An elderly widower in Stevenson, Alabama, is in the fight of his life with local authorities after burying his late wife… in their front yard!
James Davis says he was only following Patsy Ruth Davis’ wishes when he buried her just outside the front porch of their log home in 2009. But the city says “no can do” and has sued to force Davis to move his wife’s body to a more suitable site.
The 73-year-old Davis is taken aback with the national attention his story has received and says he never expected such a fight.
“Good Lord, they’ve raised pigs in their yard, there’s horses out the road here in a corral in the city limits, they’ve got other grave sites here all over the place,” Davis said. “And there shouldn’t have been a problem.”
State health officials admit that although family burial plots aren’t uncommon in Alabama, city officials worry they could be setting a precedent by allowing a grave on a residential lot on one of the main streets through town. They have expressed valid concerns about long-term care, appearance, property values and the complaints of some neighbors, as well as what happens to the property after Davis and his successors are no longer living.
“We’re not in the 1800s any longer,” city attorney Parker Edmiston said. “We’re not talking about a homestead, we’re not talking about someone who is out in the country on 40 acres of land. Mr. Davis lives in downtown Stevenson!”
A county judge has ordered Davis to disinter his wife, but the ruling is on hold while the Alabama Civil Court of Appeals considers his challenge.
<span><span>I certainly understand the concern of state health officials as well as city officials. All of the reasons highlighted have to be considered because THIS could have all kinds of adverse effects! </span> <span></span> <span>Honestly, I don't see how the elderly widower wins this fight(?) But I could be wrong.</span></span>