I have been pondering to myself what I can do to make a bigger difference to help others who end up in the same situations as those of us whose journey has landed us at White Tanks... I really just feel that going through all of the necessary steps to bring attention to the matter and change policies with the government agencies in Arizona will take too long. In the time that I spend doing all of that, there will be how many more people placed in the ground at White Tanks Cemetery, without any family notified?! So, I have decided that my time will be better served if I keep tabs on the obituaries in the Arizona Papers and try to do my own next of kin searches using my missing persons advocacy resources. I believe that if I do this, I may be able to spare some families the heartbreak that all of us others have already endured. There are quite a few blurbs put in the paper stating "(Person's Name) died (date), if anyone has information about this person, please call (funeral home name and number). It is these "obituary listings, as they call them, that have brought many people to me and my organization. So I believe that maybe if I spend some time working with the funeral homes on my own, researching families and next of kin for these people, on my own, without approaching the government, maybe I can close the gap up? I would love to hear ANY feedback that you may have about this!
I have been praying about it and this is the answer that I believe God has given me in regards to this issue!
And again, if any of you need anything, please do not hesitate to let me know! You may email me at cleaning44870@gmail.com
White Tanks Cemetery: Where Families Meet Heartache
White Tanks Cemetery is where the indigent are buried. When someone passes and they have no immediate friends/family around them, the Maricopa County Public Fiduciary arranges for burial at this cemetery. But they don't do a very good job at searching for NEXT OF KIN for those they bury there. We are making a movement to change some of the heartbreaking issues associated with White Tanks Cemetery.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Finding Closure Without Attending the Funeral
I found this article when I was doing some research and I wanted to share it because I thought that it is very appropriate for the group of people that we serve! I hope you enjoy reading it! I DID NOT WRITE THIS!
·
Posted by Florence Isaacs on August 15, 2011 at 4:00pm
Q. I’ve been told not to attend
my aunt’s funeral, due to a longstanding feud with my side of the
family. I had nothing to do with it, and my aunt was always very kind to
me. I’m very upset that I can’t say goodbye to her at the funeral
home. Should I attend anyway and just sit in the back? Can they keep
me out?
A. A funeral is a way to honor the deceased and grieve in the
company of family members and friends. It’s a healing experience and an
opportunity for forgiveness, although the latter is sometimes in short
supply. The fact that everyone involved is grieving can get lost. Yet
there is more than one way to say goodbye to your aunt and find closure.
You can call the funeral home to ask whether you can sit in a
separate room where you can hear the service. Or you may be able to arrive
early for a viewing, before everyone else shows up. It may be possible to
watch the funeral online.
Another option is to say prayers (or sit silently with your
thoughts) at your own or a friend’s place of worship. You may even be able
to say prayers at the same time the funeral is being held elsewhere. Call
the office in advance if you want to talk to a clergyman, as well, or have
someone pray with you.
No, these alternatives are not ideal. But they can help you
find a measure of peace. They are also options for anyone who has not been
banned, but fears his/her presence may upset the family. A simple funeral
can become very complicated in this era of blended and reblended families.
As for whether the family can keep you out, that depends on
whether they notice you sitting in the back and/or whether they’ve asked the
funeral home to restrict admittance. “The family is technically renting a
building at the funeral home, and yes they can dictate who can and can’t come
to the service,” says Ellen Wynn McBrayer, CFSP, CPC, a spokesperson for the
National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA). In certain cases, the family
fears that someone is unpredictable and will make a scene or otherwise disrupt
the service. It happens. The police have been called to some funerals to escort
a person off the premises.
If
you have a question for Florence, please email her atfisaacs@florenceisaacs.com.
Florence Isaacs is
the author of several books on etiquette, including My Deepest Sympathies: Meaningful Sentiments for Condolence Notes a.... She writes two advice blogs for Legacy.com: Sincere Condolences and Widow in the World, a new blog for bereaved spouses and
partners.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Stories of Others Regarding White Tanks Cemetery
Along my journey, there are so many people who have read my story and have reached out to me, to help. Some of them go there to visit for me, some offer words of comfort about White Tanks and some share their own personal story with me. I would like this page to include some of these interactions with others!
