Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

COVID-19 has presented many disruptions for varying industries and institutions. Many families across the country are having to say good-bye to their loved ones during these times in less than ideal ways. A local family shares their grievance about a loved one's burial that made them very distraught. A family member, who asked to remain anonymous, shared that when the funeral procession pulled up to bury its baby at Richwood Memorial Gardens in Richwood, LA, they were stopped by the graveyard's owner. It is alleged that the owner refused to allow the family to witness the casket of their beloved being lowered into the ground and sealed. After an exchange, the family realized that the owner had not dug the grave like it is normally done. Instead of admitting his faults, the graveyard owner urged them to leave, which angered many family members. While the family waited at Richwood Memorial Gardens, the owner waited for them to leave in what felt like a standoff. The vault man, responsible for sealing things before the grave was covered, was forced to wait to do his job too. The family was utterly appalled by the owner's lack of compassion for the family. In the end, it is alleged that their loved one was simply pushed into the grave with no care or special effort, making an already sad occasion even more painful for the family to experience.

Others allege improper burial practices at Richwood Memorial, reporting busted caskets, graves that have caved in, and improper drainage. This is only one side of the story shared by someone who says he will never bury another family member at Richwood Memorial Gardens and urges others not to as well until the yard changes its burial practices.