A local Detroit woman is outraged after discovering that her grandfather's mausoleum at the historic Woodmere Cemetery had been stripped of its copper doors and stained-glass window by thieves. Despite being the only living relative, no one from the cemetery notified Susan Burns about the theft until she came across a story about it.
Burns says she is "devastated" and furious that no one contacted her or tried to locate any surviving relatives before the damage was done. She believes that the cemetery should have taken steps to protect her family's legacy, which includes the mausoleum designed by famous architect Albert Kahn.
The theft occurred in 2012 as part of a wave of graveyard crimes at the cemetery, where thieves targeted century-old mausoleums for bronze and copper doors, gates, and other metal memorials. In recent years, the cemetery has faced criticism over its conditions, with families complaining about damaged gravestones, poor maintenance, and broken promises.
Burns is now looking for a lawyer to file a lawsuit against the cemetery owners, arguing that they should have tried to locate surviving relatives and alert them to the theft and damage. She also plans to advocate for better care and protection of historic cemeteries like Woodmere.
The story highlights the importance of preserving family legacies and cultural heritage sites, as well as the need for more effective communication and collaboration between cemetery owners, families, and authorities to prevent such incidents in the future.
Burns says she is "devastated" and furious that no one contacted her or tried to locate any surviving relatives before the damage was done. She believes that the cemetery should have taken steps to protect her family's legacy, which includes the mausoleum designed by famous architect Albert Kahn.
The theft occurred in 2012 as part of a wave of graveyard crimes at the cemetery, where thieves targeted century-old mausoleums for bronze and copper doors, gates, and other metal memorials. In recent years, the cemetery has faced criticism over its conditions, with families complaining about damaged gravestones, poor maintenance, and broken promises.
Burns is now looking for a lawyer to file a lawsuit against the cemetery owners, arguing that they should have tried to locate surviving relatives and alert them to the theft and damage. She also plans to advocate for better care and protection of historic cemeteries like Woodmere.
The story highlights the importance of preserving family legacies and cultural heritage sites, as well as the need for more effective communication and collaboration between cemetery owners, families, and authorities to prevent such incidents in the future.
I'm soooo angry about this! Like, who does that? 
The thought of those copper doors and stained-glass window just being stripped away from Susan's grandfather's mausoleum is heartbreaking. It's not just the monetary value of these things, it's the emotional connection and family legacy that's being lost here 
. I don't blame Susan for wanting to take action – she has every right to be furious! 
It's really sad when historic cemeteries like Woodmere are neglected and thieves just walk in like they own the place 
. Maybe this is a wake-up call for the cemetery owners to get their act together? 
the state needs 2 step up their game & make sure these kinds of crimes don't happen again 
come on, I'm so mad that someone stole from her grandpa's mausoleum, but at the same time, I don't think the cemetery should've been expecting Susan Burns to be like, super invested in it since she's the only living relative and all. 
But still, shouldn't they've tried to reach out to her or something before selling off grandma grandpa's copper doors and stained-glass window? That just seems kinda shady. 
On the other hand, I get why Susan's all bent out of shape – it's like, family stuff, you know? 
... like, I don't know how it even hangs there without falling off 
... anyway, it got me thinking about Woodmere Cemetery and how people can be so thoughtless. I mean, think about if someone came to your grandpa's grave and just started messing with stuff that wasn't theirs 
... but I guess when there are a lot of gravestones and nothing else to protect them, it's easy for people to get careless 
... anyway, gotta give props to the lady who's fighting for her family's legacy though 
And yeah, the cemetery should've taken steps to protect that family's legacy. Like, come on! Albert Kahn designed that mausoleum - it's a piece of history! 
I don't think they're off the hook just because they didn't know who else was related... lawsuits are always an option, but maybe there should be some sort of protocol in place for when a family member dies and their loved ones aren't around to take care of things? It's just common courtesy, you know? 
. And to think it was supposed to be protected by the people in charge... what a disaster 
. Susan Burns is totally right to want a lawsuit, it's only fair that the cemetery owners take responsibility for this mess 
. And I'm all for her advocating for better care and protection of historic sites... we need more people like her! 
and now she's left to fight for what's rightfully hers. I'm all for advocating for better care and protection of historic sites, but can't we just make it happen without having to sue people? 
The grave concern of this situation is that our ancestors' legacy was taken away from us without a thought or word... "The dead are not our brothers, but friends whose lives we remember with gratitude and respect." 
.
she's totally entitled 2 be upset 
it's like they just took everything without asking 
the copper doors & stained glass window were such an important part of the mausoleum design 
albert kahn would be so disappointed 
It just seems like a bit of a stretch, you know? 
Copper doors & stained-glass window gone! 
️. I can see why she's devastated 
. Maybe a security camera or more vigilant staff would've made a difference 
. We need to raise awareness about preserving our cultural heritage sites 
.
.
They should've at least sent a notice or something, you know? It's not like the cemetery is just going to magically call everyone in the family and say "hey, your stuff got stolen"... 
and hopefully her efforts will lead to better protection of historic cemeteries so we can all preserve our family legacies 
and now they're gone forever 
not just leave them open to thieves 
and families like Susans have the right to know what's happening with their loved ones 
it's just not fair 
I'm sending my thoughts and vibes to Susan for her loss 