Scott Craven, Reporter with the Arizona Republic says,
Hi
My name is Anonymous, I am in PA and found your blog, i am going thru the same thing you are with AZ.
No one in my family had heard from my father in over a year, now this was not unusual for him, yet for some reason i decided in January to google his name. Well, a blurb in the Phoenix Republic newspaper came up. It was from the Harper funeral home and dated Oct 1, 07, it stated that my father had died 7/28/07 and if anyone had info to call them. I was in shock for a few days to say the least.
I called them and found out that he was buried in White Tanks Cemetary on Nov 1, 07, they thought he was indigent. Well that just isn't true. They kept him at the funeral home for 3 months, yet it seems to me they didn't try hard to find a relative, maybe it is not their job, i don't know.
I then contacted the fidiciary office, they were nice and did confirm he was in White Tanks. They never made an attempt to find any family. They had his Social Security number and i know that those records list parents names. On his death certificate his parents are listed as unknown, there are a lot of unknowns on his death certificate. They also knew he had a bank account but would not give me any further information.
He also passed in Banner Good Samaritan hospital, they will not give me any info. You seem to have had better luck with them than me.
It seems your search has just begun and you probably haven't been able to obtain a death certificate yet. I had to prove to AZ that i was his daughter with my certified birth certificate. AZ seems to protect it's citizens even after their death. I must warn you that my father was not embalmed, maybe the funeral home was just cutting expenses. I suspect the same will be true of your mother.
I could go on and on, but won't, there are too many details to this puzzle. I am sure you are running through the gammet of emotions just as i did. A day does not go by that i don't think on this matter. I am going to follow your blog faithfully and wish you the best of luck in your endeavor to change the way things are done and getting your mother home.
Anonymous
Dear Miranda,
I am writing about article I found on the internet.
Not sure if you still want contacts concerning White Tanks cemetery. If you are, please contact me at this e-mail address, we are presently going thru something similar to what happened with your mom. Anonymous
Dear Miranda,
First, please accept my sincere condolences on the loss of your mother. I came across your post on the city-data.com forum about your mother and read your blog about White Tanks. I live in Phoenix and I had no idea that White Tanks existed and I am appalled. Is there anything I can do to help you?
In your discussions with the City of Phoenix, did you get any information from them about landscaping and how the appearance of the “cemetery” might be changed? I’m asking because I’m trying to figure out if there is anything I can do locally to change the way the cemetery looks. I know this won’t change what happened with your situation and the fact that the city didn’t do their job by looking for the next of kin, but if I can change the appearance of the cemetery then it would be a slightly better place. Let me know what you found out and I’ll take it from there.
Sincerely,
MacKenzie
Scott Craven, Reporter with the Arizona Republic says,
"Miranda, I do understand your feelings about your mother being buried in White Tanks. But I wanted to share briefly my experiences out there when watching several burials.
Each Thursday, when burials take place, volunteer chaplains arrive to say a few words over each of the departed. There are prayers, sometimes hymns, and flowers are placed on each casket. The chain gangs I saw were respectful, and many of the inmates volunteered to read a prayer or two as the bodies were slowly lowered into the graves. The chaplains have volunteered out there since around 1992. Not sure when the story is running, but we are aiming for mid-November. I will keep in touch.
