Jean, Is this article on line? I think it would be helpful if we could all read it. Thanks, Ken ----- Original Message ----- From: "JEAN PAYTON" <jeanpayton@earthlink.net> To: <MIOAKLAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2003 12:22 PM Subject: [MIOAKLAN] MICHIGAN CEMETERIES/LANSING MAY RECLAIM UNUSED GRAVESITES > Dear Listers: > > Some of you may receive this letter more than once if you are on more than > one county List in Michigan. I apologize for any inconvience this may cause > you. I believe we all should be made aware of what is beginning to become a > problem with our cemeteries through out Michigan. > > Yesterday, Detroit News Metro/State Section carried a news article about the > City of Lansing wanting to reclaim thousand of unused gravesites so that > they may resell them to bring money into their government. As the City of > Jackson, Michigan has already done this and has netted them three hundred > thousand dollars, we as descendants of the families who are buried in > Michigan Cemeteries need to stand up as one to put a stop to this unlawful > event. > > Yes, we have many old and historical cemeteries through out Michigan and its > many counties, cities, towns, villages but I do not believe that any of > these governments have the right to take back what your ancestors paid for > with their blood, sweat, and tears. Our ancestors paid for these graves to > be used by our families, not to be taken back from the descendants of these > people who paid for these graves. > > Yes, families move and shift around the country and thus we leave unused > grave sites but I believe that these unused sites should remain in the > families of the people who are buried in these plots that have unused sites. > I own plots in three different cemeteries in the State of Michigan and since > I hold title to them that has been passed down from my great grandparents, > grandparents, and parents does not give the city, town, county, or state > the right to confiscate them to resell them at their gain. There is no way > that my husband and I will utilize all of these gravesites but since I have > the titles to theses plots I intend handing them down to my children to be > used after our deaths and burial. > > In order to keep from having this event occur anywhere in our State, we as > the family historians and genealogists need to stand up and voice our > opinions and let these governments know that we won't stand for this > thievery. We need to contact the Michigan Governor and the Senators and the > House Representatives, the county executives, city mayors to let them know > that we are going to protect our ancestoral burial sites from them. > > So what I am asking is for help here. With each one of us contacting the > cemeteries in which your loved ones were laid to rest find out if there are > unused spaces and find out how to go about getting the titles to these plots > so that the government cannot take them and then resell them at inflated > prices back to the public. > > Yes, the City of Lansing states they they are going to search for > descendants but they already are in financial trouble and therefore could > not afford to research and search out the owners or descendants of these > family plots as it would cost a small fortune. As we all know the > government states they will do one thing and they do entirely a different > thing. > > Your ancestors that date back to the beginning of the State of Michigan only > paid a few dollars for these plots which many hold 8, 10, 12 sites in each > plot but it was their hard earned money not the governments money taht paid > for these plots. Cemeteries are sacred ground and should not be desecrated > by anyone including the governments of these cities, towns, villages, > counties, and or State. Yes, our ancestors may have only paid 30.00-50.00 > per plot but the going prices for these same lots today can bring in as much > as four thousand dollars or more depending on where they are at. Checking > the Want Ads this a.m. where I live the cheapest lots were going for > $2,345.00 each. So you see the government will really be making a killing on > these unused plots that our ancestors paid for and they want to take them > away from the family descendants. What will happen if you live out of state > and have not been contacted and a family member dies and you are going to > bury them in the family plot only to find out that it has been sold out from > under you without your permission to do this? > > So please list members write letters, email them, write to the newspapers to > the governor and the senators, and representatives, county executives, > mayors and let them know we are not going to allow this to