She Needs a Headstone!

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The funeral home where we are making the final arrangements for my father's cremation is located on the grounds of the cemetery. It is the cemetery where about a dozen family members are buried, including my grandparents. My aunt Shirley attended the meeting with my brother and I to help us understand all the options for the funeral for my father. She has lots of experience with death, as she has had to bury her daughter and two granddaughters due to tragic events. After we had finished our meeting at the funeral home, I asked aunt Shirley if we could go see the graves of my grandparents (her mom and dad), since I hadn't visited in years. I also asked if I could see the graves of her daughter and two granddaughters as well (due to space availability, all were buried in different parts of the cemetery). We visited the gravesite of my grandparents first, and then the gravesite of my aunt Shirley's two granddaughters. They had been killed in a tragic car accident. Finally, we went to visit the grave of my cousin (my aunt Shirley's daughter). She had died of leukemia. As we were walking among the graves to find my cousin's grave, I couldn't help but notice that aunt Shirley was having trouble finding the grave, and it took us a while to find it. But when we did, I realized why...there was no headstone for her grave! It seems that my aunt Shirley had to spend so much money on the funerals of her two grandchildren that when her daughter died, she didn't have enough money for a headstone, and was barely able to scrape up enough money to pay for the gravesite and funeral. I felt horrible for my aunt that day, and although she didn't come right out and say it, I could tell how disturbed and saddened she was that there was no headstone for her daughter, even ten years after her death. When we got home later, I pulled my brother aside and told him that once we got through my father's funeral and everything settled down from that, I was going to find a way to pay for a headstone for my cousin's grave. He agreed that we should all pitch in and take care of it for my aunt. I know money is tight with everyone, but in this case it is something I feel needs to be done in order for my aunt to finally have some closure on her daughter's death. I can't believe it's been 10 years since my cousin passed away, and nobody in the family had done anything to help pay for a headstone. It may take me a while to raise the funds necessary to pay for it, but I am going to make it my mission to see that my cousin finally gets the headstone she deserves!