Saving Graves

Folsom Cemeteries

Folsom, Sacramento County, California

 

 

Greetings to all,
 
THIS IS NOT FOR GENEALOGICAL DISCUSSION.
 
The cemeteries at Folsom in Sacramento County have been badly mutilated by the private cemetery operator.  In the fall of 1996, the State Dept. of Consumer Affairs, Bureau of Investigation in cooperation with the State Dept. of Parks and Recreation recovered hundreds of tons of granite, placerite and pre-formed concrete coping pieces that had been removed from existing family plots at the cemetery.
 
The cemeteries involved were originally known as the Citizen's Cemetery, Folsom City Cemetery, Odd Fellows Cemetery, Masonic Cemetery and the Folsom Jewish Cemetery.  With the exception of those buried in the Catholic Cemetery and those who outgrew this little town, virtually anyone who lived at Folsom was buried in these cemeteries.
 
There have been over 60 family plots affected and without photographic evidence of where the ornamentation came from it is impossible to know how to reinstall this personal property.  This is STOLEN PRIVATE PERSONAL PROPERTY and was purchased by the plot owners.  It did not belong to the cemetery operators (who have been unlawfully operating the public cemetery).
 
Neither the State nor the City of Folsom has published any notice to advise potential descendants that these stolen materials were recovered.  I am seeking any descendants who may have claim to these cemetery artifacts.
 
The city wants to try to use these items around town as decoration.  My stand is that these are private property.  If they are used for ANY purpose other than being returned to the family plots, they should be used to erect a monument within this cemetery with a plaque that tells the truth about what happened.  (NO CHARGES WERE FILED!!!!)
 
Since that won't happen, we have offered to store these items in trust so as to try to prevent any illicit use by the city or others.  If you have access to any other lists, please forward this notice.
 
I can be contacted at ssilver1951@jps.net.  I have worked on this since the summer of 1995.  I'm looking for consensus from descendants that they would prefer the items be held in trust and not pandered about the city without any telling that they were stolen from around someone's graves.
 
Thanks for the assist!
 
Sue Silver
El Dorado County Pioneer Cemeteries Commission
2551 Deer Trail Lane
Cameron Park, CA  95682

 

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