March 2013

March is always an emotional month for me since it is the month my daddy passed away. After an exceptionally trying day at the office I decide to swing by the cemetery and talk to mom and dad for a while.

After daddy passed in 2005, the VA created his headstone. His complete name, Coast Guard service rank, birthdate and date of death were all included on the plaque. We also had them include the basic information for mom. Everything except her date of death. That was added after she passed away.



When I arrived at Restland, I drove through to their spot and parked. It always takes me a few minutes to actually find where they are located. I never can walk directly to it. When I do find it imagine my amazement that my mothers (middle) name, her birthdate and date of death have been changed and are WRONG!!! I am beside myself. I also wonder if I am losing my mind. The stone is one long stone with two plaques affixed to the face. One for mom and one for daddy. All of daddy’s information is correct but mom’s is not. How could this happen? This is not the way I wanted to spend this time!

The correct information for mom is:

Elizabeth Davis Moore

July 6, 1924 November 27, 2010

The stone now reads:

Why would you take a plaque off, that obviously is complete with a date of death 2 ½ years earlier and replace it with one that has a date only a couple of months old???? Who approves these things? Who checks the work?

I call my brother Steve who has a very difficult time understanding what I am even trying to say since I’m crying so hard. I take a photo with my phone and send it to him. He assures me he will contact the cemetery office and get to the bottom of it. I call my hubby who thinks I’ve had a car accident I’m so upset.



After I arrive home, I check the obituary archives on the Restland site and find another Elizabeth Moore, who passed away in January and was buried at Restland. Somehow this ties together.

Since it is now past 6pm, Steve calls Restland the next day. They are dumbfounded and cannot begin to explain how this happened. They tell my brother that there are only two employees who do this work…. Really? you would think they would be experts at it. After some research and literally the contact driving out to the second Ms. Moore’s site, they determine that her plaque ended up on mom’s stone. How? No one can figure out. They assure us they will have it fixed in very short order. Mom’s correct plaque would still be in their “storage” area and they will find it and correct the problem.



Geez. Just makes you wonder.