ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) - For 20 years, a South Georgia family has searched for one thing: the exact location of their loved one’s grave.

Now, after decades of unanswered questions, they are speaking out, raising concerns about accountability, recordkeeping and oversight at privately owned cemeteries.

“We just want to find him… so we can finally lay him to rest the right way,” the family said.

Walter Kendrick Sr. was buried in February 2006 at Roselawn Garden of Memory Cemetery in Albany, according to his death certificate and family records. But today, his exact burial location remains unknown.

His sister, Dorothy Hendry, said she remembers the day clearly.

“Because the day he was buried, I remember walking on this side of the tree. The tree was much smaller,” Hendry said. “When my sister and I came back a couple of months later after she had gotten the headstone… the grave marker was gone. So, then we didn’t know where he was.”

That moment marked the beginning of what would become a 20-year search.

A FAMILY STILL SEARCHING

Hendry said multiple family members have spent years calling, visiting, and seeking answers, often with little to no response.

“We’ve just been suffering for 20 years,” she said.

Over time, the search has outlived several of the people leading it.

“The sister that was over his burial… she passed,” Hendry said. “Then it went to my brother, and he passed last year.”

Now, Kendrick’s headstone, purchased years ago, remains in storage, still unplaced.

“I want to find my brother’s body so we can put his headstone down,” Hendry said. “That’s all.”

Her niece, Shantae Odom, has since taken on the responsibility of continuing the search.

“For the last 20 years, my family and I, we’ve been trying to locate my uncle’s body,” Odom said. “It’s been dead end after dead end.”

She said that despite providing documentation and repeatedly reaching out, answers have been limited.

“We know that he’s in this area somewhere, but where, we don’t know,” she said.

YEARS OF QUESTIONS AND FEW ANSWERS

The family says they have confirmed that Kendrick was buried at the cemetery through official records. They have also documented years of outreach attempts to cemetery personnel and others involved in the burial.

Still, they say they have not been provided with a clear burial plot location or map.

“There’s no records. They can’t seem to find their maps to locate him,” Odom said.

The uncertainty has taken an emotional toll.

“Twenty years is a long time to not know where your oldest sibling is buried,” Odom said. “It’s been a burden on this family… a lot of heartache.”

She added that some relatives died without ever getting answers.

“To the day he died, he was trying to get some form of resolution,” she said of one family member.

CONCERNS ABOUT OVERSIGHT

The family believes part of the issue may stem from the cemetery being privately owned.

Hendry said she contacted the Georgia Cemetery Association but was told there was little they could do.

“With it being a private cemetery, they can’t do anything,” she said. “They are not obligated to follow the rules and regulations as a public cemetery.”

That lack of oversight, she said, is troubling. “I think they should follow the guidelines as well,” Hendry said.

Odom echoed those concerns, pointing to what she described as multiple unmarked graves across the property.

“As you can see, there are a lot of graves around here that are unmarked,” she said. “Some have flowers… and some don’t.”

“I think they should be held to a higher standard like public cemeteries,” she added.

CEMETERY RESPONDS

In a statement, Roselawn Garden of Memory Cemetery said it is now actively working to locate Kendrick’s burial site.

“Roselawn Cemetery has recently been made aware of concerns regarding the burial location of Mr. Walter Kendrick, Sr.,” the statement reads. “We want to first express our sincere concern for Mr. Kendrick’s family and our deep regret for the distress and uncertainty this situation has caused them.”

The cemetery said it has begun reviewing records and working with the funeral home and other sources.

“Because this burial reportedly occurred many years ago, the review requires careful examination of older records and, if appropriate, limited on-site investigation,” the statement continues.

The cemetery added that management has been in contact with the family and is committed to keeping them informed.

“Roselawn is committed to using every reasonable means available to locate or confirm Mr. Kendrick’s burial space,” the statement said.

Roselawn Cemetery has been made aware of concerns regarding the burial

location of Mr. Walter Kendrick, Sr., and is deeply sorry for the distress this has caused his family.

The cemetery takes any question about a loved one’s resting place very seriously and has begun a thorough review of its records and the circumstances surrounding this burial.

Roselawn is actively working with all available sources to verify and properly document Mr. Kendrick’s burial location. Its staff is in direct contact with his family and is committed to

keeping them informed and resolving this matter as respectfully and

promptly as possible.

STILL WAITING FOR CLOSURE

Despite the renewed efforts, the family says they remain cautiously hopeful.

After years of waiting, they say time is no longer on their side. “I just want to find my brother,” Hendry said. “And I hope this helps me get some answers… some closure.”

For Odom, the mission is personal and urgent.

“I made it my mission to locate her big brother,” she said. “I need to find him so they can be at peace.”

Until then, the family continues searching walking through rows of graves, guided only by memory, hoping one day they will finally know where Walter Kendrick rests.

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