As relatives wept, the body of an Alabama woman whose wish was to be buried in her front yard was re
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- čas přidán 10. 09. 2024
- (15 Nov 2013) As relatives wept, the body of an Alabama woman whose wish was to be buried in her front yard was removed Friday, after her husband lost a lengthy court fight to keep her there.
James Davis said he promised his wife, Patsy, that he would bury her outside their two-story log home in the northeast part of the state. After her death in April 2009, the Stevenson City Council rejected his request for a cemetery permit for his yard, but he buried her a few feet from the front porch anyway.
The city sued and he eventually lost his legal battle. A judge this week approved a plan to remove the body.
One of Patsy Davis' daughters burst into tears as the vault containing her body was lifted out of the ground. James Davis watched silently from a few feet away. Family members, the sheriff and a deputy also looked on.
Davis called the exhumation "a travesty."
"This never should have happened," said Davis, 74. "I broke no laws."
Neighbor Phyllis Matthews stood by and watched the vault containing the casket being raised.
"I'm sorry for the family, what they're going through," Matthews said. "I lost my mother back in April. I'd hate to think it was my mother they were digging up. But she's buried in a cemetery."
James Davis, who had been married to his wife for 48 years, said he now plans to cremate her remains and keep them in the house.
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Proof you don't own your land no matter what you may think my heart goes out to him and the family
If he owns the land outright and standard burial practices were followed screw the county !
Papa Emeritus I say screw the damn county. They are cocksuckers. It's personal property and she should have been allowed to be buried wherever on her property she damn well pleased.
@Papa Emeritus I why you say that if she wanted to be buried where she lived let her
@STEVE Taylor yes true i just lost my father he was 45 years old and he wished for me to fix and drive the 79 dodge truck that the motor he built he said he wanted to look down on me in heaven god bless you dad 10/18/72-10/12/18
@Papa Emeritus I HEARTLESS PRICK
Sorry, he doesn't own the land!!! No one owns land in the U.S. besides the government. You rent the land until either you sell it or pass away. You pay property taxes on the land and the assets you have on it. Don't believe me? Don't pay your taxes and the government will kick your ass out of the so called land you own!!!!
In Minnesota, depending on the county, you can have your property surveyed and a specific plot surveyed separately and designated as a cemetary. Once recorded with the county you're good to go. Just remember, the hole has to me the required six feet deep. That's what I'm doing. And opting for a green burial- no embalming. Just wrapped in a cotton shroud and lowered into the hole. Friends and family can each grab shovels and fill it it. Then drinks and BBQ are on me!
He did do what he promised. Shame on the city.
LadyWeasel Really ? That plot of land is residential . How many previous owners corpses do you wantin your patio area ?
Only takes common sense. Smh
Gosh, it's just, like, dead body juice getting in your water supply! People are so afraid of the reality of death!!!!1!
My neighbors are buried on their property...I think it is horrible to put this family through the exhumation.. of their loved ones...My heart goes out to the family
You are beautiful i want to marry you x
I feel they should select a piece of property and make it their family graveyard. In a previous post I saw where the person stated they won't be in that house forever After Time that house will be owned by someone totally different possibly not of the family and you have this body buried in front of the house on the property. Then the same thing that's happening now what happened then the body will be exhumed and moved. So even though it really hurts the family and I sympathize with that. It's best that their loved one be moved now other than being moved by strangers. God bless
Very nice explanation.
Papa Emeritus I it's okay being a Christian has nothing to do with this. See we can always find common ground believer or not.
There's no way to be sure that the property will stay in that family forever, and new owners probably don't want a body buried in their front yard. None of us really ever owns property, eventually it gets sold or due to circumstances, the city gets it.
I'm suprised the funeral home initially buried her in the man's front yard without proper permits. sure would have prevented this from happening.
MsBeaglefan: It's the Cemetery's fault...
you do knowyou can buy everything needed and do it yourself with rented equipment. Legally he has rights to her body and can say what needs to be done.
