Spongebob Headstone of Iraq War Veteran Removed by Cemetery; Family Fights Back

Kimberly Walker, 28-Year-Old War Vet, Was Murdered on Valentine's Day

By Daniel Distant, Christian Post Reporter Wednesday, October 23, 2013

The Spongebob headstone of an Iraq war veteran was removed from an Ohio cemetery recently because the officials there found it inappropriate to have the children's character among their traditional burial plots. The family of the deceased, who paid $13,000 for the headstone in Spring Grove Cemetery, is demanding it be placed back and their contract honored.

The Spongebob headstone of Kimberly Walker, a 28-year-old Army corporal and petroleum supply specialist, was paired with another one for her twin sister, Kara Walker, for the cost of $26,000. Kimberly's 7-foot-tall Spongebob Squarepants statue wore an Army uniform with Walker's rank displayed, but after the headstone was erected Oct. 10, the cemetery took it down the next day.

"We've decided that they aren't appropriate for our historic cemetery and they can't be displayed here," cemetery President Gary Freytag told the Associated Press Monday. He also said that the employee who approved the design made a mistake.

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The family and the cemetery met Tuesday, where officials took responsibility for the incident and considered several other options: a traditional gravestone could be erected with a smaller version of Spongebob's image on it, or the cartoon headstone could be laid flat on the ground. Spring Grove Cemetery refused to consider putting the headstone back, though- something that could push the family to exercise legal options.

"You can't keep blaming an employee," Deborah Walker told AP. "That employee represented that whole cemetery and when they do wrong, you've got to make it right. Put Spongebob back up."

Kara Walker, a 29-year-old information technician for the Navy, said her family has already been through enough; Kimberly was found strangled and beaten in a hotel room on Valentine's Day this year, and her then-boyfriend was charged with the crime. The headstone, which the family got approved by Nickolodeon, was a way to remember her sister, who loved Spongebob enough to cover her room with the character's likeness.

"It is frustrating that you entrust a cemetery to have your best interest at heart and accommodate you and your family at a hard time ... and because they don't like it they're going to take it down," she said.

"My sister served our country and most people try to accommodate veterans and try to take care of them," Walker continued. "For them not to accommodate and respect what my sister sacrificed, not only for my family, but for everyone else in this country, really bothers me."

If the issue is not resolved, Spring Grove Cemetery stands to lose business. The Walkers have already pre-paid for six burial plots, costing $29,000.