CEMETERY RECORDS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 February 1933, Page 4

CEMETERY RECORDS

WRONG GRAVE OPENED.

IDENTIFYING DISCS MOVED.

TE AROHA, February 20x A complaint from a Hamilton undertaker of the manner in which the cemetery records were kept, it being stated that in one case the wrong grave had been opened, was received at a meeting of the Te Arolia Cemetery Board. It was stated that the number in the records did not correspond with the number on the plot, and owing to the mistake a burial fixed for 4 p.m. had been delayed until 7.15 t p.m., placing a severe strain upon the relatives of the deceased. The writer said that he had! been informed of several similar, mistakes being made in Te Aroha prev-

iously. A resident of Auckland also complained of the same idling, staffing that the case involved was at the’ funeral of his mother. He considered that the records should be under the care of the sexton.

The secretary said the trouble arose through some person or persons unknown shifting the discs identifying the plots. As the discs did not run alphabetically it was hard to follow: the order. The chairman, Air W. T. W. Hughes, said that in all his experience he had never known such a thing to happen. The secretary explained that the sexton knew little of the old part of the cemetery, in which the plot w as sit-

uated. The board decided that no blame was attachable to the secretary, and to write to both complainants expressing deep regret that such an unfortunate mistake had occurred