Flight of the dead: Suburban families move loved ones from Detroit cemeteries

[Bozita]

Source: Detroit News

Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Flight of the dead: Suburban families move loved ones from Detroit cemeteries
Charlie LeDuff / The Detroit News

CLINTON TOWNSHIP-- At precisely 8:57 a.m., under an overcast sky, Francesco and Francesca Imbrunone were re-laid to rest. A man in a dark suit stood over their remains proclaiming that they "await the resurrection."

If that promise holds true, then it would be, in a way, the Imbrunones' second resurrection. As it happens, the couple was buried nearly 50 years ago in Detroit's Mount Olivet Cemetery on the city's east side. Then their grandchildren decided to disinter them, move them to the leafier suburbs and bury them again this particular morning.

"He'd complain, 'Why did you spend the money?' " said Francesco's granddaughter, Gerry Seip. "My grandmother? She'd just cry."

By now the statistics are as well known in London as they are in Livonia. Detroit has lost half its population since its heyday of the 1950s, and every year the city hemorrhages an estimated 5,000 people more. First it was white flight to the suburbs; then with the city's continued spiral into poverty and violence, blacks began to flee to those same suburbs. And while census figures show that whites are returning to some of the nation's largest cities, Detroit is experiencing a flight of a different kind. As the Imbrunones' second funeral demonstrates, Detroit is experiencing the flight of the dead.

Read more: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080...

[PassingFair]

1. These people have more money than sense.

This is ridiculous.

[Gormy Cuss]

7. Agreed. What a strange thing to worry about.

Perhaps they should go back to the ancestral homeland and move all of those graves too.

[SoCalDem]

26. Total waste of money..

the elders probably would have preferred to remain where they were..

Just a "convenience" for the youngers, who now will have NO reason not to tend to those graves.. At least before, they could have said it was too far or too scary..

I'm sure they will be regular "visitors"

Somehow I think the cemetery managers out near the suburbs are "scaring" up business for themselves

[sandyj999]

2. That is just stupid, but not surprising. n/t

[ikojo]

3. isn't this taking white flight

a wee bit too far? Although I can't blame people if they fear visiting cemetaries on Detroit. I say this as one living in the city of St Louis, which appears to be following Detroit's example when comes to violence this summer.

[bluestateguy]

4. White flight happened years ago

Detroit is now losing middle class black people to the suburbs.

[Cal Carpenter]

5. Even the dead people are leaving

That's depressing

[WriteDown]

6. Hope you're happy Kwame.

Sad and unbelievable.

edited for poor spelling.

[Cal Carpenter]

18. Kwame wasn't even born when the shit started going bad in Detroit

Of course he sure as hell hasn't helped a whole lot...

[Blue_Tires]

21. this goes way beyond Kwame

not to say he hasn't played a major role, but still...

[mamameow]

8. hmmm!

my grandparents are buried there. this article has given me some thoughts on them and my loyalty to them. i think joseph and mary margaret abbott would haunt me for spending the money. they lived on philip ave between verner and charlevoix. their house is gone, it survived the riots but not the neighborhood. i remember walking to their house as a child, no problems. kids would play outside even after dark, no problems. this really sad, sad for detroit, sad for the people who cannot move.

[PassingFair]

9. I had a boyfriend who's mother grew up on Philip Ave.

I lived not TOO far from the Conner Projects
growing up.

[Strawman]

11. My family is from that neighborhood too

My mother lived in the Conner projects in the 1950's (I think. I think they had moved out by the 1960's). She also lived on Wayburn, Nottingham, and Somerset with my grandparents. My great-grandfather lived on Balfour. My grandparents moved from Somerset, closer to 8 Mile and Schoenherr in the mid-70's and my great-grandfather died shortly after, but I have some memories of that neighborhood. Lots of aunts and uncles lived around that part of the east side as well. I grew up around State Fair and Gratiot.

[PassingFair]

15. I'm a survivor of Finney High, 1977.

My mother still owns a house on Bishop Ave.

[Strawman]

20. My mom graduated from Finney in 1964

[PassingFair]

22. I had friends that lived on Bringard....

and one on Glenwood.

