COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A Colorado Springs family is battling Evergreen Cemetery over a headstone that has stood for five years, after the cemetery manager deemed images on the monument inappropriate and demanded its removal.
The Geschke family discovered black tape covering parts of their brothers' headstone at Evergreen Cemetery. The cemetery's manager said the headstone contains "inappropriate images" that violate cemetery rules.
"This is a symbol of love and Geschke blood through and through," Holly Geschke said.
In video provided by the family, the Geschkes are shown removing black tape from the headstone, which features images of middle fingers. The monument has been in place for five years without previous complaints.
"But to have a family come in after so many years and tell them that we have to redo this. Over again. Nobody wants to do it in the first place," Holly Geschke said.
Cemetery Manager Cheryl Godbout said the headstone must be removed because cemetery rules prohibit monuments that are profane or offensive to the general public.
No words or images may be engraved on a memorial that would be considered profane or offensive to the general public.
When asked how many people complained about the headstone, Godbout said the number of complaints was irrelevant.
"Once I was made aware of it, then I had to do something. It would not have been right of me to know about it, knowing it violates our rules and to ignore our rules," Godbout said.
The Geschke sisters disagree with the cemetery's assessment, arguing the images are not inappropriate given their context and meaning.
"This was created with so much love, respect, and loyalty to our brothers. This is speaking to the character of not who they were but who we are as a family," Holly Geschke said.
Godbout said the cemetery will remove the headstone for the family but will keep it intact. However, the family finds the situation deeply troubling.
"They're in a resting place and now here we are being asked to disturb their resting place. It's mind boggling," Holly Geschke said.
The Geschke family said they do not plan to remove or redo the headstone.
