Community Corner

Woman Upset With Cemetery Association's 'Cleanup' of Grave Items

A Finleyville woman found items—that have been in place for eight years—missing from a loved one's gravesite at a cemetery in Peters Township.

WTAE is reporting a Finleyville woman said she feels violated after finding that items are missing from a loved one's gravesite at a local cemetery.

Elaine Wasko's father died eight years ago. Wasko told WTAE that, since then, visiting in is usually peaceful, but a recent visit had her perturbed.

Wasko said a golden retriever dog statue and a hand-painted rock that her niece painted had always been there, but recently went missing.

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She visited the cemetery office, desperate for answers, to find out "the stuff" was relocated—with hundreds of items from other gravestones—and had been placed hundreds of yards away behind a garage.

Wasko said no letter had been sent out to notify families and that she was upset. On Friday, the cemetery released a statement. 

Find out what's happening in Peterswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It began:

The condition of our diocesan cemeteries and the safety of all visitors and employees is of utmost importance. Every March the Catholic Cemeteries Association conducts a general cleanup of the cemetery properties. Our general clean up has been in place for over 20 years.

To read the full statement, click here.


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