go any further > and also make the City of Jackson return the monies they made off of the > resale of these private plots. I am including email addresses in which you > can write to the two major newspapers in Michigan and I am also giving you > email addresses for other government officials. > > To write to the newspapers: > > letters@freepress.com > letteers@detnews.com > www.LSJ.com click on the website and then click on the "contact us" and > write your letters. Lansing State Journal > > Write to your local and county newspapers, let them know how you feel about > what these governments are trying to do. Protect your cemeteries and your > ancestral burial sites from these thieves before it is too late and they > destroy them all because of their greediness. > > Write to the Governor of Michigan Janet Granholm by going to > www.michigan.gov then register your email address and then click on Online > Forms and Feedback and then write your letter. To address your letters to > the Senators and House members address it like this JohnDoe@house.mi.gov > putting the name of your house representative in place of John Doe. For the > Senate you address is as JohnDoe@senate.michigan.gov putting your state > senators name in place of John Doe. write to your county executive, mayors > in the same way. If you want to fax a letter to the Governor of Michigan > here is the number 1-517-373-3400 > > Lets get this out in the open so that everyone knows what is going on. We > need to defend our ancestors final resting places and to retain them as they > are now and not allow the government to sell them off. If we let them get > away with this this time what will they do next? Dig up the bones and dump > them in a garbage dump because they will stand to get more moeny from > reselling these plots. I say NO! Dont' let them do this. > Jean Payton > > > > > ==== MIOAKLAN Mailing List ==== > You can contact the listowner at Judy@BirdGenealogy.org > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > >

This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0031_01C34708.52BE0080 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Yes this articel is on line go to www.detnews.com and then click on the right side of the page "Metro/State and when the page comes up go to the right side of thepage and scroll down to where it says "Back Issues" and type in July 09. this will bring up yesterdays page and then scroll down the center of the page to where it says "Lansing may reclaim thousand of gravesites." I have included the article here in this email as an attachment. Jean Payton ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kenneth D. Johnson" <kenjohnsontroymi@hotmail.com> To: <MIOAKLAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2003 4:17 PM Subject: Re: [MIOAKLAN] MICHIGAN CEMETERIES/LANSING MAY RECLAIM UNUSED GRAVESITES > Jean, > Is this article on line? > I think it would be helpful if we could all read it. > > Thanks, > Ken > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "JEAN PAYTON" <jeanpayton@earthlink.net> > To: <MIOAKLAN-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2003 12:22 PM > Subject: [MIOAKLAN] MICHIGAN CEMETERIES/LANSING MAY RECLAIM UNUSED GRAVESITES > > > > Dear Listers: > > > > Some of you may receive this letter more than once if you are on more than > > one county List in Michigan. I apologize for any inconvience this may cause > > you. I believe we all should be made aware of what is beginning to become a > > problem with our cemeteries through out Michigan. > > > > Yesterday, Detroit News Metro/State Section carried a news article about the > > City of Lansing wanting to reclaim thousand of unused gravesites so that > > they may resell them to bring money into their government. As the City of > > Jackson, Michigan has already done this and has netted them three hundred > > thousand dollars, we as descendants of the families who are buried in > > Michigan Cemeteries need to stand up as one to put a stop to this unlawful > > event. > > > > Yes, we have many old and historical cemeteries through out Michigan and its > > many counties, cities, towns, villages but I do not believe that any of > > these governments have the right to take back what your ancestors paid for > > with their blood, sweat, and tears. Our ancestors paid for these graves to > > be used by our families, not to be taken back from the descendants of these > > people who paid for these graves. > > > > Yes, families move and shift around the country and thus we leave unused > > grave sites but I believe that these unused sites should remain in the > > families of the people who are buried in these plots that have unused sites. > > I own plots in three different