Cracked grave boxes, broken headstones and missing tombs are raising new concerns about the Delray Beach Cemetery, where one woman says she cannot locate the resting place of her grandparents and believes their graves may have sunken into the ground.
Kween Miller has been pressing city leaders for answers, pointing to what she describes as years of neglect at the historic cemetery. Her concerns — along with ongoing issues involving record-keeping, poor maintenance, and limited capacity — have drawn renewed attention to the site.
"This wasn't just normal wear and tear," Miller said. "This was neglect and I'm hurting on the inside."
WATCH: Woman searches for missing grandparents' graves amid long-standing cemetery neglect
Miller visits the cemetery regularly, where she has documented toppled vases, biological growth, and repainted grave boxes in previously segregated burial areas. She says the condition of the grounds dishonors the people buried there, including some of the city's earliest settlers.
"They're disrespecting our grounds, look at this. Think about historical — think about these are the settlers that started this town. Why should we see paint, why should we see this?" Miller said.
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Unable to pinpoint exactly where her grandparents are buried, Miller described the emotional toll of searching the grounds without answers.
"I try to stand in different places and I just tell my grandma, 'Just give me some kind of hope that I'm standing the spot that you're supposed to be at,'" Miller said.
A city-funded historical survey found that 94% of historic grave markers at the cemetery are in fair or poor condition, including 17 veterans' graves. Only 6% are rated in good condition. The survey also documents a 1947 flood that likely caused caskets to float, meaning some graves and their markers may no longer match.
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City leaders say details on hiring a consultant to review the cemetery will be included in the Friday city manager report. City officials did not respond to further questions from WPTV about the impacts of the 1947 flood and what assistance the city can provide for those unable to locate loved ones' burial sites.
For Miller, the pace of action has not matched the urgency she feels.
"Why aren't they trying to do more, why would they sit back and watch me in so much pain? Why would they sit back and not even want to help me?" Miller said.
Miller is calling on the city to bring in professionals to maintain the site and to purchase land for a new cemetery. She says the fight is about more than her own family — it is about ensuring veterans, community pioneers, and loved ones are not forgotten.
"This is our heart, this is our family," Miller said. "And I want them to treat it as such and I don't plan on letting it go."
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