OLD BROOKLYN, Ohio — Residents and family members are demanding immediate action after a cemetery in Old Brooklyn has been left in what they're calling "deplorable condition."
They say Brookmere Cemetery is in a state of disarray, with broken graves and debris all over the place.
They're now asking the City of Cleveland to step in and do something to restore it to what it once was.
They say it's outright disrespect to those who have passed away and their loved ones who come to visit the sacred space.
Family members claim the city has ignored their requests for years.
"It's quite a shame. The disrepair all these headstones are in at this point," Cleveland Heights resident Linda Cameron said.
When Cameron came to Brookmere Cemetery with her loved ones to pay their respects and further research their family's genealogy—the site made them sick to their stomachs.
"It's just unconscionable," Valley View resident Carol Henry said.
"It was just a disaster. Debris everywhere," Ronald Henry said.
Cameron and her sister Karen Parks showed News 5 around the historic cemetery off Broadview Road in Old Brooklyn.
Many of the burials there date back to the early 1800s.
They discovered one damaged gravestone after the next.
Some were knocked right off of their bases and stands.
"Fell off. That is all to be built up here, and this is one same family. This is the Koontz family," Cameron said.
Other headstones were sinking deep into the mud, and names were not even legible anymore.
Some had rolled out of their aisles and were found in other locations.
"This... Oh, that's for this! That rolled off here. That's vandalism," Cameron said.
At least 40% of the cemetery, which is at capacity, looks this way.
"It's sacrilege. Bring it back to the way it should be," Parks said.
The family says perhaps some of the worst damage can actually be found on one large headstone.
It appears to have been smashed up into multiple pieces.
There are some parts left behind.
They're hoping the site will finally bring attention to city leaders, and they step in and do something.
Cameron says she has made countless attempts to reach out to the City of Cleveland for the last three years with no success.
Her calls, e-mails, and form requests have gone unanswered.
News 5 called the City of Cleveland Cemeteries line and the Mayor's Office for help.
We also filled out contact forms online to report the issue.
News 5 Reporter Mike Holden then took Cameron's concerns directly to Ward 13 Cleveland City Councilperson Kris Harsh, who said this was the first he ever heard of the issue, other than a downed tree branch in the springtime.
He says he's now working on a permanent fix and understands their frustration.
"I was not made aware of any concerns over there about headstones. So, I'm glad that you reached out to let me know. I've since been in touch with cemetery maintenance to find out if we have any programs to clean up headstones, to replace them, to put them back on their spots. I'm not sure what the answer to that question is yet," Harsh said.
Cameron says she's cautiously optimistic.
"I know it's probably not a simple fix. These are families. These are families that have ancestors here!"
Cameron is now hoping to get in touch with a local monument company to help with headstone repairs or someone can assist in the process.
She's also organizing volunteer groups with her sister to fix up the cemetery.
Another large issue is there is no lock on the front of the cemetery at Brookmere or a gate to keep vandals out.
She hopes that changes after this story airs.
At this point, we are still working to get a response from the City of Cleveland and Mayor Justin Bibb's office.