The lady who owned the nursing home I worked at for years is buried in the front of the nursing home because those were her last wishes... so why couldn't he keep his wife in his yard... smh
@@theseer999 she can't. She'll be removed soon too.
@@billl1127 are you referring to the woman buried at the nursing home? If so she's been there over 40 yrs now... what would be the point
I feel bad for the family, but bottom line, it was denied, and you did it anyway. This should have been expected.
Sweetheart please don't worry about it she's not there she's in heaven and she knows that you tried God bless you and your family sister in Christ
Donkey Fish I would not want to be in your shoes on Judgement Day God bless you maybe God will have mercy and open your eyes
Donkey Fish I will pray for you but you're going to split hell wide open and when I'm in heaven I will be able to see it donkey fish
Donkey Fish the Rapture will happen September 21st of this year wait and see you will be left here to go through God's Wrath
Hey Vickie...how was the rapture?
Private property rights? Whatever happened to that?
Who wouldn't want to be buried in their front yard.? The problem is, hundreds of years from now, or eventually or sooner or later this property will end up in the hands of strangers and as time and structures change, people don't want a dead body buried in their yards. Or having to do redevelopment, dig one up by mistake. It happens.That's why burial codes are so strict.
P Fletch in Alabama most land is heir property can can't be sold to non family members so with her buried there no one would forget she is there
P Fletch why not there was a time when family members were buried near the family home.
P Fletch You must be inbred huh?
David Keller Inbred.... Indeed ! How dare the small of mind who typed that remark.
Guess you were raised in a respectable city home....where many of the same things went on.
Oh wait you rich city folks isn't inbreed n sech, them thar fancy
folks, who wears them fancy britches call it molestation....
Grow the hell up, bad stuff happens everywhere. Open your browser and read up on a little bit of history, cultures, religions,
etc.etc etc.
thanks in advance for broadening your knowledge of the world around you before speaking of it
Not if they successfully practice due diligence and pass the property down generation after generation.
,so sad they buried her so what was the big deal they should have let her r.i.p...
but that was her final wish to be buried there
If my final wish was for my family to be given one billion dollars should society honor it?
Property values and burial sacredity
My first reaction was the council was callous HOWEVER looking at other comments, I am re-thinking my position. It can potentially cause problems for future occupants, it can be a health issue having a grave outside a designated burial ground etc.
So sad I don't live very far from this man..all he wanted was to have his wife at home with him..I understand in the future she may need to be moved...but they should have just waited until the man passed... then the family could have moved her then and buried them both in the cemetery together...Why put the man through this It was so sad seeing him going through that.
Heartbreaking.
This happened in my town. A preacher's son passed and he buried him outside his church. The only thing is it was not a cemetery and the city made him remove his son. The sad part is if he only would have asked the city to give him a permit to have a cemetery outside of the church they probably would have given him one because most churches have cemeteries on their grounds. But now after all the legal battles he did with the city they won't give him one.
This is why we have places called cemeteries….
My grandmother is buried in my mother's front yard. But, she was cremated and we planted a dogwood tree were she lies in peace.
As someone who grew up in a house where not only was someone murdered in ( this happened in the 1800s I think ) when my parents bought the house they were told about it.and also the person who owned the house back then is buried like maybe 20 feet away from the house.it never bothered me.but I understand why it would for some people.
I see both sides of it...Resell value,,0...The moral side 100...
If the people would just elect Libertarians to office, our rights would be protected. With either major political party, we get politicians and judges who pull this garbage.
How would you like to be the real estate agent who has to sell a house with a coffin buried out front with a headstone.
You are ignorant dude. This is not that uncommon and humanity has done quite well with it upon discovery. You stupidly assume all things buried beneath barns, houses, garages, foundations new & old are always known & documented. Flash to you, stupid, they aren't, weren't, and never will be. Bombs, sink holes, avalanches, drainage & canals, tunnels, archaeologists, etc .....get a dictionary and become educated. Til then, shut up!!
