Families upset after gravesite markers covered in debris in N.C.

KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. (WBTV) - A Gaston County woman is upset with city officials, saying the graveyard Kings Mountain operates isn’t being kept up properly.

Mowed grass is covering up markers throughout much of the area. But when she called to complain, she says her father’s plot was targeted and she’s looking for answers.

Carol Borders says she’s been coming to the Mountain Rest Cemetery for the past six years to visit her father. She called the city to complain about grass clippings covering the markers. But when she came back today, she says what she saw made her break down in tears.

“He’s laying there and they did this to his grave? It’s not right..”

Borders comes out regularly to tend to her father’s grave. Replacing flowers, taking up leaves. Many of the ones she cares about most are here as well

“I have my grandma, my grandpa, I have an aunt here. I have an uncle that was just buried two weeks ago, my daddy’s here.” Borders said.

Recently, she’s noticed a change, in not only her family’s sites, but others buried here as well.

“You couldn’t even read the names of the people laying there because there was so much dead grass piled over their names.”

Grass clippings, most likely left over from grounds crews mowing the cemetery, covered many of the markers.

“That is disrespectful, and it’s just not right.” Boarders told WBTV.

But when she called to complain, she said she got an answer she had a hard time accepting.

“They were burying so many people because of COVID-19 that they couldn’t do the rest of the job.” she claimed.

When she came back Wednesday afternoon, she found all the grass dug up around her father’s marker in a one-foot radius.

“It was done out of spite.” Borders said.

William Mason was visiting his wife who’s buried here when he found the gravesite memorial to his stepson broken into pieces.

“It’s sad to see. The city could do better,” Mason said.

Grass clippings covered their gravestones as well. Borders says she just wants it set right.

“My daddy does not deserve this. He don’t deserve this,” Borders said.

WBTV tried to contact city leaders in Kings Mountain. So far, no one has returned our calls.

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