4 Face Felony Charges Following Plot Reselling Scheme

Alsip, Illinois – Authorities in a greater Chicago suburb have discovered that possibly 300 graves have been dug up and resold at a cemetery.  The Burr Oak Cemetery is a historic African-American cemetery where several black icons were buried.  These include Emmett Till, a lynching victim, Dinah Washington, a blues singing legend and Harlem Globetrotter Inman Jackson.

Associated Press Photo

The office manager for the cemetery, Carolyn Towns, and 3 gravediggers Keith Nicks, Terrance Nicks and Maurice Daley are those that have been charged.  This horrific story has caused unimaginable heartbreak for many in the town who have relatives whose graves have been dug up.

Steven Watkins, attorney for Towns, claims innocence on his clients behalf.  He stated that “Somebody is apparently making false accusations against my client.”  Towns is maintaining that she is innocent.

The method used in this plot is horrific as well.  This was not moving or replacing graves.  The graves have been excavated, and the remains dumped wherever there was an empty space in the back area of the cemetery.  In other instances, graves were stacked on top of another.  According to Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, some of the graves were pounded down so that another casket could be placed on top of it.

This scheme was an attempt by the four to make money.  According to Dart, the four would dig up the graves, dump the remains, resell the plot and pocket the cash.  Each of the 4 have been charged with dismembering a human body.  The sentence for this charge ranges from 6 to 30 years according to Cook County state’s attorney, Anita Alvarez.

Towns bail was set at $250,000.  The other three implicated in the charges each have a $200,000 bail.  As of Thursday afternoon, none had posted bail according to the sheriff’s department.  The FBI, local funeral directors and forensic scientists have been summoned to assist with the investigation according to Dart.

This all began about six weeks ago when owners of the cemetery began having issues with possible financial irregularities.  The current owners have operated the cemetery for over five years but are not thought to be involved in the scheme.   According to Dart, the majority of the excavations were done in back lots to graves that were older and not visited often.

Also attending the news conference was the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who stated that there should be “a special place in hell” for the suspects.  Decades ago, Burr Oak Cemetery was the one place that black Chicagoans were comfortable they could safely bury their dead.  Dart believes the scheme could have been going on for as long as the past four years.

Caskets, bodies and all have literally been “dumped” in the back area of the cemetery.  Concrete vaults have been shattered – but not nearly as shattered as the lives of people who had family buried at Burr Oak Cemetery.  This is truly every family’s nightmare, and a heart-wrenching one as well.

Words of Sympathy During a Funeral

It can be difficult to find the right words of sympathy to express sympathy during a time of loss. We often search for the most appropriate words that will help another. Comforting a grieving friend with a sympathy card or a heart to heart can be easier than you think. People are often thankful with the feeling that you care to take the time to try and comfort them while others can seem to avoid the topic altogether. In expressing your sympathy you might be worried about saying the wrong thing, saying something that upsets them, or simply sounding artificial.

Just being there for your friend can help them so much. Ask if they need company, or someone to stay the night. Make lunch dates with them to get them out and help them talk about their loss. Providing your company, words of sympathy and listening can comfort your friend after a funeral. If you wait too long because you are afraid of saying the wrong thing you will probably end up not doing anything at all, which is worse than trying something. The more you care about your grieving friend, the harder it may seem to do right by them. Unfortunately, you cannot take their pain away. Anything less may seem silly to you right now, but for your friend it can mean the world. There are many things you can do to help a friend in a time of loss.

It is important to talk with someone in grief. It is common to feel overwhelmed, helpless, uncertain, or awkward. Chances are your grieving friend feels the same way. You might feel that there isn’t much you can do to make your friend in grief feel better, but just talking with them can comfort them. They will remember you were there for them during this tough time and it will help you bond together. Begin by letting your friend know that you care. Having your support can help in so many ways. You do not have to give advice or have answers. You just need to be supportive and be able to listen. Understand that grief brings on strong emotions and there is no right way to grieve. Be genuine when talking with your grieving friend. Using words like died can help your friend feel more open to you because you feel comfortable using that word. Let your friend know that you are truly sorry that this has happened. You could even say, “I am not sure what to say right now, but I want you to know that I care about you. You can talk to me”. Ask your friend how you can help; what can you do for them that will help in this time? Allow your friend to cry, yell, break down, or get angry. These are normal feelings during grief and are part of the grieving process. Just be there for your friend. Offer your shoulder to cry on. Your friend needs your support and comfort, not judgment or criticism. If you can’t think of anything to say then just offer a smile or a hug. Sitting in silence is ok.