cemeteries in the State of Michigan and since > > I hold title to them that has been passed down from my great grandparents, > > grandparents, and parents does not give the city, town, county, or state > > the right to confiscate them to resell them at their gain. There is no way > > that my husband and I will utilize all of these gravesites but since I have > > the titles to theses plots I intend handing them down to my children to be > > used after our deaths and burial. > > > > In order to keep from having this event occur anywhere in our State, we as > > the family historians and genealogists need to stand up and voice our > > opinions and let these governments know that we won't stand for this > > thievery. We need to contact the Michigan Governor and the Senators and the > > House Representatives, the county executives, city mayors to let them know > > that we are going to protect our ancestoral burial sites from them. > > > > So what I am asking is for help here. With each one of us contacting the > > cemeteries in which your loved ones were laid to rest find out if there are > > unused spaces and find out how to go about getting the titles to these plots > > so that the government cannot take them and then resell them at inflated > > prices back to the public. > > > > Yes, the City of Lansing states they they are going to search for > > descendants but they already are in financial trouble and therefore could > > not afford to research and search out the owners or descendants of these > > family plots as it would cost a small fortune. As we all know the > > government states they will do one thing and they do entirely a different > > thing. > > > > Your ancestors that date back to the beginning of the State of Michigan only > > paid a few dollars for these plots which many hold 8, 10, 12 sites in each > > plot but it was their hard earned money not the governments money taht paid > > for these plots. Cemeteries are sacred ground and should not be desecrated > > by anyone including the governments of these cities, towns, villages, > > counties, and or State. Yes, our ancestors may have only paid 30.00-50.00 > > per plot but the going prices for these same lots today can bring in as much > > as four thousand dollars or more depending on where they are at. Checking > > the Want Ads this a.m. where I live the cheapest lots were going for > > $2,345.00 each. So you see the government will really be making a killing on > > these unused plots that our ancestors paid for and they want to take them > > away from the family descendants. What will happen if you live out of state > > and have not been contacted and a family member dies and you are going to > > bury them in the family plot only to find out that it has been sold out from > > under you without your permission to do this? > > > > So please list members write letters, email them, write to the newspapers to > > the governor and the senators, and representatives, county executives, > > mayors and let them know we are not going to allow this to go any further > > and also make the City of Jackson return the monies they made off of the > > resale of these private plots. I am including email addresses in which you > > can write to the two major newspapers in Michigan and I am also giving you > > email addresses for other government officials. > > > > To write to the newspapers: > > > > letters@freepress.com > > letteers@detnews.com > > www.LSJ.com click on the website and then click on the "contact us" and > > write your letters. Lansing State Journal > > > > Write to your local and county newspapers, let them know how you feel about > > what these governments are trying to do. Protect your cemeteries and your > > ancestral burial sites from these thieves before it is too late and they > > destroy them all because of their greediness. > > > > Write to the Governor of Michigan Janet Granholm by going to > > www.michigan.gov then register your email address and then click on Online > > Forms and Feedback and then write your letter. To address your letters to > > the Senators and House members address it like this JohnDoe@house.mi.gov > > putting the name of your house representative in place of John Doe. For the > > Senate you address is as JohnDoe@senate.michigan.gov putting your state > > senators name in place of John Doe. write to your county executive, mayors > > in the same way. If you want to fax a letter to the Governor of Michigan > > here is the number 1-517-373-3400 > > > > Lets get this out in the open so that everyone knows what is going on. We > > need to defend our ancestors final resting places and to retain them as they > > are now and not allow the government to sell them off. If we let