SUFFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A local family who should be mourning the death of a loved one is more frustrated than upset. 

It’s all because they wanted to bury the patriarch of the family next to their mother at a Suffolk cemetery. 

The problem: the people who run the cemetery can’t find the plot where “she” is buried. 

The family is fed up, so they called 10 On Your Side. 

Loretta Johnson took us to where her father, Larry Wiggins, was buried in November.  

She wanted to bury him next to her mother Janice Wiggins, but when she went to Carver Memorial Cemetery, she got a rude surprise. The mother’s grave could not be found. Johnson said her mom was buried in 1999. 

“I’m taking you to where my mom was buried,” she told 10 On Your Side as we walked to where the burial site was.  

First, she stopped at daddy’s grave, and talked to him.  

“Hey, daddy,” she said. “I don’t give up. I am going to get you all together.” 

We then walked to the area where Johnson knew her mother was buried, because she was there.

“I just want to see my mom,” she said. “I cannot hold her. I want to sit out here and hold her and talk to her.

It is so painful, Loretta’s agony.  

10 On Your Side went to get answers from the supervisor behind this door. 

We asked her what happened.  

Why can’t the gravesite for Johnson’s mother be found? She blamed the previous cemetery owners.

“Her mother was buried prior to our coming here,” the woman said. “We bought the cemetery off the auction block in 2005, and some of the old records were not left with us.”  

Johnson is not buying that.

“No.  Records travel,” Johnson said.

10 On Your Side pressed on with the supervisor behind the door,  

“Now we need to find out where the mother was buried and that is your responsibility.” 

She responded, “Exactly.”  

She says exactly, and asked to give her a minute, but she didn’t return. 

Johnson is not surprised and claimed that office manager told her this:

“When all this happened, she actually told me go get a headstone, put it beside your daddy, and no one will know she’s not there but you,” Johnson said. “Can you imagine that? How can you tell someone that about their parents? I’m very mad.  

Johnson is very organized, and has the cemetery plot number.

“And the cemetery ID number is 1991336,” Johnson said. “I want to know where my mother is.”

For now, a deep loss to her body’s core. Loretta tearfully said. 

“I wasn’t the person I was when my mom died,” Johnson said. “I’m better today, and I want to go talk to my mom.” 

10 On Your Side will continue investigating why that important burial site information did not follow to the new owners of the cemetery.