Cemetery threatened by highway plan

No one argues that Route 322 through Mullica Hill, NJ, is a problem in need of a remedy, but the plans to create a bypass are opposed by a church whose cemetery could be disturbed by the highway.

Cemetery deal reached in Bucks Co., Pa

Awhile ago, when we used to blog regularly -- and we will get back to that -- we had information about a planned veterans cemetery in Bucks County, Pa., that was running into roadblocks with a local developer. The developer wanted a deal to build more homes on another of its properties in exchange for letting this land go at a lower price. That developer has accepted a higher price, in exchange for dropping its roadblocks. The feds are now going to buy the land.

Plants needed for Arlington

The annual drive to add plantings to Arlington Cemetery is coming up next month. Landscapers and growers who wish to add their plants to our national shrine are encouraged to do so. You can get the details at Lawn and Landscape Magazine

Here's the link for the Professional Landscape Network, as well. The event is part of the organization's annual trip to lobby lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

Mass. town views changes to cemetery regulations

The folks in Sudbury haven't amended cemetery regulations in two decades, so they want to show the proper respect for the dead.

Town sees cemetery as key to downtown revival

No, no pun intended with that headline. A town council in the Cincinnati area is taking over a cemetery from a local church. Some folks, including the mayor, are opposed, because the church is not giving any money for maintenance, but Councilman Ryan Zech, chairman of the parks and playground committee, said: "From our perspective, I think we see this as a way to kick-start any revitalization of our downtown, our business district and our residential areas also."

Student's overseas project

A college student spruces up a Jewish cemetery in Belarus destroyed during World War II.

"It didn't look like a cemetery," Antil said. "We had to cut down trees, burn brush and put a fence around it. Everyone worked together and we did get a lot of help from the village."

Update on noted Baltimore black cemetery

Here's the latest on Mount Auburn, a noted African-American cemetery. The original story is here.

Space-saving measures in Britain

A London cemetery is burying two bodies per grave because of dwindling cemetery space.

Canadian expansion to cost taxpayers

Improvements of this cemetery will cost local taxpayers 1 percent more.

Flag bandits

Just when you thought it was safe to put out flags for Memorial Day ...

Transition from cemetery to memorial park

A no-longer used cemetery in the Syracuse, N.Y., is being turned into a memorial park.

New landscapers in Virginia

Some new cuties are tending to a Lynchburg, Va., cemetery

Cincy area cemetery in dire straits

A local council wants to take over a dilapidated cemetery, but others raise concerns about finances.

Key vote coming in Bucks Co. Pa.

A local school board that wants to sell land to a developer who intends to sell land for a veterans cemetery is scheduled to act on the proposal this week.

Johnstown cemetery work

Volunteers are working on a bike train and other greenery at a historic cemetery.

Planning should do more

Here's a column that notes the planning community could do more about cemeteries.

Wilmington, Del.'s $13,000 grass bill

The city government is coming to the rescue for an unkept, and unkempt, cemetery.

"Not many" graves left in Massachusetts cemetery

A local government tries to find a place to expand.

Pa. cemetery sinking, Army Corps blamed

An old cemetery is sinking, and some advocates say it's caused by erosion after Army Corps of Engineers used soil from the riverbed to build roads alongside the river.

Neglected site in Illinois

A report about a place that is overgrown in an Illinois town.

Texas cemetery feels the squeeze

Tucked between a car dealership and an apartment complex is a neglected, overgrown cemetery in Texas.

More space needed in Australia

One cemetery in Australia is running out of room, for graves and ashes.

"Killer" invasive species spotted in UK

They call them "ladybirds" and they threaten native species in England.

Eagle Scout cleans up in Washington

A local cemetery needed work, and this Eagle scout was just the man for the job.

Green spaces can help cool cities

Interesting piece out of LiveScience.com that reports that increasing open space in cities can help cool them by as much as 7 degrees F. How about including cemeteries in the mix?

One man's mission

One man is on a mission to save a cemetery in Tennessee

Noted Baltimore cemetery in shambles.

A report in the Baltimore City Paper on an African-American cemetery in disrepair. This is a heartbreaking story!

Fayetteville, Ark., eyes expansion

A local organization seeks to raise $1.7 million to expand a cemetery.

Expansion in California

One town expects the local cemetery to run out of space in 10 yrs or less, so they are eyeing expansion.

