CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — Every summer, Gail Weatherford plants flowers at her family's gravesite at Buffalo Cemetery in Cheektowaga but this year she was also digging for answers.
"Nobody knows anything about this," said Weatherford.
She and a few other people on Facebook had noticed "a graveyard" of empty planters and flower urns being pilled up, first at Mount Calvary Cemetery and then at Buffalo Cemetery just down the road.
"I was just shocked at the amount of urns and some had names on them," Weatherford said.
The concrete and stone basins appeared to have been plucked from gravesites at both cemeteries. All of them were empty, damaged, and weathered, but many were also inscribed with birthdates and looked like part of a memorial.
It troubled Weatherford and others on social media especially because no one seemed to know why the planters and urns had been removed, which prompted 2 On Your Side to unearth some answers.
"I was never notified and I'm sure no one else was notified and if you weren't here I'm sure nobody would be notified," said Weatherford.
2 On Your Side contacted Mount Calvary Cemetery Group President and CEO Douglas Wasiura who acknowledged in a phone conversation that communication about urn and planter removal could have been better.
He explained that it has been three years since the cemetery group enforced its policy regarding empty urns, which states if they're not filled by June 15 they will be removed, but under his new leadership, they're making more of a concerted effort to clean up as well as protect mowers and other equipment from being damaged by broken pots that may be hidden in the grass.
Wasiura said that the planters aren't being thrown out, but rather put into storage at their Pine Lawn location. He added that workers catalog each urn or planter and take a photo at their respective grave sites before they are removed.
Weatherford said while she's grateful for some explanation, the removal still doesn't sit well with her.
"Just because the people aren't still here I mean these people purchased this stuff and it should stay here until the world ends in my opinion," she said.
Families who'd like to pick up their empty or damaged urns are welcome to call the cemetery group at (716) 892-6600 or reach out online Wasiura said.
He added they will remain in storage for about a year and estimates there are about 500.
Weatherford said she's glad others will benefit from her digging and hopes to see more planters back in the cemetery the next time she visits.
"I'm thankful that you're out here doing this so we can let the community know."