One quick addition to this terrific posting by Tracy; The information below is in regards to the cemetery burial grounds only. "Perpetual Care" refers only to the burial grounds. Actual care of the gravestones and markers is up to the descendant families for all time. The grounds keepers are not obligated to do repair or replacement of stone or monuments and if they fall, they can be left in place flat on the ground. Above ground structures such as mausoleums may be torn down and removed if they become a safety hazard, and the bodies, if above ground, are buried in graves on that spot. Marking those graves is up to the family descendants or interested groups. (Long term protection and repair can be done very well with the "Outdoor Goop" product which dries clear, seals into the stone or wood to protect from moisture, expands and contracts with temperature changes along with the stone/wood so as not to crack, maintaining a 50 to 100 year seal that does not discolor. - I have 12 year old repairs to absolutely shattered stones that look like the day I completed putting them back together, up north here. Stones should be washed and left to fully dry before gluing pieces together and coating the outside. It smells like horseradish. Do the work outdoors). Although some grounds keepers are now using "Roundup" or "Safer" weed control products to keep the fallen slabs viewable, not many are doing this and they are soon grown over with sod. Basically this means they are lost unless a family member or group project (church, scouts, vets, historical society, etc.) comes along to dig and return them to upright positions on the graves. The grave must then be fully leveled, raked and grass seeded so grounds care can be maintained properly. This is especially true to municipally maintained cemeteries, and some religious affiliated ones as well. With any privately or group owned cemetery it is strongly suggested that you ask for their own policies on repair and replacement. Private cemeteries on land that is no longer family owned are often lost. The stones are generally removed and piled at one edge of the property with the fieldstone, or may be erected in local cemeteries, but the remains are not moved unless the family does so with the land owner's permission. Literally "from dust to dust". Hope this helps. Rita tracy reinhardt wrote: > thank you to those who responded. > > For your information, here is what I sought: > > Q: Whose responsibility is it to take care of a local cemetery? > > Care and maintenance of a cemetery falls to the property owner. The property owner may be a private individual, association, organization, or municipality. > > If a cemetery has fallen into despair or has been abandoned, for five or more years, then the responsibility for the care of the cemetery reverts to the municipality the cemetery is located in. If the municipality fails to care for the cemetery, 6 or more interested persons can petition the circuit judge to order the municipality to care for the cemetery. The municipality will then be required to care for the cemetery as they provide for other cemeteries in the town. > > a.. Wisc. Stat 157.115(1)(b)2-(b)3. > thanks again > tracy reinhardt > > ==== WIGEN Mailing List ==== > Celebrate Wisconsin! > Visit the Washburn County WIGenWeb Project Pages > http://www.rootsweb.com/~wiwashbu/