Woodlawn Cemetery VP Says Washed Out Road Will Get Fixed Soon

JOLIET, IL — A vice president for Everstory Partners, the mega-company that owns Joliet's Woodlawn Cemeteries on West Jefferson Street, told Joliet Patch on Friday that Woodlawn Cemetery II has remained closed to the public in recent months because part of the entrance and exit road was washed away and "the bridge is unsafe" for motorists to travel along.

According to Michele Stone, vice president of corporate operations for Everstory Partners, the downed tree limbs in the middle of the road leading into Woodlawn Memorial Park 2 have remained that way on purpose "to protect people" from trying to use the unsafe road.

Meanwhile, her company has worked through an insurance adjuster regarding their storm damage claim.

"It's not okay to say that nothing is being done," Stone insisted.

She said the immediate roadway repairs will involve a temporary, short-term fix. The longer term fix involves paving the entrance and exit road into the cemetery with asphalt, she said. There is only one access road leading into Woodlawn Memorial Park 2.

Stone insisted that Everstory Partners has been working to address the problem for months now. She said the delay in fixing the road and removing the downed trees was slowed because her company submitted insurance claims on the matter, because the damage was caused by storms.

There were also challenges in hiring contractors for the project. However, Stone said it was her understanding that Everstory Partners has now received at least two bids from general contractors being sought to repair the road.

On Saturday, Stone notified Joliet Patch that Everstory is targeting Nov. 14 for the road repairs to start. She said Everstory Partners wants everyone to know they want to get the road repaired and reopened into Woodlawn Memorial Park 2 as soon as practical.

"I expect the weather is definitely a factor," she said. "We are focused on that. We are on it. We were a little at the mercy of contractors."

Meanwhile, one person who has a loved one buried at Woodlawn Cemetery wrote Joliet Patch's editor, voicing their dissatisfaction with the Pennsylvania-based company that owns Woodlawn Cemetery as well as cemeteries in more than 20 other states across the United States.

"Woodlawn has the funds to fix this problem, the families received yearly statements showing money sitting in an account just for the use for cemetery care. That is why we pay for the opening and closing of the grave," the person wrote. "I just received (my) statement last month."