Article content“Since all of this happened, I’ve learned that it’s probably about a dozen headstones that have been removed and that a letter was sent (by the cemetery) to Heritage Memorials back in May,” said Brake. “So, a dozen families couldn’t be called to just give heads up? Where did the decency go? Article content“We entrust our loved ones to the cemetery … It’s a place that we can go feel closer to them. You feel that comfort knowing that they’re looked after, but I really felt that disconnect when I called and they wiped their hands of it.” Article contentBrake said the headstones that were marked to be removed had to be identified in advance, so there’s no reason why someone — whether the cemetery staff, a member of the association’s board or even a clergy representative — could not have followed that up with a courtesy call to each of the families affected. Article content“It wasn’t 3,000 families,” she said. “It was a dozen.” Article contentArticle contentCompany apology Article contentThe Telegram asked Mount Cemetery for an interview. Article contentNo one was available on Friday, Oct. 31, and the cemetery directed the inquiry to a letter posted on its website from Heritage Memorials. Article contentIn the letter dated Oct. 28, the company’s president issued an apology for what happened. According to Steve Nelson, six headstones were removed to be resized, but the truck used to carry out the removals had arrived several days earlier than planned, and Heritage Memorials was unaware that families had not been given any notification of the work to be done. Article content“We apologize that neither the cemetery nor the customers were contacted prior to the removal,” Nelson wrote. Article content“Our installation crews thought the contacts had been made. I should have personally checked to ensure that the proper procedure had been followed. I did not and I am sorry for the concern we caused our customers and their families. We will ensure that something like this does not happen again.” Article contentArticle contentNelson also noted that the resized memorials would all be back in position by Oct. 30. Article content Mount Patricia Cemetery is located on the North Shore Highway in Corner Brook. IMAGE FROM MOUNT PATRICIA CEMETERY WEBSITEArticle content‘Has to be some compassion’ Article contentThe Brake family’s headstone has been replaced. Article content“It looks great,” said Brake Article contentShe appreciated Heritage Memorial taking ownership of the lack of communication and is happy the monument is back, but is still not happy about how this all transpired from the cemetery’s point of view. Article contentShe feels Mount Patricia Cemetery should have taken more initiative between May and the fall of the year to Article content“There just has to be some compassion,” said Brake. “Just be kind.” Article contentShe hopes a lesson has been learned from the disappointment experienced by her and other families who had no idea the headstones of their loved ones would be temporarily absent from the site. Article content“There are a lot of questions around this whole process and it could have been done a lot better,” said Brake. “I really don’t want another family to have to go through this.” Article content
Grave concern: Corner Brook family upset no notice given about headstone removal