Catholic Cremation – A Sometimes Controversial and Misunderstood Subject

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Catholic Cremation has long been a subject that is debatable. Many Catholic churches frown upon this practice, but it is allowed by some – with stipulations. The Bible has a scripture that states “ashes to ashes, dust to dust” which to many people means that humans came from ashes, and that is where they will return. The soul goes to Heaven, so the body really is just a vehicle for the soul, per se’.

According to Catholic belief, the soul leaves the body after death to be reunited at the end of time. The body is buried, which means it disintegrates over time. Cremation involves burning of the body in a furnace. The Catholics see the body as a holy temple, and therefore believe the burning of the body is a desecration of God’s work. They also believed at one time that burning the remains stood for a denial in the belief of resurrection.

As the Catholic Church has evolved, cremation is now permitted. This religion continues to stress traditional burials and entombment, but is not as strict as it once was. For many people, it is an affordable option when no burial insurance is taken out and finances are short. It is a meaningful way to say goodbye to a loved one, and urns that are available are beautiful and made in so many ways that memorialize a loved one that is uniquely special to that person.

In earlier times, Catholic cremation was finally accepted, but only if the body were present at the Mass before being cremated. In present times, the Church allows cremation before the last Mass. The urn can be present, but must be approved by a bishop. The Church does have a few stipulations – the ashes must either be buried or put in an urn. Look at our burial urns. This religion does not look favorably upon scattering the ashes or keeping an urn in your home.

Catholic cremation is becoming more and more accepted, and people realize that traditional burials can be (and usually are) very expensive. There are several ways that cremation allows the family to save money. There is no casket required, and the use of a funeral home is often not necessary because there is no wake prior to burial. However, the Catholic religion frowns upon immediate cremation as it does not give friends and family a chance to engage in the grieving process to their way of thinking.

Decades ago, the Vatican banned cremation, but in 1963 the ban was lifted, but the cremains could not be present at a funeral mass. This option could only be chosen if the deceased denied the teachings on the resurrection of the body. However, in 1997 the Vatican decided that the cremains can be present at mass and are to be treated with the same respect and reverence as in a casket burial. To this day, the scattering of ashes is still unacceptable.

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Catholic Cremation Urn

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Catholic Rosary Keepsake

Wikipedia – Cremation in the Christian World

Hockey Urn by In the Light Urns

There are many cremation urns for specific interests, such as Hockey. Our Hockey Urn is a beautiful, hand made cremation urn. It is made of Walnut wood and has a resin made plaque that is secured to the front. The plaque has a hockey helmet, puck, stick, skates and a glove, representing your loved one’s favorite game. Our hockey urn comes with an engraved brass nameplate and is shipped free of charge. 3 lines for a sentiment will fill the nameplate. This urns size is 6 3/4 ” x 9 3/4 ” x 7 3/4 ” urn, and it is 260 cubic inches.

Hockey Urn

Infant Urns

We understand the difficulty of losing a baby and we take great reverance in discussing our services. The infant urns at In the Light Urns are very special. Several of the unique memorials can’t be found anywhere else. The Angel of Protection Infant Marble Urn is a marble urn for infants. The shape of the urn is a cream color. The sculpture that rests on top is a baby protected in the wings of an angel.

Infant Urns

This angel baby, is delicately winged, and is sleeping soundly. The space for the ashes is in the bottom, where you can take out four screws and detach the bottom piece of marble. This piece is then securely fastened back in place. This urn measures 4″ x 2 1/2″ x 5″ and is 10 cubic inches.

For more information please call (800) 757-3488

Urns Have Been Discounted

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We are very pleased In the Light Urns to provide several urns at affordable prices. We not only lead the online memorial industry with affordability, but also in our biodegradable and burial urn line – all of which are sold at prices much less than the funeral industry standard. Our discount urns are an important product, because of how common they are used as memorials. We are able to provide high quality urns at these prices because we are always scouting out new ways to keep our costs down; in turn benefiting our customers. Our goal is to make this difficult time as easy as possible through excellent service, affordable products and quality products. Although many of our brass urns are sold at a discount price, they are still of the highest quality.

