Ivy Lawn Cemetery Free of Scandal

* Officials from the California Department of Consumer Affairs have announced a probe of 51 of the state’s 193 cemeteries. This arose from discoveries of gross mishandling of human remains and embezzlement at several Los Angeles-area cemeteries.

As chairman of the board of Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura, I would like to reassure the residents of Ventura and the surrounding communities that Ivy Lawn is not included on this list.

All of the problems that have come to light to date are at cemeteries that are privately owned, for-profit enterprises. Ivy Lawn Memorial Park is a nonprofit cemetery that is overseen by a board of directors who are local residents. This has been the case since its formation in 1917.

Ivy Lawn’s directors voted last year to begin a long-term improvement program at the cemetery. We have completed a yearlong professional horticultural study of the park’s 46 species of trees. The study will help us better maintain the trees and increase the park’s beauty. We have added a second entrance on Sperry Street, to ease coming and going for families and friends, and all roads in the cemetery have been recently repaved.

Ivy Lawn is the final resting place for many of Ventura County’s pioneer families, including ancestors of the Petits, Takasugis, Levys, Farias, Lagomarsinos, Walkers, Cannons, Hobsons, Bards, Ferros and many others. The scandal tainting the California burial industry is tragic, but I want to assure the residents of Ventura County that, should officials ever see fit to examine the operations at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park, they will find it to be one of the finest run, most fiscally responsible cemeteries in the state.

HENRY P. BUCKINGHAM

Ventura