NORTH CARROLLTON — The Evergreen Cemetery in North Carrollton is a pristine place, where people come to honor family members who have passed away, sometimes by lovingly placing objects around grave markers.
And occasionally, the objects are taken.
Josephine Browning said Monday that a number of objects have been stolen in recent months, particularly college memorabilia such as University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University statues.
Browning and Jay Williams, both cemetery board members, were at Evergreen to see about a gate that had been damaged and to discuss future work to widen driveways and gates. Williams said the purchase of cemetery plots funds maintenance and improvements at the cemetery, which is managed by an 18-member board.
Banks said he doesn’t have any idea who damaged the gate but believes it was accidental. “I believe a large vehicle like a truck may have hit it coming out of the driveway. No one has come forward to say they did it.”
In addition to the damaged gate, Wayne Banks, who is caretaker of the cemetery, said he has had a number of other problems there.
“This past year we had to start locking gates at night because people were coming there during the night,” Banks said. “I don’t know what they were up to, but when you have people coming there at night, it’s likely it isn’t something good.”
“I lock the gate every night at dusk and unlock it at 7 a.m.,” he said.
Browning said she is concerned about the missing items because they are meaningful to those who placed them there, particularly when it’s a parent who has lost a child.