Scott
FREE Assistance for family members of those buried at White Tanks Cemetery
Assistance Offered For Those Needing Information Etc… to Find Closure
Chances
are that if you have found this page and this blog, you are probably searching
for some answers and assistance to obtain information to help you understand
how your loved one ended up at White Tanks Cemetery in Arizona. Let me first
tell you, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! I have been
contacted by more than 30 people who have also been disappointed to find that
their loved ones passed and were buried at White Tanks without anyone contacting
them to give notification. It is even
harder for those of us seeking information to understand how a COUNTY AGENCY is
involved in burying these people without the family ever being contacted. I wish that I could provide you with a solid
answer that provides comfort to you and your family, however I just can’t. I have asked this very question of the
Maricopa County Public Fiduciary more than once and I have been unable to
acquire a satisfactory answer. But
please know that I have no intention of accepting these unsatisfactory responses
from them. I intend to keep pushing and
raising awareness to the situation until I am able to find answers for these
families to provide them with closure.
The only way to redeem a negative situation is to create a positive one
from what has happened. I intend to make both my mother’s life as a drifter and
her death meaningful by making changes to help others. My mother was the kind of person who cared
greatly for others. She had a lot of compassion for other people and would do
anything she could to help others. So I
will honor her and celebrate her life by doing what I feel that she would want
me to do with this situation. I also
believe that the Lord gives us each situation in our life to build character
and give opportunity for our souls to grow and make a difference. GOD IS LOVE! And he desires for each of us to
treat each other with the same love that we do our family.
For
those of you who are seeking assistance with your situation, I will use my
experience and knowledge to assist you in finding out whatever information you
need. The following is the questionnaire that I ask you to complete that gives
me the information that I need to help you.
We can usually find out where the person died, how the person died, what
funeral home handled the death, what information existed for the person at
death, when the person died, exactly where the person is buried at White Tanks,
completing the paperwork needed to request the death certificate, paperwork
needed to amendment an inaccurate death certificate, paperwork to change the
identity information for your loved one so that the proper information is on
file regarding their identity (making them a SOMEONE—not a “NO ONE”) in the
eyes of others (such as public agencies that process them like pieces of
paper/throw aways instead of loved & appreciated family members. Also, some
of these questions also provide me with information that will assist me in
making the changes necessary to stop this injustice from reoccurring in future
years.
1.
Your name, contact information including NAME, ADDRESS, PHONE
NUMBER. (Obviously this is for me to provide you with any received documents,
keeping in touch with updates on your case, etc…)
2.
A summary of your life/situation regarding your family member at
White Tanks. We are not here to judge you or anyone else. We recognize and
realize that bad situations happen, mistakes are made in life, etc… and
unfortunately unresolved issues end up like this. Just be honest and tell me
how you feel you ended up in this situation. Have you been searching for this
person in previous years? Exactly how did you find out that they were deceased?
Who notified you of the situation? Did you call and speak with anyone? What
agencies, dates and names of who you spoke with. I need to know if you have attempted anything
regarding this situation. I realize many people do not even know where to start
with something like this, which is exactly why we provide these services for
the families.
3.
Provide any specific death information that you have: Date of
death, place of death, etc…
4.
Do you have any information about their prior place of residence
when they died?
5.
Have you been to the grave of your loved one? Do you have any
desire to do so?
6.
Please give me a summary of your goals for assistance. Tell us
in detail what we can do to provide closure for you and your family. Examples
of goals: get all information pertaining to their passing, have the ability to
place a headstone or other personal marker at their grave site, have their
remains disinterred (dug up), processed and mailed to you for processing (urn
etc), have a funeral or memorial service for them, have pictures of their grave
site and have someone visit and care for your loved ones plot. Tell me what you
need or would like to see happen in order for you to feel that you would get
closure. I need to know exactly what we
need to do in order to help you out. I will do whatever I can. No goal is too
large, don't disregard anything-- tell me exactly what you would like ex.
having her moved to closer to you, a headstone allowed, etc...
7.
Do we have permission to use your story and share your story in
an effort to support our cause and raise awareness to the seriousness of the
issues regarding our loved ones ending up at White Tanks? You have the
opportunity to share your information but remain anonymous, if that is what you
would prefer—please let us know and we will be sure to delete names from your
specific case write up. It does really
help us to be able to share specific details about cases, so if we can do that
without being anonymous, it is greatly appreciated however, we do know that
some family matters and situations should remain private and confidential.
