Cemetery's mystery headstone removed

Ed Dodd was shocked when he found two identical headstones for his aunt's grave at Lorimier Cemetery last month.

"It's the same size, same color, same everything," Dodd said.

The cemetery staff did not know there were two identical headstones until Dodd told the cemetery's sextant, Terrell Weaver, about a month ago. Cemetery crews removed the extra headstone Thursday afternoon.

"It was kind of a shock to us," said Rob Smithey, a maintenance worker at Lorimier Cemetery.

Weaver was out of the office and unavailable for comment Thursday.

Dodd noticed the identical headstones when he and his wife came to visit the graves of several family members in May but could not remember where his aunt was buried.

"I hadn't been out here since she was buried about two years ago," Dodd said, "so I didn't remember where she was."

They found the first headstone next to someone they did not know, but they did not think that was right. So they kept looking and found the real grave near some of Dodd's other relatives.

The grave of Dodd's aunt, Virginia Allcorn, was assigned to section 6, lot 134, space 7 where other family members of Dodd's are buried. The duplicate headstone was placed about 100 yards away next to a headstone of a nonrelative in section 6, lot 37, space 8. According to cemetery records, Vernon Zimmerman purchased spaces 5 through 8 in lot 37, but no one is buried in spaces 5, 6 or 8. Marissa Zimmerman is buried in space 7.

Dodd and his wife, Marilyn, have been to the cemetery several times since they spoke with Weaver to see whether the duplicate stone had been removed. When they came by Thursday morning it was still there.

Smithey said he was certain Allcorn was buried in the correct grave next to Dodd's relatives because he helped dig it.

"I was here when they buried Mrs. Allcorn because I remember Mr. Dodd coming out," Smithey said. "Me and Mr. Weaver dug the grave when all the part-time guys were laid off in the winter."

Allcorn died Jan. 20, 2006.

But neither Dodd nor the cemetery could explain how a second headstone had been placed.

"It's beyond our control and our knowledge," said Smithey, referring to the placement of headstones. He said it was the responsibility of the headstone company, not the cemetery, to place and remove headstones.

"Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the time they will call and doublecheck with us or we'll go over together and make sure," Smithey said.

Ford and Sons Funeral Home was responsible for providing the headstone for Allcorn.

According to Smithey, someone had to order and pay for a second marker; otherwise the company would not have placed one.

Allcorn's husband could not be reached for comment.

"As far as the cemetery's concerned, we've gone above and beyond," Smithey said.

Ford and Sons did not return a phone call seeking comment.

tthomas@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 197