Pesticides nixed in Canadian cemetery

A town council in Ontario rejects the use of pesticides/insecticides to combat grubs at a cemetery. Natural alternatives are being sought.

Yellowstone Plans

Officials in Montana are moving ahead on a master plan for a veterans cemetery

Colorado county says cemeteries equal open space

One county panel is ready to OK a veterans cemetery, saying it is an acceptable open space use.

Police in Ohio make arrests

Police say they have solved the case of vandalism in an Ohio cemetery.

Montana cemetery to expand

Another 4 acres is being added to a vets cemetery.

Confession in Vermont

Juveniles have apologized for damaging a Jewish cemetery in Vermont and will clean up their mess.

New Mexico needs more space for veterans

Officials say the military cemetery in Santa Fe is nearing capacity, but NM is low on the totem pole for a new site, they say.

An update for Ohio cemeteries

These are the ones owned by Ohio University and in need of TLC.

Brooklyn cemetery honors Civil War dead

New gravestones for veterans.

Vandalism in Washington State

Vandals burned flags in Washington State and replaced them with something else. "This is not an act of free speech. This is a crime," Sheriff Bill Cumming said in a statement released Monday afternoon.

First "rural cemetery" in US

I used this article in my college research this spring. It's about Mount Auburn, in Massachusetts, and its role in cemetery history.

Minnesota cemetery keeps up with the times

A good piece about how this cemetery is adapting to the changes in people's choice of cremation; and it includes some interesting stuff about financing perpetual care.

Cincy's Spring Grove honored

The Cincinnati Post reports on the cemetery being named a National Historic Landmark. Here is another link:
WCPO TV

Interesting reader comments

If you read the NY Times piece, make sure you peruse the reader comments, too. Some interesting ones....And here is the link to an article at First Things, which someone at the NY Times site referenced.

Cemeteries need help from the living, the NY Times has learned

Sorry for the sarcasm; this really is an interesting piece.

Have a safe, happy Memorial Day!

We'll be around sporadically in case there is big news to report, but otherwise, we're going to enjoy the three-day holiday weekend as much as we hope you do.
WPTG!

How much ground can a groundhog grind when a groundhog...

Groundhogs are only one of the problems facing a Michigan cemetery.

Costs going up in New Hampshire

A town in New Hampshire is raising the cost of a cemetery lot, and the funds are expected to be used for maintaining and improving the cemetery.

Budget ax in Wisconsin falls on cemetery study

Belt-tightening in Wisconsin leads to the loss of funds for a study to put in a new veterans cemetery.

Arlington National Cemetery on PBS

"America's Cemetery" will be featured at the national Memorial Day celebration, to air on PBS.

Cem. needs flags for Memorial Day

The previous operators let things go, and now the public is being asked to help in Kansas by providing flags for Memorial Day.

Cemetery preservationist visits NY State

As people get set to restore a cemetery in New York State, a noted preservationist comes to town.

W.Va. town rededicates old abandoned cemetery

Town gives credit to the volunteers who helped make it happen.

College budget cuts affect cemetery

Budget cuts at Ohio University mean that they cannot cut the grass at their historic, university-owned cemeteries.

Local biz community steps in after vandalism

The local business community in one Indiana town comes to the rescue of a cemetery on the eve of Memorial Day.

Wisconsin town considers running cemetery

Cemetery is losing money on its own, so a town might Wisconsin town government might take it over.

Historic remains found in Biloxi

Experts say they date back to the 18th century.

Camden County, NJ, cemetery

Great column about people trying to revive a historic African-American cemetery in Camden County, NJ

Missouri cemetery celebrates years

All sorts of activities are scheduled for this historic place.

Ohio woman strives to save forgotten cemetery

This is a cemetery where they did not set up perpetual care funds, so it has fallen to one civic-minded woman to stir things up.

Stealing from the dead is a grave concern

People in California are stepping up efforts to wipe out crime at cemteries.

Working to save a cemetery in Arkansas

People are trying to save a cemetery in distress in distress in Arkansas.

Hawaii site

Plans advance for a 69-acre site in Oahu, its first in 50 years.

Segregation, 21st-century style

In Texas, a cemetery still is sectioned off for whites and blacks.

New book highlights Arlington

Here's a blurb about a new book on Arlington Nat. Cem.

Vandals hit York, PA, cemetery

Officials at a Methodist church decry the vandalism.