To some home buyers a grave in the yard would be an asset.
I understand the fact that he wants his wife buried in his front yard, and the kids want their mother there as well... But you gotta think about the neighbors around you, it's not their family member and/or loved one, so it's probably creepy to them to have a dead body buried in the front yard of the neighbors house! It may not be a law against it, but it's not a law that says you can do that either. As I put myself in the family's shoes, I understand the feeling, bc if it was my mom, I would want the same.... But I also have to think about how others would feel about that. You're not just living in that neighborhood alone, it's others living there as well!
So your saying if you buy and pay for your property the neighbors have a right to tell you what you can do on your property? Glad I'm in a state it's legal to bury someone on your own property and no neighbor can tell me what to do on my own property. Sadly wherever you live the neighbors have more rights than the property owners.
@@carolinagypsy40It is called having consideration of others. As a member of a community, one should understand that what one person does affects another. Just as I live in a subdivision where neighbors maintain their home and keep their properties in good repair. You don't leave trash in you yard and have cars on jacks. This is called having consideration for others.
@@beverlydavid581 so your ok with somebody telling you what to do on your own property. So if you paint your house blue, plant red rose in your yard and park your black Audi in your driveway I have the right to sue you until you paint your house green, plant daisies and drive a white Ford? No it's your freaking property. This is why I hate nosey neighbors like you.
The city rejected a permit to bury her in her yard; if you dont meet the criteria move on.
Maybe the town wants the burial to be a certain distance from buildings, roads, water/gas lines, or neighbors to be approved, who knows...
THEY'RE GETTING READY FOR martial law
Really? That is ridiculous.
You can’t buried a body in your front yard. If that’s the case everyone front yard will find a dead body in it😂
The county did him a favor. His property value just went back up from zero.
You wouldn't buy the property just because someone was buried there? I'd love to have a whole cemetery in my yard 😂 is that weird
we should be able to be burried where we want. I'm sorry for your loss, and I'm sorry for your second loss 😑 very sad.
Donetta Lowe , there are laws governing this for public health risks and property rights of others.
You can not bury someone in your front yard, you do not do that anyway
Just a thought. If he passes away and the surviving family does not keep the house, how will they sell it? I doubt anyone will buy with a grave in front of it.
What the hell its so sad they have do this what's wrong with these government
gilbert reyna thank Obama, he screwed this country up
David Keller don't blame obama every politician before obama ruined this fucked up country
David Keller you're a fuckin' idiot ! Your uneducated mentality is what fucked this country up!
gilbert reyna: Not the government it's the man! His property his rules! He did the right thing
David Keller...
There is a family in Milwaukee who buried the original property owner in the front yard. The grandparents left the property to their children, but they wanted to buried on the property. The family received all the documents needed from the city and county and to this day, 15yrs later, their graves are still on that property. Why can’t ppl be allowed the same respect!!!
The gentleman may not have broken any laws, but the problem with this is if everyone thought it acceptable to do this, states and the bureaucracies within would lose MONEY. That’s all it is about people. There are many rules to disposal of human remains. But there also are many options to families regarding their deceased loved ones display, viewing, final disposition. Families don’t know this because 1. Death is taboo. 2. The people who make the money off death don’t want you to know because if you did, THEY wouldn’t make that money. From the state, to funeral directors to cemeteries. They all want their money. This gentleman should’ve been allowed to honor his wife’s wishes. A compromise at least. For example; your wife’s remains may stay there for as long as you own the house. If he was to ever sell the house, then the cost to disinter would be on him or his kin. The only difference between his front yard and a cemetery plot is no one is making money off the sale of plot and interment and maintenance of the grave in perpetuity.
It's for the best. There would have been problems in the future.
you know i don;t see the problem i mean hell Elvis is buried in his own yard
Tough call, but that vault looks as sealed and legit as in any Cemetery, so ....why NOT have left her?
