More than 200 Coloradans buried in Lafayette Cemetery missing from city records

The City of Lafayette is sending out more letters this week to the 270 people who still have plots at the city cemetery but might not be able to use them. The city established a moratorium to halt all casket burials this fall, and conducted a ground penetrating data study, which they presented this month.

The study held recommendations by the state archeologist, and the city voted to delay a decision on closing the cemetery. The study showed that the cemetery, which dates back to the 1800s, is nearly full even though there are still 270 outstanding plots.

Frank Archuleta always planned to lie next to his family plot at the city's cemetery, but now, he may never get the chance.

"These are our families. They're buried here. This one right here is my sister. Right here, this was my nephew," Archuleta said, "There's a lot of pride to be buried where your family is."

Despite his family burying plots decades ago, he may not be able to use one. The city says there's not enough room for everyone.

"We've gone to conduct burials, and we've encountered people who have been buried there previously, and so we don't want to disrupt those who have been laid to rest there," Lafayette's Deputy City Manager Megan Davis said, "It's a really difficult situation."

When asked if the city made a mistake, Davis said, "I think that cemetery of this age has gone through many, you know, different iterations of record keeping."

"The folks that we've been talking with at the state archeologist's office, and others who have this type of expertise around cemeteries, are telling us that this isn't uncommon," explained Davis.

The city is now sending out letters to plot owners and asking anyone who did not receive a letter to contact them. Some options for those plot owners are to have a cremation ceremony, transfer to a plot in Louisville, or get a refund.

But for Archuleta, that will never be enough.

"If there are contracts that are signed and everything else, the city must honor those contracts," he said.

He hopes that city hall will find a way to keep loved ones in Lafayette together.

"Our families are buried here, our aunts, our uncles, our cousins, they're buried here. This is our home, Lafayette's our home."

People can find the city's latest information about the cemetery on their website or by calling 303-604-3511.

As the city sends out more letters to plot owners on Wednesday, they're hoping to meet with the community again on June 10.