Justice serves

Probation clients in Illinois will be mowing lawns at a cemetery, where former veterans in their 80s say they no longer can do the work

Forever, Hollywood

Actress Gina Gershon gets real at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in LA.

“It’s forever,” she says of the cemetery. “In such a transitory city where the billboards change each week — where the history is wiped off the land and off people’s faces — it’s one of the few places that has a sense of history.”

National cemeteries threatened by lack of funds

Here's a story from EarthTimes.org, which details the plight of cemetery maintenance at the national level.

"Pre-owned" cemetery plots

Plots are for sale because our mobile society sends us 'round the world.

Not just a place to go where you die

A nice piece about a family that lives at the cemetery that they manage.

Conn. cemetery cleanup washes away a century of neglect

Interesting story about a place in Conn. where they utilized townsfolk resources to spruce up a long-neglected veterans cemetery.

"America's Cemetery"

Those are the words of National Geographic in its June issue. The story is about Arlington National Cemetery. As is typical of NGeo, the Web site features all sorts of interactive features about Arlington, including places to click and learn about some of the famous Americans buried there. And, of particular interest to this blog, we quote from the blurb in the Contents section of the magazine: "More than 300,000 Americans -- from privates to Presidents -- are buried in Arlington National Cemetery. But space is running out."

Mother Nature and cemeteries

This is an interesting story. A Maine community needs to cut down trees around an old cemetery for safety reasons. Falling limbs and can damage headstones and spreading roots can damage the graves themselves.

Millions stolen from cemetery trusts?

Here's a report on $70M allegedly embezzled from cemeteries in Michigan.

Vandalism nearly destroys plans for memorial

Folks preparing to gather for a remembrance of a 1902 TN mine disaster, which killed 36 people, nearly had their plans destroyed, when organizers found that vandals had attacked. Cleanup was completed just in time.

Cleanup workers needed in New Mexico

This cemetery has no paid caretakers, and must rely on the kindness of strangers. As we know, this is not an isolated case.

Ohio group cleans up

A private group in Ohio takes the initiative to clean up their local cemetery. Can they spark a movement? Stay tuned.

More on PA veterans plans

Here's another story on locating a veterans cemetery in suburban Philadelphia.

Syracuse restoration

For years, it was a park, but before that it was a cemetery. Now, the First Ward Cemetery in Syracuse, NY, is about to undergo a restoration.

"I don't think any of us had heard of a situation like this where a cemetery has been so completely defaced, really. So, the goal is not to bring it back to its original condition. It's more to provide access to the cemetery for individuals through a path system," Shelley Swanson said.

That ol' college try

Some colleges are reaching out to alumni to have their cremated remains placed in campus columbaria, reports the NY Times. Among the schools are: Notre Dame, the University of Richmond and the Citadel

Labor dispute leads to 'storage problems'

Labor trouble means other kinds of trouble at the famous Notre-Dame-de-Neiges cemetery in Montreal, Canada.

Avoiding flooding damage in OK

Work is being proposed on a cemetery in Oklahoma to protect the lower portions from flooding.

Land dispute in Bucks Co, PA, may force vet cemetery elsewhere

A PA congressman is seeking an OK to put a cemetery in Chester Co. because of a land dispute in another county.

ADL blasts Ill. cemetery damage

The Anti-Defamation League criticizes vandalism at a Jewish cemetery in Illinois.

Struggling Indiana cemetery

Indiana cemetery struggles with upkeep, as Memorial Day approaches.

Teens arrested in vandalism case

These two teens, including a 14-year-old girl, allegedly crossed out Christian references on headstones and replaced them with pentagrams.

Colorado a step closer to a national cemetery

The US House Veterans Affairs Committee has OK'd a measure to create another veterans cemetery in Colorado.

Another TN cemetery is in disrepair

A local TV station is trying to spark owners of a cemetery in disrepair to do the right thing.

First step of a journey of 10,000 miles

Cleaning up a Tennessee cemetery.

MA town votes for new cemetery

Cemetery space is running out in Norwell, MA, so authorities voted to put in a new cemetery.

South Carolina cemetery

Some folks in South Carolina are trying to take care of a cemetery in disrepair.

Another MA expansion

This one around Pittsfield, MA

Massachusetts expansion

Authorities in Dedham, MA, are proposing to expand their cemetery, but it needs state Dept. of Environmental Protection OK, because it's near a brook. Hope there's no trouble.

