Marietta moves son’s body to cemetery
Now at Green Ridge Memorial Park The pastor of a North Union Township church said the body of his son was moved Friday from the churchyard to a cemetery near Connellsville. The Rev. Ewing Marietta of Liberty Baptist Church reported the body of his son, Marcus Marietta, was laid to rest at Green Ridge Memorial Park. Marcus Marietta had been buried in a grave at Liberty Baptist Church, located at 183 Oliver Road, which was not zoned for use as a cemetery. “It is what it is. That’s what we had to do,” said Ewing Marietta, who was fined more than $5,000 last year for the burial.
Marcus Marietta died at age 18 on July 15, 2009, as a result of a car accident on Route 40 on his way home from a football camp.
Ewing Marietta did not seek permission to bury his son at the church. A county zoning officer filed a complaint and Ewing Marietta was fined. In October, he agreed to disinter his son and bury his body in a cemetery by the end of the year.
Ewing Marietta said, “We had sat down with the attorneys for both sides – mine and the county’s – and discussed the situation and chose Dec. 31.”
Ewing Marietta said a memorial service was held for his son at 11 a.m. Friday that included family, friends and members of the congregation. The mourners left the church about 12:15 p.m. and held a graveside service at the cemetery about 1 p.m.
The pastor expressed thanks to the cemetery staff. Ewing Marietta also said the family received support from the congregation.
“The church rallied around this. It was definitely harder than going through the funeral in some way,” he said. “They showed love and kindness.”