Grave concerns in Scott City

The profusion of decorations on many of the graves at Lightner Cemetery in Scott City tell stories about the people buried there and those who love them. Sports trophies, a watering can for a gardener, model racing cars, wind chimes, bird feeders and tiny statues of rabbits, squirrels and angels are among the thousands of totems arrayed around the graves.

One is decorated with 40 different items. A plastic pipe that looks like a water sprinkler sticks inexplicably out of another. In an area of the cemetery where a number of babies are buried there are so many decorations around the graves that getting a lawn mower between them is impossible. Vases blow off headstones and crumbling statues are run over by the riding mower used to trim the cemetery grass. Because of the forest of shepherd's hooks and statues at ground level, mowing the graves is becoming increasingly difficult.

"Where does it stop?" councilman Norman Brant asks. "That is the problem."

He has proposed an ordinance that will restrict what can be put on graves and where the allowable things can be put. The purpose is to make the cemetery less of a burden to maintain.

About the grass

Scott City pays a husband and wife to mow its three cemeteries: Lightner and the much smaller Mount Zion and Old Lutheran cemeteries. The city's annual budget for cemetery care - which covers mowing, landscaping, repairs, equipment, fuel and refunds - is $11,200. The city removes flowers from the graves twice a year. Weed killer is used around the edges of the headstones. Brant said powered weed trimmers can't be used because they will destroy the decorations.

If the ordinance passes as proposed, flowers must be located within 1 foot of the front of the tombstone. Flowers can be placed atop tombstones if attached. Shepherd hooks that suspend flowers or other items will be limited to one per grave and must be placed in back of the tombstone. No plantings will be allowed. Nothing can be placed atop the tombstone unless it is permanently attached. No wooden cutouts, yard ornaments or bird feeders would be allowed.

Those who decorate graves have until the end of June to remove prohibited items from the graves. After that, the city will remove them.

Brant, who chairs the city's cemetery committee, realizes that his proposal won't be popular with everyone.

"Some are going to say, 'I bought and paid for that. I'll do what I want to do,'" he said.

Ten years ago, the city spent more than $100,000 to upgrade Lightner Cemetery. Brant helped build the new gazebo. Workers also cut down 32 trees, built new roads and expanded eastward -- raising the level of the new part of the cemetery 7 feet.

As Brant walks through the cemetery, he points out the graves of cousins, other relatives and friends. "I know them all," he said.

A real Titleist ball sits on the grave of his cousin, who loved golf. Brant's father's grave has a gazing ball next to it that will have to be moved, he admits.

He knows that people want to honor their loved ones. "We don't want to make people mad," Brant said. "But we've got to balance it out."

Like other cemeteries

When Brant brought up the topic of new cemetery regulations at the last council meeting, Mayor Tim Porch looked at the recommended regulations and concluded that they probably aren't much different from the rules at other cemeteries. Indeed, the privately operated Memorial Park Cemetery in Cape Girardeau has a three-page list of regulations. Kevin Ford, who manages the cemetery for Ford & Sons Funeral Home, said the rules are there to provide a standard of appearance at the cemetery.

"The main purpose is to maintain it where everybody can enjoy it," he said.

But the city of Cape Girardeau, which operates the New Lorimier Cemetery, the Old Lorimier Cemetery and Fairmont Cemetery, does so without a set of rules.

"Our restrictions are virtually none," said Terrell Weaver, the cemetery lead man.

During the holidays, some people bring out small Christmas trees with battery-operated lights, Weaver said.

There is one basic rule: "We can't have anything blocking the graves," Weaver said. "So far we haven't had a problem." The fact that the city has workers at the cemeteries all through the week probably helps avoid problems, he said.

The Cape Girardeau cemeteries allow items on graves if they're on the headstone or on shepherd's hooks, Weaver said. "We don't care as long as they're out of our way."

His attitude is that it's better not to place many restrictions on people's expressions of grief.

"Lots of decorating needs to be done. There's a lot of remembrance needed, especially after the first couple of years," Weaver said.

"... We just kind of work around that and know that's what happens."

The city of Jackson operates Russell Heights Cemetery and the Old City Cemetery. Signs at the entrances lay out the rule prohibiting permanent structures other than headstones. The cemeteries also prohibit portable benches along with plantings on grave lots.

Otherwise, people are free to decorate the graves however they want, said assistant city administrator Larry Koenig. "We've really tried to stay away from being too particular about it."

Jackson cemetery workers use weed trimmers to cut grass near graves and around flowers. "We will lift them up," he said. "That takes more time." Jackson has two full-time cemetery employees and adds two part-timers during the summer.

The Scott City Council is expected to consider the proposed ordinance at its next meeting on June 16.

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182