Only in America would people be so stupid but as houses have a tendency to stay in families and they do Not understand the issues such as poisoning well water until it happens to them I see It.
If that important just have their ashes scattered and plant a remembrance tree!
The vault would prevent any contamination to the water.
John Palomo , I wouldn't trust it.
I feel bad for the family but it was selfish of that woman to want to be buried in her own front yard with neighbors around.
Mina Rosered Disagree with you. She didn't hurt anyone.
That house is 100% haunted now.
I do not think you should bury people on your land evan if you do own it. The reason is because there is no way you can guarantee upon your death that you are going to still own the land. I know years ago my friend bought a piece of land only to find out that 7 Graves went with. The Graves had been there for over 100 yrs. He did not know this until a 90 year old woman told him. Friend did not see any grave stones but she said they were there. Long story short he dug down a foot and found the markers. 2 people had owned the land the original owners and another set after the original owners had passed. This land was sold at public auction hardly anyone evan knew of the Graves. There was rumors but no one knew for sure except this 90 year old lady. People said she was a crazy old lady evan her family said she was talking out her head. Up until 5he time the man found the Graves. I do not think people should be allowed to bury people on land they own.
That's sad ..Soo 💓 heartbreaking
I dont understand why they couldnt of kept her on their property until he either sold or passed away and lost the property. Then done the removal???
I feel sorry for him the grave site is nice and clean he has a nice yard I don't see anything wrong with burying her on your own land poor man bless his heart
I think too much worth is placed on burials in our society . In my eye , if you believe in heaven then burial is just a formality . But since people do pla e so much worth on these " Resting Places " they can have an upheaval like this in their lives . I have told my family and all of my friends thatI am to be cremated and used for plant food . No funeral home memorial needed . BUT , I guess I am not theaverage person in that regard .
Not sorry for him. They would have to remove her at some point. It's the families fault for not thinking.
His property should get to be buried in your own property
HIS LAND HIS RIGHT TO USE IT AS HE PLEASES. NO ONE TELLS ME WHAT I CAN AND CANT DO ONE MY OWN PROPERTY
2:05 whelp folks it's clear she did NOT want to go. This is wrong in so many ways I don't see the harm I'm having a body of a family member in your front yard if that's what their wishes were and that's what you want these people are going to get haunted if not they're going to get judged on Judgment Day severely for digging up a grave and disturbing someone spirit the storage chest hurts and it's disgraceful
Ain't no way it's plenty of people buried at their homes and business if you want and have the funeral there if you pay check the funeral home
God bless this family. I hate the laws that require someone to be buried in cemeteries. It just seems very unnatural.
It was her wish, it is his/her property, I don't see the problem.
Hey neighbors,does your well water tastes funny too?🤣🤣🤣🤣
bicanroman , that's exactly what I was thinking!!! Contaminated wells?!?
A sealed vault should be able to contain anything but... Vaults aren't always perfect and sometimes fail.
Thousands of animal droppings, dead animals and insect from thousands of years made water tasted great.
God Bless .🕊🌿🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
Shame on that city!!!
I can show you a man that has his wife and 2 children buried in his front yard in limestone county all its in the west limestone community so don't let them say it can't be done that's bull shit
Nah fuck that; Its fucked for the neighbors to have to see a gravestone every day.
I get she wanted to be burried there. Every right to do her wish. If he does cremate her remains likethe description says, he can reburray her in the ern. Either way she will get her wish even if its not a full body but bone dust.
She didn't want to leave. This poor family didn't deserve this. I hope they've recovered and have found peace.
RIP,
People need to mind their own! If the man wants his wife buried in his yard, then let it be! Whats that hurting?You're wife knows the truth. Rest easy man. You kept your word tooth and nail! Shame on those who petitioned this!
Everyone's Everyone's In my opinion the last wish for what she wanted should, have been honored.. That's it that's all of it..
Proves we are not free
What a petty thing for a city government to pursue. They will be damned for disregarding someone's last wishes.
