LINCOLN -- Marie Roy of Lincoln has lots of loved ones buried in Beaty Cemetery on Old Cincinnati Road northwest of Lincoln.
She was devastated last week when she saw that the cemetery had been vandalized.
The Washington County Cemetery Preservation Group is offering a $500 award for information leading to the arrest of the suspects who damaged Beaty Cemetery.
"There was major damage all over it," said Roy, who lives near the cemetery and writes a weekly community column for the Washington County Enterprise-Leader.
As far as she could tell, none of the tombstones for her family members was damaged. Roy's relatives buried at the cemetery include both sets of grandparents, her parents, her husband's parents, her husband, siblings, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
"My tombstone is over there too," Roy said.
Two men who mow the cemetery every two weeks discovered the vandalism the morning of July 23 and called the Washington County Sheriff's Office. Mark Spears said the last time he mowed there was July 10.
According to an incident report submitted by Cpl. Josh Hardin, 39 headstones were damaged. For most of the graves, the headstone was knocked over, away from the base. Rows of headstones were pushed over on the ground.
Other vandalism included items that had been burned, including two small American flags, a larger American flag and a flower arrangement in a vase attached to a headstone.
Hardin reported he found two beer bottles, a Gatorade bottle and bottle caps, along with a white booklet that appeared to be a safety manual for a scooter. He kept the items as evidence.
Destruction or removal of a gravestone is a felony offense with a possible punishment of three to five years in jail and/or a fine up to $10,000, according to Washington County Prosecutor Matt Durrett.
The Washington County Cemetery Preservation Group is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the rest of the suspects, said Mike Freels, president of the group.
Loyd Luginbuel, owner of Luginbuel Funeral Home in Prairie Grove, sent equipment and workers to restore the tombstones to their rightful places. The company has helped with vandalism at other cemeteries but Luginbuel said this is the worst case he's seen.
"Of all the times, I don't remember any to the severity of that one," Luginbuel said.
He said the suspects had to be "some pretty strong kids" because many of the bases for the tombstones were anchored in cement.
"These were people who should have known better," Luginbuel said.
Freels said the headstones have been reset but they will need to be sealed so that the bases cannot be moved.
The Preservation Group is available to assess damages at local cemeteries and make recommendations on how to repair the stones.
Freels said the suspects who vandalized Beaty Cemetery pushed over the headstones but did not break anything.
"It's fortunately, they did not do any heavy duty damage like breaking the headstones in pieces," Freels said.
Bud Cox, custodian for Beaty Cemetery, said the original part of the cemetery was purchased June 4, 1898, and the newest section was purchased June 19, 1966.
Luginbuel's webite lists occupants of cemeteries in Washington County. For Beaty Cemetery, the list shows the oldest gravesite belongs to Emily Cuthery, who was 47 years old when she died Jan. 22, 1800.
General News on 08/01/2018