Father’s Day Despair: Visitors Enraged by Neglected Texas Cemetery’s Distressing Condition

Many families in Lubbock made a bittersweet Father's Day visit to area cemeteries where their dearly departed ones laid.

One cemetery in particular, was so unkempt and overgrown that it's condition left many families in shock. And one such family member made a public post with photos of the condition of the City of Lubbock Cemetery that has ruffled a lot of feathers.

The photos show a sprawl of wild weeds and unkempt grass so overgrown that the white headstones are barely seen underneath.

In the post and its photos, shared by Lubbock resident Phyllis Grant, the thick growth and lack of maintenance is readily apparent. At the time this article was published, the images had been shared over 200 times and garnered nearly 100 comments.

Reading the comments in themselves was an emotional rollercoaster of sorts. I was immediately struck by the anguish some family members felt at the thought of their deceased loved ones' final resting place being left without care.

I do know that with the City of Lubbock cemetery, the City is obligated to provide the maintenance and groundskeeping, via Article 12 of their rules and regulations--which you can read in full here.

One commenter claims they got in touch with the cemetery to discuss the matter:

"I spoke with Lubbock Cemetery and was advised that they are having or were having issues getting approval from the city to bring in a new contractor. He also mentioned that the Lubbock Cemetery actually falls under Parks and Recreation. In the meantime, they are supposedly using inmate labor to rectify the situation.

"When I hung up with the cemetery I places a call to Parks and Creation as well. Unfortunately, I am not in Lubbock so I cannot verify if they are making any actual progress with the landscaping."

All I know is that we have had a ton of rain recently. Not just a little. A LOT. While this may have indeed contributed to the shocking state of the grounds, I have my reservations.

I can only hope that the City of Lubbock indeed was able to amend the situation. Sometimes it takes a little uproar and accountability from others to remember that we as a community should care for our dead.

In fact, I'd say that the measure of a community and the investment we have in society as a whole is determined by how we care for those who have departed this earth. For example, the itty bitty speck of a place called Wayside recently erected an enormous and sturdy iron fence to protect their loved ones lone gone.

I feel like this situation was preventable and I feel horrible for the families that visited their pop in this overgrown mess. But more importantly, I hope they never have to come to their loved one's resting place on a holiday and be faced with what they did this past Father's Day.