Sisters Sue Cemetery- RPS # 21
American sisters Evelyn and Hortense Edwards spent two decades showing their devotion and
dedication by visiting what they thought was their mother's grave only to discover it contained
the remains of a stranger.
Now, the sisters are causing quite the angry commotion and are seeking $25 million in damages
from the Rosehill Cemetery in Linden, New Jersey, for emotional distress caused when they
learned that their mother, Beatrice Williams, had been buried in the wrong plot. After learning
the mistake the sisters immediately recruited a lawyer to help them in their controversial case
again the cemetery that is sparking debate across the country.
"It was devastating for them," Mark Crawford, the sisters' attorney, said regarding the burial
mix-up.
He said they only recollected or remembered the mix-up after they complained to the cemetery
about their mother's grave falling into disrepair. An employee looked up the plot in question.
"She said, 'There's a man buried there,' and they said, 'What do you mean there's a man buried
there?'" Crawford said.
The complaint says the cemetery has acknowledged that the plot location in the sisters'
paperwork was incorrect. In a letter sent to the sisters last July, the cemetery said it believed their
mother was in fact buried in another section, the complaint said.
The cemetery declined to offer elaborating details to the story.
Crawford said the sisters are not convinced that the cemetery has not misplaced their mother's
remains. They want the cemetery to disinter the remains at the second grave to confirm the
remains there are of their mother.But the cemetery said it will only revise and fix the mistake if
the sisters take responsibility if the remains of someone else is disturbed and relatives decide to
sue.
"They're not willing to take the risk of correcting their own mistake," he said.
The sisters had bought three plots when their mother died in the hope that they might one day be
buried by her side.
Crawford said he was not sure whether the mix-up was restricted to just two sets of remains or
whether other plots were similarly mislabeled.This serious ordeal story should show the vital
importance in keeping adequate records.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/13/us-cemetery-mixupidUSTRE76C3MR20110713
Using your context clues, determine the meaning of this week’s RPS words, and write their
definitions below:
Word
Revise
Regarding
Recollection
Definition
To change or look over
To think of with a particular
feeling; to look upon
The act of remembering or
recalling actions or events
Context Clues
Fix the mistake
Attorney said
remembered
Recruit
Vital
Controversial
To persuade one to enlist in
a service, usually the
military
Important or crucial to life
Debatable or questionable
amongst others
Elaboration
Any serious experience, test,
or trial that has been lived
through
Expanding or giving detail
to a story or account
Commotion
Violent or noisy motion;
agitation; disturbances
Ordeal
Lawyer to help them
Importance
sparking debate
Serious details
Quite angry
Showing dedication
Superior dedication or
Devotion
desire to do or finish
something
What background knowledge did you use to help you better understand this text? Answers will
vary
What text structure is this passage? Cause and Effect How do you know? This article discusses
the court battle of individuals from start to finish
Is this a reliable source and how do you know? This is taken from a local newspaper that went
national. It can be considered reliable.
Summarize in one sentence what this text was about: Answers will vary
Did the author of this article make an impact on you? Why or why not? Answers will Vary
What is the author’s purpose? Inform