A great article: now this is what I'm talkin' about!

Here is a link to buy a great article on cemeteries and planning! I wish I had found this earlier, for my research, but I'm glad I did the work, because I know my thoughts about this subject are correct.

Small cemetery (2 people) still needs care

It doesn't matter how big or small, all cemeteries deserve better than the fate of this cemetery in Oklahoma.

Cemetery in NJ spruced up

Officials were upset at how bad the cemetery looked a couple of years ago on Memorial Day and took steps to get it looking good again.

What happens in Nevada need not stay in Nevada

Here's a story about an old Nevada cemetery, whose caretaker is reminding us about how important cemeteries are for our history.

Cremation over burial in crowded Canadian cemetery

Canadian cemetery chooses columbarium for cremated remains, citing the 60-40 preference for cremation over burial at the cemetery.

Sarasota, FL, to get new vets cemetery

The U.S. Veterans Affairs makes a deal for a new cemetery for vets in Sarasota, FL.

Sarasota, FL, to get new vets cemetery

The U.S. Veterans Affairs makes a deal for a new cemetery for vets in Sarasota, FL.

Vandals strike Indy

Vandalism is reported in Indy.

Overcrowding in Ireland

A cemetery in Ireland is making graves skinnier, because of overcrowding problems.

Beautification in Canada

Local group works on making a cemetery in Canada beautiful.

Oregon cleanup

A cemetery cleanup is scheduled in the Albany area (south of Portland).

Omaha cemetery getting crowded

Whaddya know? A once-rural cemetery in Omaha is being crowded by development.

Cheers for Santa Barbara officials

Officials in Santa Barbara, CA have hired an architect to design a way to honor the 3,000 dead at Memorial Park. It's a former cemetery, now a park, and it deserves to be given its proper glory.

Nowhere to go in Apache Junction

Here's a poignant tale of a fellow in Arizona with lung cancer, and all he wants is a final resting place in his town. But there's nothing there, and the closest one, in Mesa, is nearly full.

Ohio voters OK cemetery funding

Voters in an Ohio town OK'd a measure to expand a cemetery whose space is running low (aren't they all?). Seriously, good move by the citizenry!

Alleged vandal trapped under tombstone

This guy has been in the news a few places.

Urban Bird Count, because cemeteries are great places to watch birds

In my recent research, I discovered that one of the plusses (positive externalities, in geographic terms) of cemeteries is that they are havens for all kinds of wildlife. Birds, with their "birdaptability" are especially benefited, so here is a chance to get on board with a great scientific project, the Great Urban Bird Count, sponsored by the Ornithology Lab of Cornell U. The count goes from May 10-13.

Cemetery owner needs help

"I'm on oxygen and about half-dead myself. I need a grant, a wealthy individual or a crazy person to step in."
So says the owner of a cemetery in the St. Louis area who needs help restoring and maintaining his cemetery.

'Round the nation

Ohio cemetery gets a makeover

Thieves steal flowers in North Carolina

Texas sexton talks about his job, touts upcoming cemetery workday

Restoration in Illinois

Cherry Hill, NJ, paupers' cemetery?

The Courier-Post has an interesting story about a supposed paupers' cemetery
that got lost in the tax shuffle and was sold at tax sale for $112. Never mind that it's land-locked and shouldn't be developed. Someone let this site fall through the cracks...until it was time for someone to make $$ off it.
The suspicious nature of this case is only part of the story; the real sad truth is that there are probably thousands like this across the country.

Unintended, intended consequences

Oswego, NY, is expanding a cemetery, but here is a consequence of having to expand. We lose woodlands.

Call to action for Marines, others in FL

A pre-Memorial Day cleanup in the Pensacola area.

Johnstown, Pa., vandals strike

People are justifiably angry over destruction at a cemetery and war memorial.
Whatever your views of the current conflict, people fought and died to serve their country.

Wise folks in UK

They're acting wisely in the UK
The folks are making plans to expand to an adjacent farm.

A council spokesman said: "Bolton is a forward thinking council and has identified the need to secure adequate burial space for future years.
"A planning application has been submitted for an extension to Heaton Cemetery. As part of the planning process consultation is taking place with ward members, nearby residents and members of the local community..."

