Cheslyn Hay burial blunder fuels family feud

Apr 30 2009 by Matt Lloyd

Bombshell news a Cheslyn Hay pensioner has been buried in the wrong grave has widened the rift between her feuding family.

Anthony and Mavis Guy,son and daughter of Ruth Guy, say they were clueless about the mistake, exclusively revealed in The Post, because they claim they were told not to go to the funeral.

And a police support officer was even on standby at the service ‘in anticipation of problems’. Other family member, however, have stressed they didn’t put a block on the pair attending. They say the couple were welcome, but were warned not to cause trouble.

Anthony and Mavis , 52 and 68, were shocked to see the news of their mom’s burial blunder on the front page of The Chase Post last week. Ruth, who was buried last month after suffering a stroke at the age of 88, was supposed to have been placed in her husband’s grave at the Cheslyn Hay Council-run cemetery. Council officers now admit she was put in the wrong plot.

The Post revealed the grave error after sons Rob and Malcolm voiced concerns.

Parish officials spent March 20 digging at the cemetery in a bid to find the truth.

They found the coffin of family father Jim Guy, who died in 1972, in an unmarked grave, indicating Ruth is in the wrong place.

Her body will now have to be exhumed.

Anthony and Mavis say the shock of the front page news has added to their anguish.

Speaking from Mavis’ Wesley Avenue, Cheslyn Hay home, Anthony said: “I didn’t know anything was going on until I saw the paper, it was the same when my mom died.

“Then the police called me and said they would be at the church and the cemetery.”

Mavis said: “I want my mom to be put to rest, the whole thing is