TWINSBURG, Ohio — Burying your loved one is never easy, but some have said a cemetery in Twinsburg has made their experiences even more difficult. News 5 Investigators talked with the company running the cemetery about complaints and with one of the frustrated customers who felt the need to step forward.
“She was upbeat. She was encouraging. She just smiled a lot,” said Alyce Olson from Colorado about her mom, Nancy Kray, from Northeast Ohio.
Kray died in September 2023. Olson said they paid for the arrangements at Crown Hill Cemetery in Twinsburg, but months later, on Mother’s Day of this year, there were problems.
“My sister was appalled at how the gravesite looked,” said Olson. “It looked as if she had just been buried. There was no sod. No grass seed on it. There was no grave marker.”
She said staff then assured her it would be taken care of. Her sister went back in early September and said it looked the same way.
“Like our care for our mother and our love for our mother was disrespected,” said Olson.
“I would proceed with caution,” said Akron Better Business Bureau President & CEO Shannon Seigferth.
When News 5 Investigators started looking into this story, the company running Crown Hill named EverStory had a D- rating. It now has an F.
Seigferth said that when making final arrangements, you should do your homework beforehand.
“Pre-planning in this process when you lose a loved one cannot only help with the grieving process, but it helps take that burden off of your family,” she told us.
The BBB’s site shows reviewsof Crown Hill in the past year, which are similar to Olson’s concerns. There are several positive Google reviews but also 1-star ratings, too. The company does respond to reviews.
“We want to be a good community partner,” said Michele Stone from EverStory. She told us Crown Hill got new management in March and found a significant backlog of orders, and it was understaffed. She said it’s better now, and she personally is addressing BBB complaints.
“I’m committed to doing that,” said Stone. “I’m committed to going forward responding to everything, but also making sure that those concerns looking back are also addressed.”
It took 12 months, but Olson said eventually, a new employee helped her out with her mother’s gravesite and marker.
“She got this done. But a year? It’s just something I want to warn other people about,” said Olson.
