Kenosha cemetery throws out gravesite items, families surprised

Families of loved ones buried at St. George Cemetery in Kenosha are facing another type of loss, one they say came without warning or explanation earlier this week.

"This is one of the last places we can go to feel connected to them," said Mount Pleasant resident Caitlin Busse, who has family members buried at St. George.

"It’s a place to go and celebrate and remember. That was kind of ripped away," Michelle Bain, whose son is buried at St. George, said. "You could walk around and see the personalities instead of the stone you’re walking by."

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From gravesites at a cemetery to a dumpster, objects as part of memorials were discarded. Families have been searching through a pile of trash, trying to find their loved ones’ mementos – sentimental things like graduation tassels, painted rocks and more.

"It was heartbreaking seeing people on their hands and knees crying, digging through things in the dark," said Victoria De La Rosa Evangelista, whose parents are buried at St. George.

Discarded gravesite items at St. George Cemetery in Kenosha

De La Rosa Evangelista spent more than four hours unsuccessfully looking for mementos from her parents grave while helping others sort objects by type.

"We found lots of baby things. Really sad," she said.

Discarded items included military memorabilia and flags.

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"That hurt – just to throw them away like that in the trash," Sylvia Reddeman, De La Rosa Evangelista's sister. Reddeman said her husband fought in two wars.

"They have no respect for them and their families," Reddeman said. "You don’t get to do that."

The cleanup at the Catholic cemetery began Wednesday, Nov. 2 – All Soul's Day, and the Day of the Dead.

Discarded gravesite items at St. George Cemetery in Kenosha

"It’s an important day for our culture," said De La Rosa Evangelista. "I had decorated beautifully."

Numerous people with loved ones told FOX6 News they didn't get proper notice it would be happening. Downtown Kenosha Catholic, which operates the cemetery, did put a message in an online bulletin that said all decorations except wreaths would be discarded after Nov. 2. Signs in the cemetery say "nothing artificial" is allowed.

"Our family’s been in the cemetery since 1968. They’ve never done that before now," Bain said. "It’s not a change you can make on a whim."

Discarded gravesite items at St. George Cemetery in Kenosha

Families who spoke to FOX6 said it's now a little harder to find the personalities of the loved ones they come to visit. They said they're asking for an apology and an explanation. 

"(My daughter) just feels like it’s not her dad’s grave anymore. She doesn’t feel his presence now that it’s empty," said Simone Turner of Kenosha, whose fiancé is buried at St. George. The two had six kids together.

"I just wish they would allow us to keep letting our loved ones, us find our peace with our loved ones by decorating," De La Rosa Evangelista said. "What’s the harm in that?"

FOX6 also reached out to St. George Cemetery but did not immediately hear back.

Editor's note: Father Sean Granger emailed FOX6 News back after the story originally aired, saying that the rules had been posted on signs throughout the cemetery since before Memorial Day, and the full list of regulations were posted online since April.

"Both the signs and website state that violations will be discarded, which is not a happy nor fun process for anyone involved, since these objects, though violations to cemetery regulations, have sentimental meaning to families," Granger wrote.

"We left the signs up and information on our website for several months before enforcing the regulations, hoping that people would remove their own items over the summer if they wanted to keep them."

Granger also wrote that the regulations exist to prevent littering and items from harming wildlife, reduce disagreements between families about what’s considered appropriate at a Catholic cemetery, and landscaping workers from potential hazards.