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Sedgwick County, Kansas

Wichitan Digging In Yard Unearths Grim Surprise

Jim Chaves uprooted more than weeds and mud while clearing a portion of his yard Tuesday afternoon.

He uncovered a tombstone.

Chaves, who lives at 532 All Hallows in west Wichita, was doing yardwork at 3:15 p.m., when his shovel hit what he thought was rock.

Further investigation proved him wrong. After Chavez wiped mud from the stone and hosed it down, he was able to read the tombstone that belonged to a 90-year-old woman who died in 1960.

The 2-foot by 8-foot stone read: Lucinda Burdette, 1870-1960.

"It was a shock," Chavez said. He called family members outside to share in the discovery.

His mother-in-law, Edna Logan, who has owned and lived in the house 15 years, said she was surprised she'd never noticed the stone before Tuesday.

Standing next to the stone with a camera in her hands, Logan speculated that someone had planted the stone by the side of the house years ago. She took pictures of it before turning it over to police in hopes that someone would claim it.

"I hope someone gets it back where it belongs," she said.

Police planned to place the tombstone in the stolen property section and check for any reports that it may have been stolen.