WAYNE TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Days before her mother is due to be buried at Butler County Memorial Park, Lily Arisah is desperate for answers after she learned the 78-year-old will be interred in the wrong plot.
Bertie Smith-Watkins put down payments on two grave sites within her family's plot back in 1977, Arisah said. After decades of monthly installments, Smith-Watkins paid them off in 2004.
One space was intended for Smith-Watkins and the other for her husband, Orville. Smith-Watkins was to be buried at the head of her mother and Orville to be buried at the head of her stepfather.
"That's all she ever talked about," Arisah said. "Was being buried at the head of her mother when she died."
It was Smith-Watkins's last wish, but now her daughter worries it won't be granted.
Flags placed on her grave site Tuesday outline a different spot. Though still on the other side of the Peck headstone marking Smith-Watkins's mother and stepfather's graves, Smith-Watkins's is now aligned with her stepfather's.
Arisah said not only is that against her mother's wishes, she can't stomach the thought of her mother being laid to rest there.
"There's a personal reason why I don't want her at the head of him," Arisah said.
It's just a matter of inches, but Arisah said it's the principle, especially since, at the time of the plots' purchase, the cemetery promised her mother she'd be buried where she wanted.
Arisah said she wants Butler County Memorial Park to correct her mother's plot placement before Smith-Watkins's burial on Friday, but there are obstacles in the way.
"She can't be at the head of her mother because they buried (people) in slots that were not supposed to be according to when my mom went and bought her plot," she said. "They just wanted to get as many in as they could. It's all about the Benjamins for them."
Everstory Partners took over ownership of the cemetery years ago. Headquartered in Florida, the company manages 385 locations across the country — including 304 cemeteries, 70 funeral homes and 11 crematories.
WCPO reached out to the Everstory for answers. Someone did write back, explaining Smith-Watkins's family plots were sold by the prior owner of the cemetery and that while the one at the head of her stepfather was viable, her original plot wasn't.
"We do not know why the prior owner sold this plot," a spokesperson said. "When Ms. Arisah's brother was interred in 2015 (under our ownership), we informed her that there was not enough space in this family plot for two additional plots. One of these plots is directly underneath the step-grandfather (they are "foot to head" plots), and the other plot is directly underneath the grandmother. The plot underneath the grandmother is too small for a traditional burial (the head of the plot is wide enough, but the foot of the plot is not due to other burials)."
"I have lost sleep over it," Arisah said. "I told (the front office), 'Well you will be seeing my lawyer if my mother is not buried at the head of her mother.'"
The owners said they don't Arisah to be unhappy and aim to find an agreeable solution.
The spokesperson offered some solutions, including moving Smith-Watkins's plot as far to the edge of her mother's plot as possible. While they won't be able to place the plot fully underneath her mother's, it could be at last halfway underneath.
"Then we could either refund the sums paid for the fourth plot, offer another plot in the cemetery, or set aside space near mother for a cremation burial," the spokesperson said.
The cemetery said because Arisah previously signed off on the current arrangements, if any adjustments are made, they will need to be done as soon as possible.
"I just want her to be where she wanted to be," Arisah said.
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