CLINTONVILLE, Wis. (WFRV) – It’s the kind of story that evokes utter disgust.
Somebody tore up and damaged a cemetery in Clintonville. But out of this cruel act, an act of kindness has emerged.
“I don’t want to be looked at as a hero, I just want to fix this and make the negativity go away,” said Jeremy Gretzinger who is the owner of Gretzinger Landscaping and Evergreens in Shawano.
When Gretzinger saw on Facebook the damage at Graceland Cemetery, he knew he had to help. He said his grandparents are buried there so he has a personal connection to this cemetery. He’s also a landscaper by trade so he could help fix all the damage to the grass.
“Maybe I can influence somebody else to do a good deed or something,” said Gretzinger.
Somebody drove onto the grass leaving behind deep marks as the tires sunk into the ground. There are two sections of the cemetery with damage to the grass. There is also damage to a metal heart that was placed next to one of the graves.
Cemetery officials estimate that there was about $1500 worth of damage.
“I’d ask them first and foremost why, I’m just blown away I can’t believe that somebody would do something so vicious, so heartless that hurts so many people,” said Darrell Hansen who is the Graceland Cemetery administrator.
Hansen said he was sick to his stomach when he first saw the damage and struggles to come to terms with why somebody would do something like this.
But now, out of that heartless act a heartfelt good deed.
A local landscaper stepping up to make some good out of a terrible situation. Gretzinger said he’s going to repair the damage for free and it shouldn’t take very much time. He said he does have to wait until the ground dries out which he expects to be in May.
“Everything is so negatively driven I thought I’d come in and make things right and show that there is good in this world,” said Gretzinger.
Police did tell us they are still trying to figure out who did this. If anybody has any information, they encourage them to reach out. Right now, they said they are reviewing surveillance footage from nearby businesses to try to figure out what vehicles were going in and out of the cemetery around the time the damage happened.
Clintonville police say the incident happened March 15 between the hours of 2:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
Cemetery officials urge people to stay off the grass when they’re driving through the cemetery.