‘Oleander Memorial Gardens’ upsetting folks with buried loved ones

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Some families in Wilmington are upset about the condition of a local cemetery where their loved ones are buried.   

Brenda Todd said that ‘Oleander Memorial Gardens’ is not doing their part to help her, or others, loved ones rest easy. 

“Start doing the work that our families deserve,” Todd said. 

Todd has several family members buried at the cemetery.  

Her father and children are all buried there. So, she likes to decorate their gravestones to help remember them.  

She said it’s been hard to do so recently with poorly cut grass and broken flower vases. 

“My dads grave was completely covered with overgrown bushes that I had to cut down myself,” Todd said. 

Todd said personal items, such as pictures or stuffed animals, have been removed from grave markers.   

She said it’s sad to see what the cemetery has become, especially after years of good experiences there.  

“What was the most beautiful cemetery in Wilmington, and it’s gotten out of hand. It’s not anymore,” Todd said. 

Todd said it’s not just her who has shared concerns to the cemetery about the condition of loved one’s gravestones.  

She said by searching on Facebook, ‘Oleander Memorial Gardens’, you will see numerous posts addressing her same complaints.  

Todd hopes the next step will result in the cemetery taking these complaints into consideration.  

“Get on this lawn care, get these markers weed-eated, clean them up, and stop taking the things that people put out there for their family. Stop taking it off of the graves,” Todd said. 

Todd also said she hopes this message will reach others who have been dealing with this situation. She wants them to know they are not alone and their loved ones, although gone, still deserve respect. 

‘Oleander Memorial Gardens’ released a statement that said: 

“We empathize with client families who wish to add personal items to the graves of their loved ones; however, we have an obligation to those we serve to maintain a consistent standard of appearance and safety for visitors and workers. We handle all items removed from the cemetery with care and have placed them in a designated area for families to retrieve. It is never our intention to upset or offend any client family. We care deeply for our families and strive to provide them with a peaceful and beautiful environment to remember their loved ones.”

They also said they mow once a week.