‘Glad that it happened;’ Community reacts to Trotwood’s lawsuit against Bear Creek Cemetery

TROTWOOD — The City of Trotwood is looking to take over control of a local cemetery after the owners were accused of defrauding people who have family buried there.

As News Center 7 reported Wednesday, the city filed a lawsuit to hopefully gain an order to take control of Bear Creek Hill Grove Cemetery. Family members with loved ones buried there told News Center 7′s Taylor Robertson that they saw something like this coming.

>> RELATED: City of Trotwood files lawsuit to gain control of troubled cemetery

“I’m actually glad that it happened,” April Jones said.

Jones has several family members buried at Bear Creek. She’s been leading the charge of community members fighting to get something done about the overgrown grass and inconsistent communication between the owners and the people paying for services.

A few weeks back, Jones was passing out cemetery complaint forms for people to fill out.

“That’s actually where it all started with me. A lot of my family [are buried here], my in-laws are laid to rest here, so therefore, you know, who’s gonna speak up and be there for the people and their families,” she said.

When News Center 7 was at the cemetery Thursday, there was a man in tears over the way his family’s headstone looked. Jones said things like that happen daily.

She told Robertson that she’s been in contact with Trotwood police and city officials, and gathered families to all meet with police at one time to file reports. News Center 7 was there when that happened last month.

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“Well that was a day that was set up just for the families all together that have been done wrong,” she explained.

Less than a month after those complaints were filed, the city announced the lawsuit. In announcing it, officials said they want to start the process of getting the cemetery back to where it should be.

News Center 7 reached out to the city to see what specifically they have planned for the cemetery, but have not heard back.

The city previously asked the community for patience as they work to get the cemetery back to its former glory.

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