Oct 13, 2009 6:23 pm US/Central
104-Year-Old Finally Laid To Rest At Burr Oak
Daisy Donahue's Last Wish To Be Buried By Her Husband's Side Finally Fulfilled
ALSIP, Ill. (CBS) ―
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Daisy Donahue, seen here in a vintage photograph, died in July at age 104. Her last wish was to be buried beside her husband at Burr Oak Cemetery.
CBS
The gates of Burr Oak Cemetery have been locked to the public since scandal rocked it this summer. But quietly, the gates are being opened so some families can finally put their loved ones to rest. As CBS 2's Dana Kozlov reports, Daisy Donahue's relatives were able to do that Tuesday, months after her death.
She was 104 years old when she died last summer and her
dying wish was to be buried next to her husband at the scandal-plagued cemetery. But it took a lot of wrangling to get it done.
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, who spearheaded the investigation into the reselling of graves for cash scheme, isn't sure opening the cemetery at all is a good idea.
But Daisy Donahue's family is still thankful that on this brilliant, crisp fall day, almost three months after her death, they were able to lay her to rest.
"Being here today has been bitter and sweet," said Pastor David Pope. "Sweet because we're able to lay her to rest, but somewhat bitter just because of how long it's taken."
Donahue was considered the matriarch of Brotherly Love Baptist Church where Reverend Pope currently preaches. It was founded by Donahue's husband 50 years ago.
After he died in 1981, she bought two plots at Burr Oak and even wrote her last request on the deed: to be buried by her husband.
"I'm glad this day has finally came," said her great-great nephew Steven Wilson. "She's now resting and she's right there next to him. That's where she wanted to be so she's there now."
Donahue died about the same time Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart shut Burr Oak down after discovering hundreds of human bones dumped on cemetery grounds.
Her remains sat in storage at Leak and Sons Funeral Home until now.
Officials with Perpetua, Inc., the cemetery's owners, say Donahue is the sixth person to be laid to rest since they regained control last month.
Sheriff Dart wonders if it's too soon.
"They should be very cautious of what they do there, and given the fact that some of these are the same people that have been involved before, my trust level's not really high," Dart said.
Dart no longer has anything to do with Burr Oak's daily operations. But he says the problems his investigators uncovered last summer were so widespread, he wonders if cemetery managers have had time to right their alleged wrongs.
Dart says cemetery owners better not put people through any more torture than they already have.
Perpetua's attorney, Trudi Foushee, tells CBS 2 while employees are working with families in need, Burr Oak will likely not open to the public until sometime in November.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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