New Ashland Cemetery owner tries to address complaints
Dec. 18—St. Joseph residents continue to raise complaints and concerns with Ashland Cemetery, while a new owner has taken over the property to turn its appearance around.
Rodney O'Dell never thought much about Ashland Cemetery. He had heard complaints from time to time but whenever he drove by it on Ashland Avenue, it looked respectable. It wasn't until he buried his mother there in May that he realized how rundown the property was.
For nearly 10 years, News-Press NOW has reported on the deterioration and mismanagement of Ashland Cemetery, from broken gravestones and debris to burying people in wrong plots. Ashland Cemetery has even been the focus of disciplinary hearings, and in 2016, the state revoked the cemetery's license as an "endowed care cemetery."
On a sunny but chilly winter afternoon, O'Dell walked through the property pointing out gravestones lying on the ground and ripping up grass to show others buried underneath the ground. He also showed a handful of graves buried in the tree line.
"They need to get the tombstones back where they're supposed to be and get rid of all this debris that's going to fall and destroy it more," he said.
The property is 46 acres, so O'Dell was sympathetic to how much work is needed to manage such a large property. But then he found out the cemetery has a trust fund with $350,000.
"I felt sorry at first until I found out they had the money to keep this place up," O'Dell said. "They're not doing it. Now, something needs to be done."
Ecy Bullock agrees with O'Dell. It's why he took ownership of the cemetery eight months ago.
"I have family here at the cemetery and saw that it was in distress," he said. "I decided that I would purchase the cemetery and make the necessary improvements that were needed."
Bullock said the $350,000 is a perpetual care fund. When a family buys a grave and a monument, a portion of those proceeds go into a perpetual trust account and are used to maintain the property.
"We receive monies to assist with the maintenance of the grounds," Bullock said. "It doesn't cover everything, it covers a fraction, so we take care of the difference."
Right now, the cemetery employs two people. Bullock said they have six to eight workers taking care of the grounds during the busy months from spring to fall. His priority next year is cleaning the tree line.
"We'll be clearing out that area where there is overgrowth," he said. "We had intended on doing that this fall, but scheduling did not permit that to happen."
As for the unkempt appearance and debris, Bullock said he is addressing the issues and making progress.
"With 46 acres it does take time to make that happen, so it is an ongoing task," he said. "But needless to say, we've not stopped. It's something that we are mindful of and that we are addressing."
Quinn Ritzdorf can be reached at quinn.ritzdorf@newspressnow.com