Our Dignity Bronze Urn sells for $89.95:

Discounted Urn

It is rare to see such a high quality brass cremation urn sell for such a reasonable price. If you are struggling to find a fitting urn for your friend or loved one, have a look at our useful article.

Our Dignity Pewter Urn is also priced at $89.95:

Discount Urn

The lovely Dignity Pewter Urn is a large single urn that measures 10 inches in height and has 228 cubic inches of space. This urn will fit the ashes of a person weighing up to 228 pounds before they were cremated. These quality urns are very well made and will last for several years to come. Many of our discount urns can also be engraved. That means that you can give us the information you’d like engraved and the words can be engraved right on the front of the urn. This creates a truly beautiful look to an urn and adds a great connection between the memorial and passed. We also take great pride in our ability to customize urns. This is not always common and often you will see a medallion hanging from the urn, similar to the Dignity Bronze Urn. If you are interested in a custom urn, you have several options. We encourage our customers that are interested in a custom to urn call us at (800) 757-3488. If we can speak to you on the phone, we can more thoroughly discuss your needs and what you are looking for. We have satisfied several families with custom urns such as a truck trailer urn, a football that holds ashes and of course an engraved urn. Thank you for taking the time to read about our services and how we can help you memorialize your loved one.

Living Memorial Sculpture Garden

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Veterans Living Memorial Sculpture Garden

As you drive along the Volcanic Legacy Scenic Byway on the north side of Mount Shasta, you will find the Veterans Living Memorial Sculpture Garden. In this stretch of fairly brush filled land, there are 11 sculpture groups. The powerful sculptures show life during war and are spread across approximately ½ square mile. In the front of the memorial garden there is a memorial wall:

Living Memorial Sculpture Garden

Veterans

Memorial Plaque

To view a list of the people on this wall click here>> and to apply to have a person added see the bottom of this page.

The wonderful works of art created Dennis Smith are a deep remembrance of fallen soldiers and military assistants. The sculptures show images of helping others, tragedy, sorrow, light, life and death.

Veteran Memorial

Memorial Sculpture

Memorial Sculpture - Center of Back Section

Carrying Fallen Soldier

Veterans Living Memorial Sculpture Garden

This experience was truly moving. I am very pleased to see that the people involved with erecting the Veterans Living Memorial Sculpture Garden did a outstanding job. If you are driving through the area, I strongly encourage you stop by and have a look at these sculptures.

To see a flyer click here>> or to become a member click here>>

In the Light Urns is a memorial company that retails cremation urns and memorials. Our military urns section is quite robust, as we have great respect for the soldiers of our country. Our blog is designed to inform our readers of the funeral industry. We take great pride in our work and thank you for reading. To contact us call (800) 757-3488.

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How to Find a Wonderful Urn for the Ashes of a Loved One

There are a plethora of urns for ashes available when a deceased love one is cremated. No longer do you have to choose a basic burial urn that lacks in design or style. When someone you love passes, you want to show them respect by choosing a design that suits their tastes or reflects something they loved in life.

People choose to be cremated for many different reasons, one of which is cost. Your loved one may decide long ahead of time they want to be cremated, and they may even consider their urns for ashes options. It makes the entire process easier on those left behind when someone takes care of these arrangements beforehand.

Traditional funerals using a casket for the body are usually very expensive. Unless the deceased paid for the costs in advance or has burial insurance, the family can be left with a huge financial burden. Cremation is much less expensive, and just as respectful to your loved one. In fact, many people choose burial urns for ashes and bury them underground just as caskets are. They can then place a headstone to mark the place where their loved one is buried.

When it comes to style and design, there are so many choices it may make your decision tough. From ceramic, brass and wood urns to those especially for children or a beloved athlete, you will find the perfect urn for your loved ones ashes. There are also pendants, necklaces and keychain urns that allow you to keep a little of your loved one close to you at all times.