I look
forward to hearing from you and working with you so that I can help you out!
Love
and Blessings to you!
Miranda
Find-A-Grave Helps Us to Find Those With Next of Kin in White Tanks
Today while searching google for White Tanks Cemetery, I came
across the White Tanks Cemetery Find A Grave page. Click Here to Visit the Find A Grave Page for White Tanks Cemetery.
I was impressed at the amount of information that is provided
by the website. They are still working on adding people, but there are quite a
few on there so far. I can’t help
wondering, while I am scrolling through all of the names, how many of these people
have family that are searching for them.
Then it dawned on me, a new phase of my project for White Tanks Angels
Foundation could be to search and google these names to see if I can find any
information for the names listed on the site.
I know that there are still families out there who have loved ones who
are Missing Adults. I am guessing that some of those buried at White Tanks are
probably estranged from their families or missing from someone’s life.
The website gives note to which of the grave markers have
flowers on them. That’s nice because it
gives me an idea of which ones are tended to and which ones are not! It also
has a place where you can volunteer to take photos of the markers and upload
them to the find-a-grave site. Find a
grave is a volunteer based project and they allow others to take photos and
submit them with the person’s information to their site. I would love to be
able to do that, if only I could be in Arizona.
If any of my friends down there in AZ, who already take photos at White
Tanks, are interested in participating in this project to help get all of the
interments listed on the Find-a-grave site, please let me know! Obviously, my suggestion would be to start
with the graves that we are already caring for…
Start with the ones that you already visit and then maybe move on to
others.
I am going to be spending some time trying to reach out to
the families of those buried at White Tanks and see if there are any others
that we might be able to assist. I know there are so many with broken hearts
just like ours. And just because I am
fortunate enough to be able to bring my mother home and remove her from that
place, does not mean that I no longer have interest in the White Tanks project.
I really feel strongly that some things need to be changed in order to prevent
others from ending up in the same place that we have with our loved ones.
I would love to hear you guy’s thoughts on this… And anyone
interesting in helping me do some searching for the names and next of kin or
taking pictures of the grave markers, please send me an email at cleaning44870@gmail.com or send me a
message on FB.
God Bless!
Friday, November 15, 2013
Son, David Nebel, Searches for Father- Only to Find Him at White Tanks Cemetery (yet another broken heart)
I received a comment on the blog and a message via e-mail with a new story about someone else buried at White Tanks. I wanted to share this story with all of you because it sounds like he is experiencing many of the emotions that the rest of us have also experienced. It is my hopes that we might be able to offer him some words of comfort and encouragement. It breaks my heart every time that I read another story about a loved one who has been searched for-- being found DECEASED and buried at WHITE TANKS. It is like I remember the heart break that I felt when I found out- and I relive it over and over again each time I hear someone else describe their feelings upon finding out.
Here is a short snip-it of David's story:
Here is a short snip-it of David's story:
My father was buried in lot 7. His name was/is David, I am David jr. I spent alot of time as a child wondering where my biological father could be. My only encounter with him was living in San Diego and him approaching me in a red cutlass. I remember it like it happened yesterday...I ran because i had no idea who he was. Year's later i found my biological side of the family and when i did my mother finally told me where he had been laid to rest in 08. It came as a large shock! He was gone. All of the pursuit to find him, all of the agony and disappointments (and i will admit a taste for wanting to punch him a good one for being an addict free-spirit).
There is such a large story to tell...so many fact's that my grandmother has given to me...almost being sold into mexico because of him. I inherited many of his demon's... but, I am also at peace that he is at peace.
Another Mother (Lost Touch With their Daughter) and Ended Up at White Tanks
Due to the fact that I have not been given permission to release the information contained in this story, I am calling this woman Jane Doe and I have taken out all private information regarding her loved one. But it is so important for me to publish and show all of the many many people who come forward regarding their loved ones being at White Tanks.
