Keith Layton, son of Julia Layton, who died Aug. 2, told the Hopkins Township Board the township sexton should be removed f0r incompetence in the wake of an unfortunate incident involving her burial.

Layton said his mother and father, Ron, purchased a plot in Maplewood Cemetery in 2013 with the understanding she would be buried underneath a tree in the old part of the facility. However, just before visitation, the Layton men were informed the location wasn’t possible and she had to be moved to another spot.

“So my parents couldn’t have the spots they picked out five and a half years ago,” Layton told the board, “because of the incompetence of the person running the cemetery.”

The sexton is Lisa Evans, wife of Hopkins Township Supervisor Mark Evans, who was reluctant to talk about the issue publicly.

“This is the first time I’ve heard any complaints about the sexton in the seven years I’ve been on the board,” Trustee Bob Modreski said.

Evans himself said, “Everything (eventually) was resolved… We didn’t know the burial was going to e problem until the day before the funeral. I don’t think anyone knew it would be a problem or they would have brought it up five and a half years ago.”

Evans and board colleagues apologized to Layton for the emotional discomfort that resulted, but decline to take any action.