I've Not Seen This Before...

You can see the discarded pile of memorials that have been removed from the graves and left
in a pile. (click to enlarge)

Not too far away from where I live is an old, abandoned and now derelict building that I believe was originally an Africa-American church, possibly from the late 19th century or early 20th century.  I'm not 100% sure, but all indications it is.

Adjacent to the church is a small graveyard.  There are fewer than a hundred graves.  Some are relatively recent.  People still bring flowers and other objects to their loved one’s graves.  I've photographed this building in the past and have posted images of it on this blog.  You might recognize it if you have followed the blog for a while.

What I have never seen elsewhere is what those responsible for cemetery upkeep do with the old, faded artificial flowers, vases, decorations, small memorials and such.  Typically, I always thought, once they are removed, they are taken elsewhere and discarded.  Not here.

A closer image.  I understand time limits for artificial flowers, etc. as the the colors fade away,
plastic is degraded and they have to be removed.  In the two to three years I've photographed
this old church, I don't think the pile has been emptied. (click to enlarge)

In the second image you can see a small, makeshift fenced-in area adjacent to the building.  This area is packed full of all of those old flowers, decorations, memorials, memorabilia and whatever else had been removed from around the headstones.  In other words, a junk pile.  

To me, this is a bit unsightly and could be considered somewhat of an insult to those who are laid to rest here as well as the relatives who obviously had taken time and money to bring an offering of remembrance to their loved ones.  As I said, I've never seen this elsewhere and wonder if this sort of discarded pile in plain view is somewhat normal or a product of neglect or just laziness in this particular location?  I don't know but I found it interesting so I thought I would share it.

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Thanks for looking. Enjoy!  

Dennis A. Mook  

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