Man who owns property blocking cemetery entrance proposes opening gates 2 days a week
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PRICHARD, Ala. (WALA) — It’s a new year, but things remain the same at Prichard Memorial Cemetery.
A gate blocking the entrance road, which is on private property, is still locked up and chained up. It’s been reinforced with extra wiring.
“So how you supposed to get in? That’s what I would like to know, how we supposed to get in there?” said Annie Watkins, whose parents are buried in Prichard Memorial Cemetery.
The property in front of the cemetery is owned by Lee Dell Scarbrough. His attorney, Doug Anderson, told FOX 10 News last week that Anderson put up the gate because he saw possible illegal activity happening in the area overnight.
Anderson said Scarbrough is proposing to the city of Prichard to open the gates to the cemetery on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 am to 5 pm until there is a permanent resolution.
“We can’t find any answers, to where Mom and Dad is,” said Alberta Hosea.
However, once some families get in, they’ll be walking into another issue. Watkins and Hosea are sisters whose father died in 1988 and mother died in 1989. They were both buried in Prichard Memorial Cemetery and now they can’t find their graves.
“Yes we had a vault both of them and we also had headstones. We can’t find the vault headstone or anything. Or anything,” said Watkins.
The mystery that could solve a lot of the issues surrounding the cemetery, is who actually owns the cemetery. That’s something that no one seems to have a concrete answer to.
Oaklawn Cemetery has a similar issue. The cemetery located near the Mobile/Prichard line sits on several acres and has hundreds buried in it, including many veterans. There’s no apparent owner.
FOX 10 news will continue digging for answers and will bring you all of the latest information.
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