MADISONVILLE, Ohio — At Laurel Cemetery in Madisonville, many headstones are covered by overgrown grass reaching as tall as three to four feet.
The cemetery is where many soldiers, including World War II veterans, are buried. That includes Michael Schrichten's uncle.
"That's an empty grave right there of my uncle," Schrichten said. "They never found his body."
His grandparents are also buried there.
Schrichten said when he first saw how bad the conditions of the cemetery were, it made him emotional.
"I was about ready to cry," Schrichten said.
See what the cemetery looked like on Wednesday in the video below:
It was so bad, he brought a weed wacker to the cemetery to clear out his relative's headstones himself.
"I've been coming down here since I was 6 years old," Schrichten said. "This is the worst it's ever been."
It's not just his family. There are dozens of headstones covered by weeds and grass — some even buried beneath it, nearly impossible to see.
Real estate records show the land is owned by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Lodge 191.
WCPO 9 spoke to a trustee from the lodge, who said the poor conditions of the cemetery are due to an overly wet spring and a broken lawnmower.
There is good news, though. Crews were out Wednesday, beginning to clean up the mess. They told us they hope to have the cemetery back to normal by Memorial Day.
Schrichten said he's hoping the conditions at the cemetery don't get that bad ever again.
"I cut the grass every week," Schrichten said. "Why can't they have someone cut the grass every week?"
Many people may observe Memorial Day by visiting the gravesites of fallen soldiers. The Ohio Department of Commerce said it encourages individuals to do their part to help keep the state’s cemeteries beautiful and safe by reporting maintenance issues and concerns.
The Department of Commerce has a division that oversees complaints against registered cemeteries in the state. If you feel there are conditions at a cemetery that need to be looked at, you can file a complaint here.