them get > > away with this this time what will they do next? Dig up the bones and dump > > them in a garbage dump because they will stand to get more moeny from > > reselling these plots. I say NO! Dont' let them do this. > > Jean Payton > > > > > > > > > > ==== MIOAKLAN Mailing List ==== > > You can contact the listowner at Judy@BirdGenealogy.org > > > > ============================== > > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > > > > > > ==== MIOAKLAN Mailing List ==== > You can contact the listowner at Judy@BirdGenealogy.org > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > ------=_NextPart_000_0031_01C34708.52BE0080 Content-Type: text/plain; name="Lansing may reclaim thousands of grave sites - 07-09-03.txt" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="Lansing may reclaim thousands of grave sites - 07-09-03.txt" Lansing may reclaim thousands of grave sites - 07/09/03 =20 Latest Metro/State reports =20 =20 Homepage Search CyberSurveys Horoscope Lottery Michigan's Best Weather Staff News Talk Autos Talk Big 10 Talk High Schools Lions Talk Pistons Talk Wings Talk Tech Talk Tiger Talk Weight-loss Autos Insider Consumer Joyrides Business Careers Money & Life Census Columnists Commuting Detroit History Editorials Metro / State Livingston Macomb Oakland Wayne On Detroit Nation / World Obituaries Death Notices Politics / Govt. Real Estate Religion Schools Special Reports Technology Sports Insider Lions/NFL Red Wings/NHL Pistons/NBA Shock/WNBA Tigers/Baseball MSU U-M More Colleges Golf Guide High Schools Motor Sports Outdoors More Sports Scoreboards Entertainment Casino Guide Movie Finder Restaurants TV Listings Crossword Home Destinations Hunt & Fish On the Water Recreation Homestyle home Decorating Eats & Drinks Recipe Box Gardening Health Home Improvement Home Life Home Tech Wine Report Sports Red Wings Lions Autos Joyrides News History Previous Story Next Story =20 Wednesday, July 9, 2003 Becky Shink / Associated Press With owners named Amos, Olive and Horatio, it is not = surprising to=20 find forgotten, empty grave sites in Lansing. The city may = reclaim=20 the abandones sites and sell some to bolster revenues. Lansing may reclaim thousands of grave sites Lots that haven't seen burials since late 1800s could be resold = by city By Associated Press Comment on this story Send this story to a friend Get Home Delivery=20 LANSING -- Thousands of unused grave sites scattered throughout = 190=20 acres of Lansing cemeteries could mean revenue if the sites are=20 reclaimed by the city.=20 But that's no easy task.=20 Some cemetery lots, each holding 10 grave sites, haven't seen = burials=20 since the late 1800s.=20 Many owners bought other sites or likely don't know about their=20 inheritance.=20 "It used to be that you were born, grew up and died in the same=20 community," said John McComb, the city's budget supervisor. "Now = we go=20 away to college and find our way in the world."=20 The city would need to dedicate a staffer to go through = yellowing=20 ledgers to decipher the owners' names, handwritten in cursive. A = parks=20 employee has been going through the books on her down time.=20 The older ledgers don't list addresses for the owners, just the = date it=20 was purchased and the price along with the family members buried = there.=20 Not all of the grave sites could be resold: Some owners placed = large=20 family monuments in the center of the lot, which potential = buyers may=20 not want to be buried near.=20 The city must decide whether it's worth the time and money to = document=20 all of the possible abandoned sites and then go to circuit court = to=20 reclaim them.=20 If Lansing starts the process, relatives of original owners, who = paid=20 $30 to $50 for the 10-grave lots in the late 1800s, would be = given a=20 chance to claim the sites or resell them.=20 Lansing isn't the first city to consider such a move.=20 Jackson, about 40 miles to the south, reclaimed about 10,000 = cemetery=20 sites in the late 1980s and made about $300,000 from resales.=20 Jackson officials argued that because the lot owners weren't = paying an=20 annual fee, they could reclaim the grave sites.=20 Lansing would have to use a different legal argument because it = never=20 charged an annual fee. City attorney Jim Smiertka said the city = deeded=20 the lots to buyers, like it was real estate.=20 Smiertka said the city could ask a judge to hold a hearing to = determine=20 the owner.=20 The judge could set up a process the city would follow to find = the=20 owners, such as publishing lists of names in local newspapers. = And if no=20 one came forward, the grave sites would revert to the city.