Family Upset By Condition Of Dewey Cemetery

A family is upset about the condition of a cemetery in Dewey and they want something to be done. 

The family sent photos to News On 6 that show multiple graves are underwater.

“It shouldn’t look like this. All these graves out here look like it’s disturbed,” said Marilyn Barham. 

Barham says her recent trips to the Dewey cemetery have not been pleasant. 

“I don’t know how anybody could sleep at night,“ she said.

Barham, who comes up every few days to visit the graves of her husband's grandfather and her nephew, says recent rains have flooded some areas and ruts have developed. 

“This person was just buried because it has a grave mark. And it should not have a big old hole in the middle of it. It shouldn’t look like someone just drove right through this. “

Barham says her family has called the city before about fixing the area up but feels they haven’t done enough. 

“I hardly don’t see anybody out here,” she said.

Image of the flooding at the Dewey Cemetery. Deann Hill

But while at the cemetery today, we noticed public works employees and told them about some of the flooding. And they quickly helped unclog some of the drains. 

“The ground around Dewey is pretty flat so the drainage is not very good,” said Kevin Trease, Dewey City Manager. 

Trease says they don’t have a full time maintenance staff solely for the cemetery but public works employees work to keep it up and they do their best with what they have. 

“This time of year we have to drive equipment in and out and that’s going to create ruts but we try to go back and repair those,” he said.

And Trease says Barham and anybody else who has concerns with the cemetery can always call city hall. 

Trease says in a perfect world they would be able to completely re-do this area but they don’t have the funds.