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*OVERVIEW 3,  - Faulkner County, Arkansas |  *OVERVIEW 3 - Arkansas Gravestone Photos

*OVERVIEW 3

Cypress Valley Cemetery
Faulkner County,
Arkansas

*thv11.com

"It makes me feel bad all over," says Gordon Higgins, the cemetery's secretary treasurer.

Higgins asked for justice on the two teens responsible, including a public apology.

"They realized what they had done. They not only hurt the families of people buried here, but they hurt the whole community," says Higgins.

In March, nearly 70 headstones were either pushed over or smashed into pieces. Two Vilonia sewer department workers caught the boys in the act. While serving their 30 days in jail, one of them wrote Higgins a letter and apologized.

Part of their punishment includes writing a family history paper on each tombstone. Yet, since some of them are over 100 years old, Higgins is unsure if they will be able to complete the entire task.

A judge has also ordered the teens families to pay restitution on headstones that were beyond repair. The other headstones, the community pitched in and helped by flipping the stones back to the original position.

The teens must also complete more than 1,400 hours of community service and will be on probation until they're 21 years old.

Higgins says their punishment fits the crime and thinks they learned their lesson.

"They seemed sincere," says Higgins.

The public cemetery relies mostly on donations. It costs just $35 for a burial plot. You can mail your donations to Cypress Valley Cemetery, 6 Cypress Creek Road, Vilonia, AR 72173. The phone number is: 501-796-3343.

Contributed on 1/17/14 by hawkinsdonna
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Record #: 974757

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Submitted: 1/17/14 • Approved: 1/18/14 • Last Updated: 1/21/14 • R974757-G0-S3

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