Man Finds Strangers Buried in Family Plot

Officials in Norridgewock, Maine, say poor record keeping caused cemetery plot to be sold to multiple families

A Norridgewock man says he was shocked to find members of another family buried in his family's plot in a town-owned cemetery.

Stephen Bishop tells the Morning Sentinel he first discovered the situation last year while he was moving the ashes of his brother, who died as an infant in 1944, from Skowhegan to Sunset View Cemetery.

Town officials say poor record keeping that allowed the plot to be sold to multiple families in the 1970s is to blame, and earlier this month approved a plan to move the Bishop family plot at town expense.

That's partially because they couldn't find living relatives of the other people buried there.

Bishop says although he's not inclined to accept that offer, he will consult with other members of his family first.

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