The private sale of two neglected Meridian cemeteries will be complete after more than a year of effort from the Secretary of State’s Office.

The Meridian Memorial Park Cemetery, at 9590 Old Highway 80 W, and the Magnolia Cemetery, at 2638 23rd Ave., will have a new owner following legal actions against the previous owner, William Arlinghaus.

“Understandably, this has been a stressful situation for the many people who have loved ones buried in Magnolia Cemetery and Meridian Memorial Park,” Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said in a press release. “The State is hopeful these sacred places are now in hands which will properly honor the memories of the Mississippians who lay to rest there.”

Sidney Covington, with family in both cemeteries, said the sale gave hope to the community.

“That’s Meridian’s family tree out there,” Covington said, adding that many of her classmates, their children and even the family of former Tennessee governor Winfield Dunn was buried there. “There a wealth of well-known people buried there.”

Covington said that families had already planned another visit to the cemetery to mow, weed and trim the graves for this upcoming Saturday.

“But it’ll be more of a celebration,” Covington said. “Because Jay (Crane, the new owner) will need the help.”

Covington said she’d known Crane “for years and years” and the family had roots in town.

“That does add an element, knowing that he’s invested in that property,” Covington said. “Because of Jay, I just know that it’ll be taken care of.”

Still, Covington said she had never imagined she’d have to weed her father’s perpetual-care grave in Magnolia Cemetery and is happy with the change of ownership.

“It brings back something that was missed,” Covington said. “(Arlinghaus’) callousness added to our grief. We couldn’t even honor that grief.”

Covington said there are stages of grief for each person and the inaction of Arlinghaus didn’t help with the process.

“He added a stage that people never should have had to deal with,” Covington said.

The Hosemann’s release said Perpetuation, LLC, owned by Jay Lowry Crane, would take over the two cemeteries and earmarked several funds. According to the release:

• The new ownership will provide $36,910.37 for memorial markers to 28 consumers that were never provided. An additional $15,000 will be set aside for future unknown claims of undelivered goods and services that could exist.
• $33,349.83, which Arlinghaus failed to place in a perpetual care trust from collections on the sale of graves, will be given to the proper accounts.
• Six judgments, secured creditors and tax liens were paid and garnishment proceedings paid an additional three judgments before the sale was completed.
• The state dismissed a lawsuit against Arlinghaus, and Arlinghaus is banned from managing or owning interest in a cemetery or funeral service business in Mississippi.

For the last year, families regularly came to mow their loved ones graves and clear debris. At times, the long grass obstructed the graves, headstones needed tending and no one would answer their concerned calls.

The state first took legal action against Arlinghaus in June of 2016, following complaints from families about footstones they paid for and never received, overgrown grass and graves in need of attention.

When the state investigated, it found $33,000 missing in perpetual need trust funds. The state requested an injunction against Arlinghaus for neglect at the two cemeteries and that injunction was granted in August.

Most recently, Hosemann asked Lauderdale County Chancery Court Judge Jerry Mason to incarcerate Arlinghaus for failing to comply with the injunction, which required him to report weekly collections.

Mason held Arlinghaus in civil contempt but declined the state’s request to put him in jail, saying that incarcerating Arlinghaus would prevent him from fulfilling his injunction obligations. Mason fined Arlinghaus $500, for the state’s attorneys’ fees, and ordered Arlinghaus to file reports by May 30.

Arlinghaus complied and avoided incarceration. Arlinghaus’ attorney could not be reached on Thursday.

Hosemann announced the impending sale in April and seemed optimistic it would be completed soon, but the private sale took longer than anticipated.

The state said in the release that it would work with Crane and Perpetuation, LLC to ensure a smooth transition.