Hourglass keepsake urns are the ultimate symbol of the passage of time. These are especially beautiful, and will certainly become a family heirloom that will be passed down generation after generation. This is a perfect way to combine the cremains in the unfortunate event that you lose more than one loved one.

Many people who loved the outdoors during their life desire for their ashes to be scattered when they die. If someone you love was one who enjoyed being on the ocean fishing or sailing, their are scattering urns made just for this purpose, and many are biodegradable. Many urns for ashes that are the burial type are also environmentally friendly, and are made of totally safe materials. Unlike metal and other materials that some caskets are made of, these will decompose naturally over time into the earth.

Losing a young person or infant can be especially hard. There are special urns for these types of circumstances. Teddy bears, wooden urns decorated for boy scouts, and “In My Arms” are all choices that are appropriate for a child who has passed.

No matter the age or gender, when a loved one passes and cremation is chosen, you want something extraordinarily special. There are many urns for ashes to choose from, and one is certain to meet the standards of beauty and taste your loved one who has gone on so richly deserves.

Consider Cremation Jewelry

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Many people that have lost a loved one get a keepsake to keep their remains close. This is a common practice in the United States and we deeply appreciate the need for quality cremation jewelry. These keepsakes hold ashes or a lock of hair from the passed; it is common to hold hair in the keepsake. There are several different materials you have to choose from for cremation jewelry. In the Light Urns has keepsakes in gold vermeil, sterling silver, stainless steel, wood and glass. We have some of the only rosary keepsakes available today. We take great pride in our diverse collection of jewelry and are always trying to better our store for our customers.

Here at In the Light Urns we have a high order of ethics and care in doing business in the funeral industry. Our cremation jewelry collection is vast and chosen from an even bigger group of keepsake urns. Our selections of products were made with consideration to our customers needs. We called most of our attention to being unique and providing jewelry that no other memorial company has. So far we have succeed in having several exclusive products that can not be found anywhere else.

Cremation jewelry is common and we try to make our collection a bit different than what most funeral homes and store provide. We have several necklaces and bracelets and are working toward rings and other keepsakes. These pieces of jewelry have a tiny compartment which is used to store a small portion of the ashes of a loved one. Sometimes it is best to designate one person to fill all the keepsakes. This is a good approach because this person will be capable of the job and will have some practice, so that the cremains are treated with respect and reverence. The family member that wants to have ashes needs access to the cremains. We do not recommend sending ashes to the person, but rather having the person come to the ashes in their entirety.

Currently there is a very interesting company that is working on making diamonds from cremains. This is a very smart way to include the remains of  a loved one in jewelry. Carbon is extracted to begin the process of creating a diamond. After the entire process is completed the rough diamond is then skillfully carved into the desired shape. The result is quite beautiful and we encourage those seeking to have some kind of memorial jewelry, to have a look at their options with cremains in a diamond.

Many people that have lost a loved one get a keepsake to keep their remains close. This is a common practice in the United States and we deeply appreciate the need for quality cremation jewelry. These keepsakes hold ashes or a lock of hair from the passed; it is common to hold hair in the keepsake. There are several different materials you have to choose from for cremation jewelry. In the Light Urns has keepsakes in gold vermeil, sterling silver, stainless steel, wood and glass. We have some of the only rosary keepsakes available today. We take great pride in our diverse collection of jewelry and are always trying to better our store for our customers.Here at In the Light Urns we have a high order of ethics and care in doing business in the funeral industry. Our cremation jewelry collection is vast and chosen from an even bigger group of keepsake urns. Our selections of products were made with consideration to our customers needs. We called most of our attention to being unique and providing jewelry that no other memorial company has. So far we have succeed in having several exclusive products that can not be found anywhere else.

Cremation jewelry is common and we try to make our collection a bit different than what most funeral homes and store provide. We have several necklaces and bracelets and are working toward rings and other keepsakes. These pieces of jewelry have a tiny compartment which is used to store a small portion of the ashes of a loved one. Sometimes it is best to designate one person to fill all the keepsakes. This is a good approach because this person will be capable of the job and will have some practice, so that the cremains are treated with respect and reverence. The family member that wants to have ashes needs access to the cremains. We do not recommend sending ashes to the person, but rather having the person come to the ashes in their entirerty.