...though her ashes could be reburied there, minus an urn. No one would know. Silent justice for her and living family...
bury a pet, no one bats an eye smhhh 😑
Looks as if the morbid bastard wanted to save money on a plot. Graves don't belong in your front yard .
Don’t people stay put anymore?
He owned the land!! I didn't know the county had any say in it, it is private property!
Anyone who wants to do this should opt for cremation and bury/spread the ashes wherever you want. Just do it without much fanfare.
Eric x yes, be discreet
Disagree. A right to burial is individual. I'm going to my grave in a green burial in a wood casket - in old days they call them the toe pincher. If I own a plot of land and I want to be buried there, I get the permits and stuff ahead of time and the state can suck it. Look up Ask a Mortician for clearing up more myths about death and dead bodies. She actually is FOR green burials. ;)
So I guess you wouldn't mind drinking well water tainted with embalming fluid after about 10 or so years?
I don't get it. We did this back in the old days. Hell a place here in Maryland called Todds farm has graves in the back yard. For over 100s of years. So he should have been able to keep her wishes
The county or whoever it was should have left that lady alone and let her rest in peace I just cannot believe our government they're corrupt and Evil
Papa Emeritus I if she's in a sealed concrete vault it won't leak. So you don't have a good argument.
Well if that's what she wanted why can't she have it
You should be allowed to do as you wish on your own land. We need removal of all forms of government.. Open carry is your best protection..
No respect for the dead .noneee
Id treat em like trespassers and deal with them accordingly.
And be prosecuted accordingly.
Some jerk setting in office will receive grief in special way karma comes to yah you might not think so
Strange beliefs. My heart pumps grape koolaid for the family.
Her vault dropping a bit should have been a clear sign that she did NOT want to be removed from her home, husband and the rest of her family.
Thought the exact same thing.
Could he not have creamated her and just buried her ashes there and put the head stone there? Cuz you can do whatever you want with ashes
Maybe she didn't want to be cremated. Some people don't want to be cremated.
Amen brother in Christ
This is sick
You can't just bury people in their front yards!! I don't care if it is a last wish!!! I don't want to live next door to a coffin in the ground!! They can leak and it's a health hazard !! She is in heaven so she doesn't even know her body was moved!!
You are correct. If burying a dog or a cat is illegal then it certainly cannot be done with a human being. They should be grateful they are not facing criminal charges for improper disposal of a human corpse.
You clearly know nothing of how caskets and vaults work then. Not to mention embalming removes all bodily fluids and replaces them with preservatives.
you dont know that she is in heaven..you not God. it is very comforting to say people soul are in heaven after they passed. the truth is no one knows who will be
if say a casket even leaked how would that be a health hazzard under the ground?
did the test result of the water came to that conclusion?
He could always bury the ashes there and not tell anyone.
Oh hell no, now enough is enough
Bet you didn't know crematorium sells coffin back to undertakers I no because my relation works absolutely disgraceful.
what about the kids who live close
Poor old guy God bless him
Damn Politicians!
Is this what government is for?
Its damn rediculous let her rest in peace.
Should have left her alone to rest in peace.
This is b.s. and uncalled for
folks outa be able to do as they wish with their loved ones remains
You could of kept it hush hush and the city and state wouldn't of not known
Can't even freaking rest in peace..
Reminds me of that scene in Poltergeist when Craig T. Nelson finds out that they only moved the headstones to the new cemetery !
Ha! The ghouls at the Funeral home probably lobbied the city and to getting her move because they were unable to shake them down and get their money out of the guy!!!
The mini heart attack they all got @ 2:03 .
Lol
My Mum was cremated as she wanted to be scattered over her garden, and she was. Yes, the land will belong to somebody else one day, but this guy owns the land NOW! Cruel and unnecessary. May she finally rest in peace....and those who did this will have their judgement day...
Dawn bustersmummy you handled your mom's remains properly. Unfortunately this family did not
She knows nothing about what is happening to her body. It is just a shell. Her soul is gone.
land of the free......