Thieves turn to Flower Power

Thieves in Crawford County, Arkansas, have taken to stealing flowers from graves, sometimes on the day they're placed.

Filling up, Down Under

Even in wide-open Australia, the problem is growing.

Vandals desecrate Jewish cemetery

Operators of a Jewish cemetery in New Haven, CT, say it will cost thousands thousands of dollars to repair the damage caused by vandals.

Officials for the Hebrew Free Burial Association, formed decades ago to provide graves for poor people who could not afford them, could not immediately be identified or contacted.

In addition to their plots in the East Haven cemetery, both Bikkur Cholim Sheveth Achim and The Westville Synagogue are taking care of burial grounds that they inherited from synagogues that no longer exist or Jewish lodges, fraternal groups or burial associations whose membership has dwindled.

Those orphan burial grounds "are like footballs" that bounce around in search of a caretaker ...

Cemetery squeeze, Wales version

The squeeze is on in Cardiff

Parkland feels squeeze of cemetery expansion

Here is a follow-up to the cemetery squeeze in Waterloo, Ontario. City officials expect to run out of cemetery room in 6 years, but local athletes are upset that their parkland is being eyed for cem. expansion.
No side is flat-out right or wrong. The park is the among the biggest, with all kinds of athletic field, but the cemetery needs room, too.

Another Canadian story, but one that will move you

Here is the story of a gravedigger who just passed away. Not really what we do here, but a touching tale, nonetheless. Rest in peace, James Dolan.

Vandalism in Canada

Sorry to be the bearer of more bad news, but here we go again as vandals attack an Ontario cemetery
Said Hall Seely, sec/tr for the targeted Madill Church "One really has to wonder why. It’s pretty difficult to get back at the deceased ... "

News from Ohio, West Virginia, Canada

Defiance, Ohio, has established a cemetery enhancement fund:

http://www.crescent-news.com/news/article/1944342

Vandals in West Virginia attack a cemetery:
http://www.statejournal.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=23352

Forward-thinking Canadians are asking for public input on cemeteries:
http://www.waterloochronicle.ca/wat/news/news_778468.html

More cemeteries in need of care

From Alabama. Watch the video:

http://www.wkrg.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WKRG%2FMGArticle%2FKRG_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173351048747&path=!news!local



From Jacksonville, Texas. The link to the story doesn't work, but the pic is moving:

http://www.jacksonvilleprogress.com/homepage/local_story_122175858.html

Good news from Utah

Salt Lake Tribune, via Associated Press, reports:
NORTH LOGAN --After a decade of planning, officials here are prepping 50 acres for a new cemetery that will include a trail system and recreational lands.
Land for the site in the northeast quadrant of the city was purchased eight years ago. Crews are currently installing roads, sod and a sprinkler system.
City facilities superintendent Terrel Huppi says the first 1,100 plots on two acres in the cemetery will go on sale next year. Prices range from $250 to $500 depending on residency status, with additional costs at the time of burial.
A master plan for the facility also sets aside space for a memorial, mausoleum, fountains and other features.
Areas for picnicking, hiking and dog walking are also planned.

Bad guys

From Cushing Daily Citizen, Cushing, Okla.:

Cemetery robbed, reward offered
BRIDGET CLARKManaging Editor
A $5,000 reward is offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person/persons responsible for the theft at Fairlawn Cemetery at some time during the night Thursday, April 26.
Lionel Harris said the thieves took two John Deere mowers, three heavy-duty weed eaters, trimmers and a blower, which all totaled about $16,000. The latch on the door where the equipment was stored was tampered with and ultimately cut.
Harris said the incident would not stop plans to have the cemetery looking its best for Memorial Day. The cemetery operates strictly on donations and Harris said many local people help to keep the property well kept. If anyone has information about the break-in they are urged to call the Payne County Sheriff’s Department at (405) 372- 4522. Harris said anonymous tips would be honored.


And also, from MaineToday.com:
WATERVILLE — More than 10 grave sites were vandalized at the Pine Grove Cemetery on Grove Street.
Family members of the late Janice Coro discovered today that the grave stones had been toppled over. They were visiting the cemetery and sprucing up Coro's and other family members' grave sites in advance of Mother’s Day.
A police report was filed, according to family members at the cemetery Tuesday.

