The Facts
The goal is to explain what is happening based on documented facts, not rumors or speculation.
Vicki passed away on April 11, 2026.
Brooke and Brandon began working to place a permanent headstone on her grave shortly after her death.
Vicki is buried at Berry Highland Memorial Cemetery.
Her memorial service was held on April 25, 2026, and she was interred there that same day in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Vicki named her children in a Durable Healthcare Power of Attorney.
The document, executed December 4, 2024, expressly authorizes them to make arrangements for her burial, including “the purchase of a burial plot and marker.” They provided it, along with other legal documentation, to the cemetery. The cemetery disagrees that it establishes their authority.
Ralph Wendell Jones, Jr. owns the cemetery plot.
Berry Highland Memorial records identify Ralph Wendell Jones, Jr., Vicki's husband, as the sole owner of the cemetery plot.
The cemetery requires authorization from both the owner and next-of-kin.
Berry Highland Memorial's Rules and Regulations, Paragraph 77, require prior written authorization from both the owner of the interment space and Vicki's next of kin before a memorial or foundation may be placed.
Brooke and Brandon have provided their authorization. The plot owner has not.
Brooke and Brandon, as Vicki's children, have provided authorization as next-of-kin. Ralph Wendell Jones, Jr. has not provided authorization as the plot owner.
They have also asked people who know the plot owner to speak with him on their behalf.
They hoped a personal appeal from someone close to Ralph Wendell Jones, Jr. might encourage him to provide the necessary authorization. That effort did not result in the authorization being provided.
Vicki's grave therefore remains without the permanent headstone her children are trying to provide.
Review the documents →