Bartlesville Family Outraged After Cemetery Plots Mistakenly Sold

A Bartlesville family is past the point of frustration and feels like they are being forced to go through the grieving process all over again, after the city mistakenly sold two of the family’s burial plots in the White Rose Cemetery to someone else.

City leaders said three plots in the city-owned cemetery were sold to the Bartlesville couple five years ago, following the death of their son.

Two of those plots were intended for the couple when they pass, they said. But now, someone else’s family member is buried there.

Kenneth Close said not only is he having to deal with losing his wife of 63 years, but he also has to dig up his son who died from suicide in 2017, so he can be re-buried next to his mother.

Kenneth said to make matters worse, as a disabled veteran, he can’t even get to the new graves to visit.

"She’s been my whole world. I worked three jobs so she could stay at home with the boys. […] I chased her from the time I was nine years old until she decided to catch me,” said Kenneth. “I still love her. Boy, do I love her. And I miss her. I’m sorry if I cloud up on you but I can’t help it.”

In early February, Kenneth was planning his wife Carolyn's funeral when he learned what had happened.

“I was torn up over it and then go to the funeral home and they tell me, 'you don’t have a plot.' Yeah…. they can’t find the records,” said Kenneth.

The City of Bartlesville said they were made aware of the issue on February 7, 2023.

“It appeared that although a deed was issued to the Close family for the sale of all three plots, City staff who handled the sale neglected to enter the sale of the adjoining two plots into the City’s computer system,” the city said.

In the summer of 2022, the two unoccupied plots were sold to another couple.

The city said they gave the family two options, stating they would "work with the family of the man buried in the plot to exhume his body and continue with the burial of Close’s mother as originally planned, or they could exhume Mark Close’s body and relocate it elsewhere within the cemetery, which would also include an adjoining two plots for Mr. Close’s mother and father.”

“I didn’t want us in there. It’s right at the fence on the ally. I wanted us in the middle where the rest of my family is. I’ve got about seven people in that area,” said Kenneth.

The city offered to waive the opening and closing fees for all concerned, as well as handle and pay for either exhumation.

“The lady that’s there now has been bending over backwards to try and get it all straightened out and taken care of,” said Kenneth.

City Attorney Jess Kane sent us the following statement: “While the operational system in place at the time that permitted this error to occur has been remedied internally, the City deeply regrets that the error occurred in the first place. We are disappointed that we have not been able to implement the agreement reached with David Close to relocate his family’s burial plots to a new location in the cemetery, at no additional cost to him; however, we hope to secure an agreement with other members of the Close family soon. It is certainly not our intent to add to the family’s distress following the death of their loved one. City staff have pursued every option possible to correct this unfortunate mistake and will continue to do so until an agreement is reached.”

Until that time, when Kenneth wants to visit his wife and son, he has to make two stops.

“Life don’t have any meaning to me now. It’s gone. My meaning is gone," Kenneth said.