To those of you who requested an update
on the paving of Hale-McBride Cemetery
in Jeffersonville, Indiana:
We had our meeting Saturday afternoon with the owner of two local funeral
homes who confirmed that, over the past several decades, he personally
observed the pavement of the shopping center parking lot slowly encroach
over more and more of the cemetery. He told us that it used to be THREE OR
FOUR TIMES its present size. There were once 80-100 graves; only 10 (most
of which are broken) survive today; the rest are underneath the parking lot.
Though our Township Trustee was initially ready to help us restore this
cemetery, current Indiana law (see Indiana Code 23-14-68-1 at
http://www.ai.org/legislative/ic/code/title23/ar14/ch68.html) prohibits the
Township Trustee from spending Township funds to maintain cemeteries on
which the property owner is paying property taxes.
Since the cemetery tract was only "reserved" as a graveyard in 1882 and,
according to the Township Attorney, never officially deeded out from the
rest of the property and since the property owner has been paying taxes on
this cemetery, there's apparently nothing the Trustee can do to help.
I believe some of the descendants are going to have a title search performed
and see an attorney to determine whether they have standing to pursue this
matter in the courts. Given the fact that the laws of the State of Indiana
have failed us miserably, there doesn't seem to be any other recourse.
In the meantime, descendants of these families are diligently cleaning up
what little remains of Hale-McBride Cemetery.
Thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement and concern.
Lois
How can a property owner get away with PAVING over a cemetery
and turning it into a parking lot? See:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/5881/halemcbridecem.html
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Clark County, Indiana Cemeteries Page:
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/5881
Next CCCPC Meeting: Saturday, 8-1-98, Sellersburg Library, 2 PM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------