Original Message from Jane Doe: hi Miranda, I have not taken any steps to even find out for certain that my mother is buried at white tanks so.... I guess I am just putting it off and know it needs to get started. need a push I guess ?Miranda Answer: Would you like to give me her info and I can call and check for you. Let me help you. I was paralyzed too from all the disappointments and emotional distress.
Reply message from Jane
Doe: That would be wonderful. Her name is: Margie. Born Oct
XX, 19XX. She was buried at white
tanks Jan 10, 2010. I would like to confirm that it is her there in that grave, as all I have is
the pic of her metal grave disk with her name and date of death on it. I don't know how she died, when
exactly or why she is buried there. All of her mental and medical records had me listed as next of kin (even though I hadn't talked to her in several years). I don't
know how much you could find out, but I would appreciate any info. I was not
close with my mother but this has left a hurt in my heart and it may just be
that I need the answers ??? You're so good for doing what you do. I will
definitely check out ur updates in the next couple of days.
Miranda reply: That's right...
now I am remembering when you originally wrote me and told me your story. Your situation is so similar to mine! Sounds exactly like
me and my mom. My mom abandoned me, due to multiple personality disorder and
alcoholism, when I was 13 years old. I spent years looking for her. Posting on the internet, calling around, etc... but had not successfully been in contact with her for several years.Then in 2009, a Private Investigator took on my case for FREE, as a favor from a newly established friend in the Missing Adults network Peace4TheMissing. He went and talked to some people that I had given him information on. See, I broke some laws in a desperate attempt to get information about where my mother was (that is not something I would normally do-- but I really was so absolutely desperate to find her- for her own well being because I was told by the court system that they had her listed as transient (homeless).
So what I did was hacked into her Credit Report and found that there was a medical collection bill there for critical care received March 2007. They said that her Mercy Care Plan (insurance) expired February 28, 2007. I pretended like I was her and called the collection company... I had them verify for me what the last known addresses were on file because I had not received a bill. They gave me the address which led me to the Westward Ho (where I then sent the private investigator). After calling the medical examiner's office, I found out that my mother actually had passed away on March 1, 2007. Her friend at the Westward Ho, had received a call from a nurse at Desert Samaritan Hospital-- and was told that my mother was terminal and only had a couple more days to live.
So, I know that the medical
records had the correct Social Security number on it for them to have ended up
on her credit report. But when they
buried my mother, some how, the funeral home or fiduciary office said that they
received no information for social security number from the hospital death
records. They said they only had a date
of birth which was listed as 07/18/1955. And somehow, they found a social
security number for her, which I do NOT understand-- because it is TOTALLY
wrong. And that birth date that they had was a year off- but the correct day
and month.So, when I tried to apply for
her death certificate, I put her correct date of birth and social security
number on there-- and the vital stats office denied me the birth certificate
saying that their information and mine didn't match!
So, now the problem that I have
is that technically speaking, my mother's social security number still says she
is ALIVE! And she has never been registered as deceased. I don't even know how
to begin to fix any of that. And I need to apply for her death certificate with
the wrong information so that I can at least retrieve it-- because, like you, I
have no idea what she died from, although I know where she died. Now that her body is being disinterred and sent home to me, I just need to straighten out the paperwork issues associated with her passing. I need to obtain her death certificate, then apply to have her death certificate changed and then talk to the Social Security Administration to find out how to report her REAL Ohio SS number as deceased.
I am fully aware that not having answers definitely leaves an open wound in your heart and soul. It is like a dark cloud that looms over you, casting a shadow on everything you do in life. I believe that the situation with my mother is much of what has cause my Fibromyalgia and other related medical conditions. I can tell you that getting even SOME of those answers makes it a little easier to cope with a loved one's passing. So, because I know exactly how you are feeling- I would love to be able to help in providing you with some closure. I will do what I can to try and get you some of those answers. I will make some phone calls either today or Monday.
Love,Miranda
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