Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on January 24, 1931.
FIND BURIALS MADE WITH NO PERMIT GIVEN
Burials in Maplewood cemetery, the city’s burying ground, without first obtaining a permit from the city clerk’s office, irked members of the city council when the incident was brought to their attention at Friday night’s session by Councilman Myers E. Zimmerman, chairman of the cemetery committee.
What is more, the practice of allowing interments without the necessary payments without the necessary payment of from $12 to $15 has not halted despite repeated orders on the part of the cemetery committee to Ross Corson, Maplewood sexton, not to allow grave openings unless permits from the city clerk are first obtained.
City Clerk Flora E. Kenny was unable to shed any light on some recent burials other than to say that she has never been approached for the purpose of issuing permits.
“The only time I know when burials take place is when I read about them in the newspaper,” she told council members.
Councilman Zimmerman informed his colleagues that he had warned the sexton not to permit further burials without permits, but his order has gone unheeded.
“Give him one more chance and then if he fails to obey, remove him,” was the consensus of opinion among the council.
Corson, who is in charge of the cemetery, receives a $125 per month salary. He is said to be an experienced cemetery man and has been doing fine work in bringing up burying ground to the point where it is a distinct credit to the city.
When the Schenck administration took office the first of the year, a number of delinquent burials were on the clerk’s books. Members of the cemetery committee notified the delinquents and the accounts were finally collected. Now the committee does not propose to continue to act in the role of a collection agency.
Early this year, Councilman Zimmerman, of the cemetery committee, proposed a plan whereby the care and upkeep of Maplewood be turned over to Graceland cemetery officials. Both cemeteries adjoin one another. The plan, however, fell through, when other members of the council failed to acquiesce.