=20 Previous Story Next Story =20 Marketplace Detroit Browse the Classifieds New & Used Cars Employment Homes or Apartments Shop Online Home Delivery Center Start home delivery Renew subscription Customer service Metro/State=20 Metro/State index for Wednesday, July 9, 2003=20 Judge tosses key Webber evidence SS guard's capture ends secret life in Metro suburb Justice Dept. hunts Nazis Standoff suspect's home burns Ex-lawmaker, wife escape from house blaze Readers decry criticism aimed at airport district, Detroit police Woman hits home run at Dearborn golf event Benton Harbor police cleared Teen fatally shot in Detroit garage Vets would get dibs on state jobs Lansing may reclaim thousands of grave sites Michigan Briefs Vessel passages Bitterness, relief follow road death trial Serial rape suspect held 4,000 still without electricity Trooper killed in Fremont PCBs detected in waterways=20 Sections for this date=20 Wednesday, July 9, 2003 Select indexHome PageAutos InsiderAutos ConsumerBusinessMoney & = = LifeCareersCensusCommutingEditorialsMetro/StateLivingstonMacombOaklandWay= neDetroitNation/WorldObituariesPoliticsReal=20 = EstateReligionSchoolsTechnology..........SportsLions/NFLPistons/NBARed=20 Wings/NHLShock/WNBATigers/BaesballMSUU-MMore CollegesGolf = GuideHigh=20 SchoolsMotor SportsOutdoorsMore=20 Sports...........EntertainmentDecoratingEats & = DrinksGardeningHealthHome=20 ImprovementHome LifeHome Tech=20 =20 Copyright =A9 2003 The Detroit News. 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Ken & All: There was article on the subject of unused graves in the Lansing State Journal either July 6th or the Sunday before that. As I recall it was on the front page of one of the sections of the LSJ. You might find that particular edition of the LSJ by searching www.mlive.com/ Just a suggestion, mind you. I just tried it quickly & I could not find a reference to the Lansing paper. Richard Leon Herrick RLH:mtf:20030710 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kenneth D. Johnson" <kenjohnsontroymi@hotmail.com> To: <MIOAKLAN-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2003 4:17 PM Subject: Re: [MIOAKLAN] MICHIGAN CEMETERIES/LANSING MAY RECLAIM UNUSED GRAVESITES > Jean, > Is this article on line? > I think it would be helpful if we could all read it. > > Thanks, > Ken > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "JEAN PAYTON" <jeanpayton@earthlink.net> > To: <MIOAKLAN-L@rootsweb.com> > Sent: Thursday, July 10, 2003 12:22 PM > Subject: [MIOAKLAN] MICHIGAN CEMETERIES/LANSING MAY RECLAIM UNUSED GRAVESITES > > > > Dear Listers: > > > > Some of you may receive this letter more than once if you are on more than > > one county List in Michigan. I apologize for any inconvience this may cause > > you. I believe we all should be made aware of what is beginning to become a > > problem with our cemeteries through out Michigan. > > > > Yesterday, Detroit News Metro/State Section carried a news article about the > > City of Lansing wanting to reclaim thousand of unused gravesites so that > > they may resell them to bring money into their government. As the City of > > Jackson, Michigan has already done this and has netted them three hundred > > thousand dollars, we as descendants of the families who are buried in > > Michigan Cemeteries need to stand up as one to put a stop to this unlawful > > event. > > > > Yes, we have many old and historical cemeteries through out Michigan and its > > many counties, cities, towns, villages but I do not believe that any of > > these governments have the right to take back what your ancestors paid for > > with their blood, sweat, and tears. Our ancestors paid for these graves to > > be used by our families, not to be taken back from the descendants of these > > people who paid for these graves. > > > > Yes, families move and shift around the country and thus we leave unused > > grave sites but I believe that these unused sites should remain in the > > families of the people who are buried in these plots that have unused sites. > > I own plots in three different cemeteries in the State of Michigan and since > > I hold title to them that has been passed down from my great grandparents, > > grandparents, and parents does not give the city, town, county, or state > > the right to confiscate them to resell them at their gain. There is no way > > that my husband and I will utilize all of these gravesites but since I have > > the titles to theses plots I intend handing them down to my children to be > > used after our deaths and burial. > > > > In order to keep from having this event occur anywhere in our State, we as > > the family historians and genealogists need to stand up and voice our > > opinions and let these governments know that we won't stand for this > > thievery. We need to contact the Michigan Governor and the Senators and the > > House Representatives, the county executives, city mayors to let them know > > that we are going to protect our ancestoral burial sites from them. > > > > So what I am asking is for help here. With each one of us contacting the > > cemeteries in which your loved ones were laid to rest find out if there are > > unused spaces and find out how to go about getting the titles to these plots > > so that the government cannot take them and then resell them at inflated > > prices back to the public. > > > > Yes, the City of Lansing states they they are going to search for > > descendants but they already are in financial trouble and therefore could > > not afford to research and search out the owners or descendants of these > > family plots as it would cost a small fortune. As we all know the > > government states they will do one thing and they do entirely a different > > thing. > > > > Your ancestors that date back to the beginning of the State of Michigan only > > paid a few dollars for these plots which many hold 8, 10, 12 sites in each > > plot but it was their hard earned money not the governments money taht paid > > for these plots. Cemeteries are sacred ground and should not be desecrated > > by anyone including the governments of these cities, towns, villages, > > counties, and or State. Yes, our ancestors may have only paid 30.00-50.00 > > per plot but the going prices for these same lots today can bring in as much > > as four thousand dollars or more depending on where they are at. Checking > > the Want Ads this a.m. where I live the cheapest lots were going for > > $2,345.00 each. So you see the government will really be making a killing on > > these unused plots that our ancestors paid for and they want to take them > > away from the family descendants. What will happen if you live out of state > > and have not been contacted and a family member dies and you are going to > > bury them in the family plot only to find out that it has been sold out from > > under you without your permission to do this? > > > > So please list members write letters, email them, write to the newspapers to > > the governor and the senators, and representatives, county executives, > > mayors and let them know we are not going to allow this to go any further > > and also make the City of Jackson return the monies they made off of the > > resale of these private plots. I am including email addresses in which you > > can write to the two major newspapers in Michigan and I am also giving you > > email addresses for other government officials. > > > > To write to the newspapers: > > > > letters@freepress.com > > letteers@detnews.com > > www.LSJ.com click on the website and then click on the "contact us" and > > write your letters. Lansing State Journal > > > > Write to your local and county newspapers, let them know how you feel about > > what these governments are trying to do. Protect your cemeteries and your > > ancestral burial sites from these thieves before it is too late and they > > destroy them all because of their greediness. > > > > Write to the Governor of Michigan Janet Granholm by going to > > www.michigan.gov then register your email address and then click on Online > > Forms and Feedback and then write your letter. To address your letters to > > the Senators and House members address it like this JohnDoe@house.mi.gov > > putting the name of your house representative in place of John Doe. For the > > Senate you address is as JohnDoe@senate.michigan.gov putting your state > > senators name in place of John Doe. write to your county executive, mayors > > in the same way. If you want to fax a letter to the Governor of Michigan > > here is the number 1-517-373-3400 > > > > Lets get this out in the open so that everyone knows what is going on. We > > need to defend our ancestors final resting places and to retain them as they > > are now and not allow the government to sell them off. If we let them get > > away with this this time what will they do next? Dig up the bones and dump > > them in a garbage dump because they will stand to get more moeny from > > reselling these plots. I say NO! Dont' let them do this. > > Jean Payton > > > > > > > > > > ==== MIOAKLAN Mailing List ==== > > You can contact the listowner at Judy@BirdGenealogy.org > > > > ============================== > > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 > > > > > > > ==== MIOAKLAN Mailing List ==== > You can contact the listowner at Judy@BirdGenealogy.org > > ============================== > To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records, go to: > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237 >