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Perpetually… Neglected?
In keeping with the founders’ vision, Lakeside was once professionally maintained and visually striking—a peaceful spot for families and a favorite for local photographers. Its lake, memorial benches, and landscaped grounds symbolized the calm and dignity promised in 1896. Today, however, active burials continue amid overgrown grass, obscured headstones, and trash-strewn grounds; children’s sections are choked with weeds, and benches that once overlooked the water now face brambles.
The January 2025 change in ownership went unnoticed at first, as winter naturally keeps cemetery visitation low. Yet one regular mourner noticed unplowed roads blocking access to graves—a potential violation of Pennsylvania law requiring reasonable access. By spring, the office remained locked, phone lines unanswered, and visitors had no point of contact. Seasonal cleanup never occurred; by Easter, families were forced to bring their own tools while some visible areas were selectively mowed, signaling that appearances were prioritized over comprehensive care.
Memorial Day, a deeply meaningful occasion akin to Japan’s Obon or Mexico’s Día de los Muertos, highlighted the neglect. In 2025, visitors encountered overgrown grass, debris, tire tracks across burial plots, broken decorations, and bare new graves. Some families could not locate their loved ones. While patriotic volunteers placed flags for veterans, cemetery staff offered no preparation, apology, or acknowledgment. Informal overseer Xavier Graham had posted online asking for “extra cash” and weed-whacker skills just before Mother’s Day—a minimal gesture that underscored the lack of planning. The owners blamed the conditions on weather and, in response to complaints, even accused grieving families of “racism” as the cause for complaint, despite nearby cemeteries being properly maintained and upset families from diverse backgrounds.
Now, almost a year after neglect intensified under Howze Jr.’s ownership, freshly fallen trees lie across tombstones alongside those that fell last winter, and trashcans continue to overflow—a stark reminder that without accountability, even historic resting places can be abandoned, if not in name, then in practice.
Trash Cans June 2025
Trash Cans June 2025
Trash Cans Dec 2025
Trash Cans Dec 2025
Fallen Trees Nov 2025
Fallen Trees Nov 2025
Perpetually Closed
Perpetually Closed
Perpetual Weeds
Perpetual Weeds
Widower tends to wife's grave
Widower tends to wife's grave
Where Is the Money? Families Demand Perpetual Care Accountability
Perpetual care is the basic promise that a cemetery will never be abandoned. Under Pennsylvania law, for-profit cemeteries have few obligations, but the most important is perpetual care: the ongoing mowing, trimming, and waste management that keep cemetery grounds safe and accessible. To fund this, at least 15% of every plot sale must be placed into a dedicated trust, with the money legally tied to the cemetery—even through ownership changes or financial hardship.
This trust is not private property. Its principal cannot be touched, sold, or borrowed against, and its income must be used exclusively for maintenance. Trustees must invest conservatively, file annual financial statements with the Commonwealth, and maintain transparency to prevent misuse. Perpetual care is meant to guarantee dignity and continuity. But at Lakeside, that safeguard has failed.
Lakeside has operated as a perpetual care cemetery since its founding in 1896, and families have paid for more than a century with the understanding that their loved ones’ graves would be cared for forever—regardless of who holds the deed. Modern plot sales continue this practice, collecting 15% for the trust and promising ongoing maintenance. Yet what was supposed to protect families from neglect has instead left them abandoned, forced to clean graves themselves as trash accumulates, weeds overtake headstones, and downed trees block access to burial sites.
Lakeside Cemetery and Cremation Gardens LLC has failed to maintain the grounds and has not filed the required financial statements since 2016. The cemetery’s newest owners also failed to file for 2025, offering no public accounting of the perpetual care funds—an omission made even more alarming by the severe decline in grounds maintenance over the past year. This raises serious questions about whether the trust has been mismanaged, misused, or even depleted. Families are now asking: Where is the money? They are calling on the Pennsylvania Attorney General to investigate potential fraud, the State Real Estate Commission to examine compliance, and local courts to audit the trust under fiduciary oversight.
When questioned about the funds, the owners have offered no explanation, refusing to account for money that is legally dedicated to the cemetery. Erie Orphan’s Court reports Lakeside LLC has gone nearly a decade without filing legally required annual financial statements.
Note: Citizens can file petitions with Orphan's Court to compel Lakeside LLC. to disclose the trust funds. See Complaint Page on how to do so: https://sites.google.com/view/restoredignitylakesidecemetery/
Erie Orphan’s Court reports Lakeside LLC has gone nearly a decade without filing legally required annual financial statements
Erie Orphan’s Court reports Lakeside LLC has gone nearly a decade without filing legally required annual financial statements
Perpetual Care promised from 1898
Perpetual Care promised from 1898
Original Brochure, Perpetual Care
Original Brochure, Perpetual Care
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