The Dorr Township Board Thu
rsday evening got an earful of complaints from citizen Laurel Jansen about cemetery policy.
Jansen told Supervisor Jeff Miling, “You have destroyed gravestones that were in perfect order… You have hurt the citizens of Dorr deeply. I am speaking for the Jansen and Fifelski families.”
Apparently the family graves’ shrubbery was removed because of overgrowth of brush and mowers were not able to handle the problem. Township policy by ordinance permitted the actions.
Jansen said one of the graves was of a young boy who died in 1979.
“I took some pictures of the cemetery and it doesn’t look very good,” Trustee Patty Senneker said.
Trustee John Tuinstra chimed in that the Jansen and Fifelski families have been prominent in Dorr Township.
A big part of the problem was lack of notice to the families that the actions would be taken.
But Treasurer Jim Martin said, “Who do you send the letters to? There’s nobody listed as the current owner. You can’t send letters to a dead person.”
Martin further explained, “No markers were moved. No graves were moved. In fact some of the bushes completely obscured the markers. I believe the lady said their bushes were planted just weeks before Memorial Day well after the rules went into effect in 2014.
“Also, she indicated that they replaced them every few years. This seems to indicate that they knew the shrubs/trees would be a problem if left to grow.”
The local ordinance states: (Section VIII-Grounds Maintenance)
“No flowers, shrubs, trees or vegetation of any type shall be planted except as approved by the cemetery. Any unapproved items planted or placed may be removed by the cemetery.”
Clerk Brian Boot acknowledged, “There have been mistakes and oversights, and we are human. I apologize that you didn’t get a letter.”