A San Diego family who served as a long-time pillar of the Black community starting in 1960s is suing a local cemetery for allegedly losing their father’s remains after he died 20 years ago.
The terrible discovery came after the recent death of their mother, Thelma Cooper. She was set to be buried in the same plot at Greenwood Memorial Park and Mortuary as her husband Sidney Cooper Sr. As the cemetery crew prepared for the plot for Thelma Cooper, they discovered Cooper Sr. wasn’t there.
Cooper Sr. was one of the first Black entrepreneurs in San Diego that owned businesses along Imperial Avenue in Southeast San Diego. He became a well-known and respected community leader, along with his family. Cooper Sr. opened a barbershop and also ran a fruit stand in the back lot along with his wife, who was also a beautician.
“He would give credit. So he would give everybody credit and on the first when you got paid, you would come and pay him,” said his son, Sydney Cooper Jr.
One of his greatest passions was educating people about the Juneteenth holiday: the celebration of the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S.
Cooper Jr. continues his father’s purpose and educates others about Juneteenth. He hosts celebrations and even started a foundation that provides health services to the community. This Juneteenth celebration in San Diego, however, is somewhat marred by the unimaginable pain the family feels not knowing where their father’s remains are.
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“My father is from Redbird, Oklahoma. In the south, Juneteenth was big, really big and then coming from the south, he brought that tradition to San Diego,” said Cooper Jr.
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During what is usually a special time to honor their dad, Cooper Sr.'s family is instead devasted. Not only are they mourning the death of their mother, they’re also freshly mourning their father’s death.
“You find out your father is not supposed to be where you thought he was for the last 20 years. Where you sat, put flowers at, prayed at. Thinking your father was there. The headstone’s there but his body is not there,” explained Cooper Jr.
Greenwood Memorial Park and Mortuary staff somehow misplaced Cooper Sr.'s body two decades ago. The mortuary spokesperson said they, along with the family, just discovered this issue and that they are working diligently to find Mr.Cooper's casket and fix this terrible situation as soon as possible.
“I think they, initially when he was buried, they buried him in the wrong spot,” said Cooper Jr.
To add insult to injury, Cooper Jr. said their mother was haphazardly buried in the family lot. He told NBC 7 her casket is covered by a thin layer of dirt and a wooden plank.
“It’s totally uncalled for. It’s like, what? Really? So then you’re getting mixed messages about where your father might be and how to identify him" Cooper Jr. said.
The family hired an attorney to interface with the mortuary staff after Cooper Jr. said there were different explanations about his father’s whereabouts.
“You’re the caretaker and the keeper of those people that are laid to rest there, who came before you. And I think the onus is on you to correct that,” said Cooper Jr.
In the meantime, they will be focusing on their father's legacy.
“It was always a saying of my father that Juneteenth should be celebrated in America like July 4th is celebrated. It’s our Independence Day, but everybody had a hand in that independence, am I right? Somehow as a community and as a society we came back together to make this happen," Cooper Jr. said.
The mortuary spokesperson, Catherine Lane, provided the following information in response to NBC 7’s specific questions.
“Because the loved one was interred over 22 years ago, prior to our acquisition of the property, we are being extremely careful as we piece together the details and continue to work to help get this right for the family. We understand their concerns. Again, all of this happened long before we acquired the property in 2014. As to the details of the recent burial, the grave was properly secured; however, it takes time for the sod to grow and take hold. We will continue to investigate and share any relevant information with the family. Our commitment to serve and do what is right for our families is paramount. Our hearts go out to the family as we work through this.”
The Cooper family will be hosting their annual Juneteenth event at Memorial Park Saturday morning.
