and Betsy Cronkite Fund for Fair Play”.

Here is the link where the Cronkite Children would like a donation to be made

This fund has been set up by the Walter and Betsy Cronkite Foundation through the Austin CommunityFoundation.com. It is called “The Walter and Betsy Cronkite Fund for Fair Play”.

From AustinCommunityFoundation.com:

“The Walter and Betsy Cronkite Fund for Fair Play was established by the Cronkite’s children to honor the lives of their parents. Betsy and Walter Cronkite were two extraordinary individuals. Many know Walter Cronkite as the man who delivered the news of the day as the anchor of the CBS evening news from 1962-1981.”

Donations to a Charity to honor a loved one is often requested instead of sending flowers.

Walter Cronkite Funeral Service to be private. Make a donation to his Funeral Fund.

“In lieu of flowers” followed by a “charity name” or “donations to the family” is commonplace in obituaries. This can be helpful to your charity,charities or the family to lower funeral cost.

Be sure to make your donation to the Walter Cronkite Funeral Fund

Funeral Industry Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Walter Cronkite Pic from Wikepedia

“And thats the way it was”

Revealed Walter Cronkite Funeral |Arrangements |Your Funeral Guy

St Batholomew's Church New York City location of the Walter Cronkite Funeral

Revealed here are the basic Walter Cronkite Funeral Arrangements. Walter will be buried next to his wife Betsy in Missouri. Walter will be cremated. His funeral will take place  on Thursday in New York City. There will also be a memorial service at the  Lincoln Center with the date and time to be announced.

FUNERAL: Thursday, July 23,2009 at St. Batholomew’s Church in New York City

Memorial Service:Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Burial: Missouri next to wife Betsy.

Religious Service: Episcopal

Disposition: Cremation

Funeral  Industry| Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

St. Batholomew’s Church in New York City, pic from wikepedia

Source:Examiner.com

Walter Cronkite Funeral|Light A candle for News Anchor-YourFuneralGuy

Join the Memorial and light a candle for Walter Cronkite

Now you can light a candle for the most trusted man in America, the News Anchor Walter Cronkite.The man who took the world through the  60′s, 70′s and can be memoralized on line. Perhaps you have attended a funeral and a prayer vigil where you lit a candle for someone who died.

We do have feelings for public figures who have impacted our lives. It especially important to resolve grief for these folks. It becomes especially important to share your memory and light a candle when a person has helped us through national tradegy. Go here to light a  candle and leave a memory for Walter Conkrite. You can also view his obituary at the same place.

Walter Cronkite took America through D-Day, WWII, Presidential elections, the JFK assasination, the heroism of MLK, The Vietnam War, Landing a man on the moon, and much more. Walter was a big part of our history and our lives.

Be sure to leave a memory for the most trusted man  in a America.It will do your soul good and resolve your grief.

Funeral Industry|Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy

When funeral information, pictures, videos, arrangements, service, services,  become available we will make this information available.

Walter Cronkite 2005 Broadcast pic from flickr under the Creative Commons license from Chris Seufert’s photostream

"And that's the way it was"

Walter Cronkite|Funeral|Sign Guest Book-YourFuneralGuy

Walter Cronkite in 2006

Revealed here is a place to sign the Walter Cronkite Guest Book. Many times at a funeral an effective way to remember a person is to sign a guestbook. Now You can sign guest books on line for famous people or folks you know.

Here is a link to the Walter Cronkite Guest book. Leave your condolence on line. Walter Cronkite was known as the most trusted man in America.

As a young man I trusted Walter Cronkite to give me the news.  The JFK assassination, MLK, the space program, moon landing, watergate,  Nixon Resignation, Presidents, elections he gave us it all. Leaving condolences and signing a guest book is an effective way to deal with your grief.

Be sure to sign the guestbook.

“AND THAT”S  THE WAY IT IS”

Walter Cronkite Nov 4th 1916 to July17, 2009

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Funeral Industry| Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

As Funeral Information, pictures, arrangements, plans, videos become available you can source it here.

Walter Cronkite Pic from Wikepedia