Do your good deed - clean up a cemetery

From the Daily Leader, Brookhaven, Miss.:
City officials have declared the month of May as Cemetery Clean Up Month in recognition of Memorial Day and hope the community will step forward to assist efforts citywide to beautify the resting places of loved ones. Full story at:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18281401&BRD=1377&PAG=461&dept_id=172922&rfi=6

Reporter-Times, Martinsville, Ind.:
Clean Up Day for Mount Olive Fairview Cemetery, which is in the 3600 block of Wilbur Road, will be 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. Volunteers are needed to help with the work. Full story at:
http://www.reporter-times.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=70171&format=html

Morning News, northwest Arkansas:
SPRINGDALE -- The annual Hickory Creek Cemetery cleanup is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Saturday. Full story at:
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2007/05/01/news/050207szbriefs.txt

Cemetery gets OK in NM, but story's not over

Here's a follow-up to the N.M. cemetery that was coming up for a vote:
http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/apr/11/bernalillo-county-approves-cemetery/
Bernalillo County OK'd the proposal, 4-1, but some area residents plan to sue to stop development of the 13,000-plot site, which will include a crematory and funeral services office. One question that went unanswered is how the new owner/operator will water the grass in this water-starved portion of the country. While we recognize that our society will need cemeteries for all time -- how many people do you know have done without a final resting place? -- here is another consequence of the modern cemetery movement: extensive landscaping costs, many of which put a large strain on our environment.

More news

From Ohio: proposal for a cemetery tax levy:
http://www.starbeacon.com/local/local_story_120073817?start:int=0

From Connecticut: a condo project could be impacted by Revolutionary War-era graves:
http://www.nhregister.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18278588&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=517514&rfi=6

That's probably it for the night: Rest in Peace!

And now, good news out of Asbury Park, N.J.

Here's a great story from the Asbury Park Press: a historic cemetery is cleaned up and rededicated, honoring the 61 buried there, including at least four Civil War veterans:

http://www.app.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070430/NEWS01/704300334/1004/OPINION

Cemetery plan in New Mexico

Out in New Mexico, a cemetery plan is under fire.

http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/apr/10/grave-issue-cemetery-edith-vote/

From someone who doesn't understand the complexities of the issue:
" 'The city doesn't need another cemetery, and we don't need anther cemetery. We already have a cemetery,' said Virginia Huettig, former president of the Northeast Valley Neighborhood association and chairwoman of its zoning committee."
---
Stay tuned. I'll be trying to track down the latest on this.

Cemetery uncovered in Ga.

Here's a link to an interesting story about Georgia:
http://www.waltontribune.com/story.lasso?ewcd=b385c754fdc21f14
Among the article's interesting points:

"According to the Historic Preservation Division Web site, no state laws prohibit development around a historic cemetery or require buffers between the development and the cemetery. The laws are aimed to primarily protect the burials from disturbance, with Georgia Code ..."

Cemetery embezzlement alleged

We begin with some bad news:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — An oil speculator and funeral home owner accused of stealing millions from cemetery trust funds has been indicted on theft and money laundering charges, prosecutors said Friday (April 27, 2007).
The announcement of charges in Memphis came a day after Clayton R. Smart, 67, of Okmulgee, Okla. was arrested in that city and charged in Michigan in a related case.
The grand jury in Memphis also indicted Smart’s business partner, Stephen Smith, 60, of Muskogee County, Okla., and financial adviser Mark Singer, 41, of New Hope, Pa., District Attorney Bill Gibbons said in a statement. All three are accused of theft and money laundering. Smith and Singer have been taken into custody and were awaiting extradition to Tennessee, the release said.
Calls to Smart and Smith seeking comment were not immediately returned. Singer couldn’t be located for comment.
Tennessee officials allege that Smart, Smith and Singer stole more than $20 million from trust funds for three cemeteries and funeral homes in Memphis owned by Smart and Smith.
In Michigan, Smart is charged with 39 felony counts of racketeering, embezzlement and misuse of cemetery funds. Attorney General Mike Cox said Smart is accused of embezzling up to $70 million from 28 Michigan cemetery trust funds.
Smart was being held in Oklahoma with bond set at $4.2 million —$300,000 for the charges in Tennessee and another $3.9 million for the Michigan charges.
The Tennessee case stems from Smart’s announcement in July that more than 13,000 people with prepaid burial contracts would have to pay more — thousands of dollars in some cases — for those contracts to be honored.
Smart has blamed the problems on inflation and other people’s mismanagement.