Jul 11, 2009 5:55 pm US/Central
Burr Oak Families Go to Rainbow PUSH For Help
Grieving loved ones seek advice from PUSH organization
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
Reverend Jesse Jackson is doing what he can to help the grieving families dealing with the situation at Burr Oak Cemetery.
"I'm reliving the death all over again…our church lines are overrun with calls of members whose loved ones are buried at Burr," said one woman.
And as CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reports, many came to Rainbow PUSH Saturday seeking answers.
It was an incredibly emotional time for the people that came to Rainbow PUSH. Each had with them the hope, that their own personal nightmare would be over, but for many, that just didn't happen.
"When I got here today, they said the whole section was gone and my mother's buried out there," said Rolina Williams.
Williams' said the area where her loved ones were laid to rest no longer exists. Her mother and stepfather were buried at Burr Oak in the '80s.
"I didn't get a chance to get a headstone, so it just hurts that they threw her body away," she said.
April Branch says her uncle was also buried in section six. Branch can't find his grave.
"You're just out there in an open field, with headstones that are buried four to six inches deep and you have to get on your hands and knees and brush the debris and the foliage," Branch said.
Branch and Williams were among the people coming to Rainbow PUSH trying to figure out what to do next.
The Rev, Jesse Jackson had members of the Cook County Bar Association on hand, for those needing legal help. Representatives from the Cook County Sheriff's Office were also on hand helping people locate their loves one's graves.
"People are emotional; they're in pain," Jackson said. "They trust the funeral director; they don't know the cemetery owner."
Illinois Comptroller Dan Hynes said the tragedy at Burr Oak, clearly shows the need for cemetery regulations.
"Making sure people are properly buried, making sure the cemeteries are properly maintained. So that is an area – a huge gap in the regulatory framework that has to be addressed, but that's never happened," Hynes said.
Rev. State Sen. James Meeks said it's time for that to change.
"We hope to craft legislation that's designed to keep this from happening ever again,' Meeks said.
'I think they should do something like that and they should look at the other cemeteries too – who knows what's going on out there," Williams said.
Hynes says he's moving to get Burr Oak's license revoked. He also wants to see the cemetery put into receivership and under new ownership. Other families are taking legal action.
Many gathered Saturday, armed with grave site purchase receipts and obituaries. The group filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of the hundreds of families affected.
Through her tears, one woman describes the search for her mother's grave site.
'There was nothing but piles of dirt – just mold and lumber as though someone was trying to build something," she said. "I couldn't recognize it; I really didn't recognize it."
On Friday, four families filed the first class action lawsuit. The claim is against the owners of Burr Oak Cemetery. The lawsuit also names the four people charged in the crime.
Mayor Daley says the Burr Oak debacle simply boils down to greed.
"This is really a law enforcement problem," he said. "They have to get in there and find out what works and what doesn't work...how consumers are protected, family members. I think it's very, very sad. It's all about greed and that's what that was about."
Daley says he was especially disturbed by the news that Emmett Till Fund may have been drained.
A Burr Oak spokesperson told CBS 2 that at least three employees were there Saturday, standing by in case the sheriff's department needed help.
A prayer vigil will be held at Burr Oak at 3 p.m. on Sunday at the Light House Church of All Nations, 4501 W. 127th Street in Alsip.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Jewish Celebrities
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
