Record-Keeping Mistake Forces Decatur Woman To Rebury Father

DECATUR, Ark. -- A record-keeping mistake means heartbreak for a local family, who is trying to move on after the loss of its loved-one.

The family of Norval Addington said they were shocked to learn they have to moved him to a new burial site. Officials said a record-keeping mistake has prompted Decatur officials to change the way it runs its cemetery.

Addington was Vikki Morris' father, and she said that two months after the funeral for the long-time Decatur resident, she found out the plot he was buried in was owned by another family.

"We had a nice ceremony just like he would have liked. Relatives traveled hundreds of miles," Morris said.

However, Morris is having to re-bury her father.

"I had just gotten to the point where I could go through my day without every thought being about my father's illness and death," she said.

Decatur's mayor said the mistake was simply an oversight.

"When my administrative assistant, Kim Beggs, opened the book, she saw Addington and made the honest mistake of selling an already sold plot, so I'm trying to correct this matter and make it as painless for all family members involved," Mayor Bill Montgomery said.

However, Morris said the situation has been anything but painless for her and her family.

"It's devastating to me to think about that. It seems so disrespectful to everyone involved," she said.

City officials said they are now keeping cemetery records on computer in hopes of preventing the same mistake from happening again.

Decatur officials said they are waiting on approval from the state health department before Addington's body is moved.