Oh, that is very upsetting. I'm sorry for all of your family's distress.

This is so horrible that I don't know what to say. ((two25acres))

Despicable. I hope your dad haunts the people involved.

So sorry! Thieves don't care. Such a shame!

no idea what to even say.....wow

That is disgusting. I'm so sorry.

Oh my gosh. I am so sorry! What a horrible thing. :(

I'm so sorry. (((Hugs))). Though never a headstone, we've had several very nice pots stolen from my father's grave. It is easy to say that cemetery thieves are a special breed of low life, but we've found these planted pots on other graves in the cemetery! Ours is now lag bolted to the ground prior to planting it spring.

That's terrible! I can't even imagine what goes through the mind of someone who would do that? What's wrong with them?

That is much worse than what happened in my family. This was in a cemetery in another state. My grandparents, an uncle, and my aunt who passed away at age of 4 were all in one big plot. Grandparents had a special angel made for her grave. It was there for at least 40 years, was well anchored. We made the trip a few years ago to visit, and found the angel missing. We felt so sad.

I guess this is a cemetery that has no security to protect the gravesites from thefts? If so, that's something to consider when deciding what kind of things are best placed on the sites there.

Likely nothing "went through the mind" of the perpetrator. When people take things, there's rarely if ever consideration of consequences to the owners or others affected.

Few cemeteries have security. Too expensive.

I am so sorry this happened.

I've seen many that do. I guess it depends on the size and where it is.

Woooooooow......that's crazy! So sorry that happened.

That's the lowest of the low. How despicable someone would do this.

Yes, perhaps something a grieving wife of 6 kids under the age of 18 should have thought about. It was 1974, nice cemetery in a rural setting. Mom took me with her to pick out the casket and headstone. I am the only girl, she figured 5 boys would be more than she could handle. I am concerned though about the graves of many other family members. My niece has seen her mom, sister, brother and daughter buried. I only hope she doesn't have to confront this. It would be devastating for her.

I work in a cemetery office. We do not have security cameras, I don't know how we could watch over 26 acres. We also do not have lights so it's pitch black at night.

We've never had a headstone stolen, although we did have one re-po'd once.

Sadly we've had vandals that knocked stones over and broke a large statue. Both times they were teenagers who were caught due to someone calling in to a tip line to get a reward. Unfortunately the juvenile judge was far too lenient on them, giving them community service and suggesting they contact us to do it. We said sorry, no way did we want to help them out.

I thought a more appropriate punishment would've been for them to stand outside the cemetery with a sign saying they were responsible for the vandalism. I think that would've deterred future vandals more than a few hours of community service ever would.

We've had decorations and vases stolen occasionally. Very sad situation. I'm sorry for the loss of your dad's headstone two25acres. :(

share_oh we think alike. I agree that your vandals should have been made to stand at the gates and hold signs to what they did. Humility goes a long way.

Something goes through their mind. Maybe others cannot gauge or understand it, but there is certainly a thought before doing it. Even if it is, I want an angel for my garden, or something to melt down to sell. [rolling my eyes]

Oh so terribly sad! I hope some way whoever did this can be caught!

There's a narcotics abuse epidemic in this country - people stealing in order to be able to buy drugs are only interested in scoring - that is their top priority, above all else. Otherwise all habitual thieves have an entitlement syndrome, a reverse sense of propriety wherein it's just plain wrong if they aren't getting away with something. If they are having to acquire things in a normal way. That's why organized crime gets into stuff like drugs, gambling and prostitution - anything where even though planning and work are still involved the profits are much higher than they would ordinarily be when generated by legitimate activity.

How horrible! It’s lower than low to me that people steal anything, but especially from grave sites. I’m sorry.

I think organized crime has long been attracted to business activities that are in high demand, illegal (to support high prices), and transacted in cash. The so-called "sin" activities of gambling, prostitution, drugs, plus extortion are the mainstays. Someone stealing ornaments in cemeteries has got to be a small timer and maybe indeed someone with a drug problem.

There's a special place in Hell for people who would desecrate graves. They have no soul.

Wow. I can’t even begin to imagine how you must feel and I’m so sorry.

During the recession I was in tons of abandoned houses where thieves had broken through walls to steel the copper piping. It was a quick and easy way to get drug money. I suspect that this was probably the motivation in your situation as well. It’s disgusting and a new low.

Wow so sorry!

That is just the worst thing that people could do. I guess they're desperate and so completely out of touch with how what they do affects other people!

That’s terrible. I’m currently have a low metal fence made to go around my mother’s grave. I’m having it installed and welded at all 4 corners to try to make it harder to steal. I will be furious if it does get stolen. It’s going to cost about 3x the headstone.

Thieves like to steal copper. I have read how they break in to houses under construction and steal all the copper piping and electric wires. Just don't use copper again on the replacement.

Yes, I'm in the insurance business and have seen many new homes vandalized and the copper stolen. Back in 1974 we just didn't know better. We will more than likely replace it with stone. I'm going to check this weekend.

Not that I'm giving a pass to the kids, and yes share_oh, I agree a more appropriate punishment would be to humiliate them by making them stand with a sign in front of the cemetery stating just what they've done, but kids often do stupid things not fully understanding the seriousness or hurtfulness of what they've done.. This act, thought, was totally for profit and the perpetrators knew exactly what they where doing. It's just awful! Hopefully Karma will catch up to them.

I’m so sorry this has happened. Several years ago I was researching genealogy and went to an abandoned cemetery. Many of the headstones were broken. The historical society told me a woman had taken some of the headstones to her home to make a garden path. Sick and disgusting.

Yes, they bring new meaning to lowlife. But I don't think they brought it into a scrapyard and sold it as is. My guess is they melted it themselves or cut it to tiny pieces and mixed in with other scrap to be sold. Which suggests to me they weren't inexperienced.