Tuesday 4 August 2015

40 graves desecrated

Forty graves desecrated   in the cemetery / cimetière at Labry in Meurthe and Moselle. 
Tudor was once accused of desecrating a grave! Have you heard this story?
My father died and my mother had planted on his grave a holly tree. Dad had an affair and my mother never forgave him although they did stay together. The holly bush had some symbolism for her of growing through a " cheater's heart" When Mum died I discussed with my sister taking out the holly bush and adding a head stone. We knew we both wanted this and then my sister died. 
A year later Evie's second husband Tudor and I discussed sorting out Dads grave. Now Dad had died and been  buried before Tudor came on the scene. We discussed which was the grave and Tudor arranged a gardener to help take out the holly bush with him. He checked it with the vicar and then the day came. The two had practically finished, the bush was out when a man passing in his car,( the graveyard fronted the main road) came rushing over yelling at Tudor " how dare you desecrate my mother's grave?" 
Tudor blanched, and listened to the ranting man.  The vicar nearby in the vicarage came dashing out hearing the noise. He tried to calm the man down and said he would check the grave names and numbers to sort out whose the grave was. Tudor went home and phoned us to ask what would be the penalty for grave desecration, whilst he had a strong whisky.
Well, the next day the vicar explained it was our Dad's grave and the man's mother was in the grave next to Dad's. The man had tended the holly bush for years just thinking it was one of the graveyard bushes. I often wondered which of our family member trimmed it!
The happy end to the story is Dad now has no holly bush through his heart and a nice plaque heading his grave.
It could only happen to Tudor
Rest in peace DAD