Respect the sanctity of cemeteries
The Monongahela Historical Society is sponsoring a Halloween event at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Carroll Township advertised as “Cemetery Tales. Creepy, Cryptic, Chilling.” As various families of people buried in the cemetery have protested this action, the historical society has offered assurances that this is “just a history lesson.”
Of all organizations, the Monongahela Historical Society, which is designed to preserve our past, should respect the sanctity of cemeteries. Our loved ones should be assured that their final resting place will not become undignified by crass commercialism. A cemetery should not be violated for fun and profit.
That this organization is using the Mt. Zion Cemetery for a Halloween event is certainly not my idea of what its purpose should be. This action shows complete disrespect for the entire community of Monongahela and the rural areas around it.
Generations of our relatives are buried at Mt. Zion Cemetery, and we are disappointed that the Monongahela Historical Society would assume they could host such an event without upsetting the owners of these gravesites. They are, after all, purchased for the departed by their families and are considered private property.
Eugene and Norma Haywood
Burghill, Ohio