The Burr Oak Cemetery scandal has prompted local, county, state and now federal legislators to look at creating new laws and better regulations for cemeteries.
The Burr Oak Cemetery scandal has prompted local, county, state and now federal legislators to look at creating new laws and better regulations for cemeteries.
The latest inquiry took place Tuesday at the Dirksen Federal Building downtown when the House subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection, chaired by Ill. Cong. Bobby Rush, D-1st, held a public hearing to discuss the oversight of cemeteries and other funeral services. Cong. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-2nd, and Danny Davis, D-7th, who are not committee members, joined Rush and other committee members and heard from residents, politicians and funeral directors.
Rush said with so many national corporations now owning cemeteries it warrants federal oversight.
“We are going to make sure there are responsible laws in place to prevent this kind of abuse from taking place at other cemeteries,” Rush told the Defender. “There’s no reason for any cemetery not to have proper record keeping.”
The Rev. Don Grayson, a great-grandson of singer Dinah Washington, who is buried at Burr Oak, 4400 W. 127th St. in south suburban Alsip, addressed the subcommittee first.
“It is my hope, Chairman Rush, that everybody can have peace when this is all done because this experience has been overwhelming for me and my family,” he said. “I recommend annual inspections of cemeteries and tougher regulations to prevent this from happening again.”
Grayson was not alone in addressing concerns about what role local and federal governments should play in regulating cemeteries. He was joined by the Rev. Jesse Jackson and Spencer Leak Jr. of Leak and Sons Funeral Home.
“This crisis came about from the state’s failure to regulate cemeteries,” the Rev. Jackson said. “When you look at some of these cemeteries, you will see a lot of things beyond your expectation like land not cared for.”
Leak suggested that cemeteries be authorized to go online to place the location of headstones on death certificates, which is filed with the Cook County Clerk’s office.
“All funeral homes and embalmers are licensed, but cemeteries are not,” he said. “As an African-American funeral director, I am appalled of the crimes that have taken place at the historical Burr Oak Cemetery. My grandparents and great-grandparents are buried there so I am hurting like so many other families.”
But one testimony that brought tears to some committee members’ eyes came from Roxie Williams, 31, who passionately spoke about the hurt she felt when she could not locate her father’s headstone at Burr Oak.
“I cannot tell you how it made me feel not to be able to find my dad’s headstone. After his death, I received counseling to come to terms with his death and to build myself up emotionally,” she said. “But to have his headstone missing and the poor customer service I received from the staff when I went to inquire was devastating. The Burr Oak staff raped my family of peace.”
Illinois Comptroller Daniel Hynes said his office has limited legal authorization over cemeteries.
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Click here to visit Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart’s Burr Oaks site to find out whether your family member’s headstone is still there.
In photo: After a congressional hearing Tuesday at the Dirksen Federal Building downtown, U.S. Reps. Bobby Rush, D-1st, and Jan Schakowsky, D-9th, answer questions from the media.
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