COTTAGE GROVE, Minn. — The plots at the Cottage Grove cemetery look a bit tidier these days.
"Around this area here is where we put all the stuff that we pulled off of graves," Cottage Grove cemetery superintendent Ken Otto said, standing amidst the memorabilia neatly arranged in rows.
Otto said he and his crew went around on Monday removing shepherd hooks/hangers, decorative rocks and other memorabilia.
"All this stuff is starting to encroach further and further away from the stones and the mowers couldn't get to the stones or along them to do the grass cutting," Otto said.
He further explained that small objects like decorative rocks posed as a hazard for the mowers. He said he didn't want to imagine what it would be like to have one of the rocks sucked into the mower and flung at high speeds.
However, some like Diana Bibeau and Jackie Jordan argued the stones aren't "tidy." They called it barren.
"I was furious, I was in tears," Bibeau said. "This is not just a resting place for my son, there's just so much more to it."
Bibeau said she received a letter from the cemetery that said families had to remove most memorabilia barring some flowers and flower pots. She said she was disheartened because she had her son's plot decorated with hanging flowers, a journal box and other personal items.
She explained that she was drawn to the plots at Cottage Grove because up until this year, personalization was allowed.
"It's a place of healing, people come here to pay tribute to their loved ones," Bibeau added.
Otto said he didn't act on a whim, however. He explained that the rules have always been there but they were never enforced until he became superintendent in November.
When the need for further landscaping came up, he said the board decided to send the letter to families, letting them know they will only be allowing flower pots.
"I don't want to be the bad guy but at one point, we gotta do something," Otto said. "I can't tell one person it's okay and tell another person no it's not okay."
Still when it comes to grief and wanting the best for loved ones, change is never easy. Bibeau and Jordan said they're disappointed.
"It's not about rocks, it's not about mowers, it's about people," Bibeau said.
Otto said he hopes families will come and collect their memorabilia from the cemetery soon. He has them arranged in the grass next to the office building for families to sort through. He said he will keep them there for a month or so.