A woman who lost her beloved mother to a brain tumor says she was forced to ‘mourn again’ after tributes were removed from a memorial garden.
Lisa Lees says she was ‘shocked and horrified’ after discovering that items placed under a tree in Weston Crematorium’s memorial garden had been removed by staff.
When Lisa, a 49-year-old NHS worker, challenged field staff, she was taken to a closed area where she said her items – and those left by others – had been piled into boxes.
READ MORE: SEEMONSTER latest: Work on art installation to begin next month
Lisa’s mother Micky died in 2016 aged 64 from a brain tumor – just 10 weeks after being diagnosed.
His ashes were scattered in the memorial garden at the foot of a tree where a plaque in his memory was placed.
Lisa, who frequents the garden weekly, had placed lanterns and candles there and field staff at the time placed a small stone border around the site.
Lisa, from Weston-super-Mare, found all the tributes had been removed when she visited the garden earlier this month.
After seeing the items in boxes, she took to social media to warn others to collect their items from the Memory Garden before they were also moved.
Tributes from the Garden of Memory piled up in an enclosure at Weston-super-Mare Crematorium (Image: Lisa Lees)
“When I came up, everything had been torn up,” she said.
READ MORE: Birnbeck Pier: Somerset’s forgotten pier that now lies in ruins
“And all that was left was mud.
“Notices had been posted in the garden telling people that items were going to be removed.
“I visit weekly but there are people who can only visit on special occasions or less frequently and I was worried they would arrive to find all their tributes missing.”
Read more: How a community in Somerset came together to find Hula Hoops for autistic girls
Lisa says she was inundated over her social media posts by other relatives angry the tributes to their loved ones had been deleted.
“When I went to the compound, I saw all these items piled up in boxes,” she said.
“Some were broken. It was heartbreaking. It was so heartbreaking to see.
“I go to the Memory Garden as a way to come to terms with my loss.
Read more: Artist and suffragette honored at Weston-super-Mare where she grew up
“That’s where I’m going to talk to my mother. It is totally disrespectful to the dead and their loved ones that this happened.
“I feel like I have to start the grieving process all over again because of this.”
Lorraine Windsor remembers her parents and husband at the memorial garden and had placed a painted stone near the tree.
Read more: How we used to vacation in Weston-super-Mare in 24 fascinating archive photos
She said, “I feel empty.
“It’s just a tree and there’s nothing to focus on.
“Before I can pull the weeds, chat with him and change the flowers. It was a focal point. »
The crematorium is owned by North Somerset Council and operated by Memorial Group.
Read more: Update released on opening of Weston-super-Mare bowling attraction
A Weston Crematorium spokesperson said it hoped to find a way for families to remember their loved ones in the garden.
The spokesperson said: “We sympathize with the views of these families and are truly sorry for any distress this has caused.
“With Shared Memorial Gardens, we try to accommodate the needs of all families and understand that they may have different ways of remembering their loved ones.
“We hope to find a resolution that helps these families pay their respects to their loved ones without affecting other mourners.”
Want our top stories with fewer ads and alerts when the biggest news drops? Download our app or iPhone or Android
Read more related articles Read more related articles
More about this article: Read More
Source: www.somersetlive.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-03-04 00:32:00