[butterfly77]

31. Aren't those the Parkside projects?

at least they were in the early 70's..

[mamameow]

12. philip ave

where on philip? i remember the conners projects. i had a summer job near there, i just graduated from high school, st. ambrose. 1960. i am old, so i remember the area well. we had lived on philip in the forties, between verner and kercheval. we moved to beaconsfield on the corner of verner. this was in grosse pointe park. still went to ambrose. philip was still safe at this time.

[PassingFair]

14. I don't know exactly where they lived...

and I don't recall what his mother's maiden name was....
HER father was killed in a robbery.

I grew up on Bishop.

My family had a business on Nottingham and East Warren.

[mamameow]

19. memories

do you remember hopalong cassidy and hudson's on woodward? my brother and i went to hudson's with my mom and met hoppy, he even picked me up. i think i was in kindergarten. not too familiar with neighborhoods in east warren ave. but did ride my bike to 7 mile and gratiot. think i was in third grade. loved that dime store with the round fish tank. can still remember the smell, fishy and fresh water!

[PassingFair]

24. I don't remember Hopalong Cassidy...

but my Grandmother used to take me downtown to Hudson's
and to Crowley's.

I also remember being treated to dinner at "The Top of the Flame".

I worked at Hudson's downtown during "Downtown Detroit Days" sales....

[mamameow]

13. philip

oh and my mother did grow up on philip. she moved there when she was child.

[Strawman]

10. Both sets of grandparents are at Forest Lawn

Just south of Mt. Olivet. There is alot of crime in that area. So I can understand how a person who wants to be able to feel safe visiting their deceased parent or spouse, particularly an older person, might not be comfortable there and might decide to spend the money to have their loved ones moved. Personally speaking, it's not something I'd be inclined to do with my grandparents, (as I see it, that is where they lived and chose to be buried) but if people want to do that with their money, that's their business and I don't judge it.

[noonwitch]

16. My paternal relatives are all buried at Grandlawn, which is safer

Grand River/Telegraph area. It's a beautiful place, though, with lots of trees and such.


FYI-the Warren/Conner projects are long-gone. There are still a few buildings left, but the Salvation Army is building a large vocational training program at that site (which is badly needed). The areas around Phillip, Somerset and Balfour streets range from good to bad. Bad around Mack, better as you go north.

On the west side, they are building something at the former site of the Herman Garden projects (Southfield and Joy RD), but I don't know what. I used to be afraid to go visit people in Herman Gardens, moreso than the old Jeffries projects. I never went there alone.

[knitter4democracy]

17. Um, weird.

I would never think of doing something like that. And I wouldn't think that Detroit would be all that bad during the day if you visit the grave, especially on Saturdays or Sundays.

[Blue_Tires]

23. ultimately what difference does it make? they're dead...

and what happens when/if the quality of life turns to shit in McComb? gonna move them again??

[angstlessk]

27. my parents are burried in norfolk va each in a seperate cemetary

she (my mom) remarried after his (my dad's) death and why she wanted to be burried next to her 'new' husband vs my father is still a mystery, since he (her 'new' husband) had a first wife with a plot paid for already for himself??? anyway..I now live in Detroit and would never think of moving my mother/father to be near me??? that would be insane to me...they chose their resting places who am I to decide otherwise, other than selfish motives?

[PassingFair]

29. You don't want them to think you abandoned them, come the Resurrection, do you?

[angstlessk]

30. yes of course I worry :sarcasm: smilie...I have read about where people used to live

here in Detroit..and to the dead...NOTHING has changed...it is as it ever was!

[PassingFair]

32. Are you fully moved in?

How are you finding Detroit?

[angstlessk]

33. I absolutely LOVE Detroit...fully moved in ..not fully organized!

Michanganders have to be the BEST people on earth..they are friendlier than Virginians..truly!!! They love newcomers and I love them!..(I loved New England when I lived there, but I think Michigan is better!)

on edit: changed my city/state to Detroit, MI!!!

[LeftinOH]

25. Piss-poor maintenance of some urban cemeteries is an incentive

for some people to move individual graves or entire family plots.

[angstlessk]

28. the dead care if the lawn is cut??? I think not!!!