Bonham -- While the meeting initiated Sunday, July 15 by the Concerned Friends of Willow Wild Cemetery may have been preliminary in nature, two important points were evident.

First of all, this is not a small segment of the community that is distressed over the current condition of Willow Wild Cemetery. A standing-room-only crowd in the Elizabeth May Room at American Bank would seem to give notice this is an issue that, in some way, touches the lives of almost everyone that ever called this community home.

And, secondly, it may require an investigation by Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott to resolve the matter.

Willow Wild Cemetery sits on land deeded by John P. Simpson in 1886 with the stipulation that local Masons would be in control of the cemetery. At the heart of the matter is an antiquated set of bylaws that may have no mechanism to legally change the rules that govern the cemetery. Willow Wild Cemetery was incorporated in 1946 at a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and its bylaws supposedly call for the board of directors overseeing the cemetery be comprised of three Masons, three Odd Fellows and a seventh board member selected by the other six members.

Most troubling is the fact that the current board of directors has apparently been reappointing themselves to the board, which would supercede their authority unless a legal revision to the bylaws has been made.

Apparently, neither the Odd Fellows nor Masons have any record of a change in the bylaws.

Moderator Gary Porter listens as Charlotte Watson participates in the meeting via Skype. Ms. Watson is one of the driving forces behind Concerned Friends of Willow Wild.

The consensus at the meeting Sunday was that since no one on the current board of directors has been willing to produce a set of revised bylaws nor is willing to address an ever-growing list of grievances, litigation is the only option.

"We've either got to get them to cooperate with us or we've got to go to the courthouse," suggested Sherman attorney Thomas Redwine.

Redwine described himself as "an interested citizen," although he did say he was asked a couple of years ago by the Grand Lodge to look for a way to relieve their obligation at the cemetery. He said he showed up for a local lodge meeting scheduled for Friday only to be told, "Oh, we had that meeting yesterday."

"I got hometowned," remarked Redwine. "They had the meeting the day before."

Redwine said litigation could very well be a "friendly lawsuit" that legally changed the bylaws.

"We don't have the capacity to change it," stated Redwine. "We can't figure a way to get out of this."

Thomas Redwine

Cindy Baker Burnett told how the cemetery has gone from 100 new gravesites per year down to approximately 35 gravesites per year and cash reserves have dwindled from $150,000 to $30,000.

"They're losing money," Burnett said. "Plots aren't selling.  "They don't want to file bankruptcy but it's a slippery slope."

"I can assure you the Masons will cooperate," added Redwine. "Get in touch with the Attorney General, have him lock and load, come in here with a cannon and blow this apart. If you want to change the board, it will have to be done with litigation."

That course of action was put to a vote and by an almost unanimous decision -- only one of the 60 people present opposed the idea -- the group voted to contact the Attorney General in hopes of beginning legal proceedings that could result in a revised set of bylaws that would then govern the non-profit cemetery.

Redwine said he thought the Masons and Constantine Lodge would support litigation that called for new leadership at the historic cemetery.

"We'd be very happy to get our plaque and be ushered out the door," remarked Redwine.

Burnett recalled a candidates forum in the Elizabeth May Room where a candidate stated that nothing united a community like a school board.

"Now I'm thinking...maybe a cemetery," said Burnett.