Sue Anderson walked between rows of headstones at Hillcrest Cemetery

Thursday, surveying wreckage left in the wake of the worst case of

graveyard vandalism ever in La Grande.

One hundred seven monuments broken off at their bases and tipped over, some of the older marble ones smashed to pieces.

Headstones switched from one base to another. One marble cross stolen

and another tipped over on its head. A marble flower vase broken to

bits. And more.

There have been some brutal attacks on La Grande’s cemeteries in the past, but this one, said Anderson, has an especially ugly feeling to it.

“It takes time to do something like this. It looks very deliberate, very planned,” Anderson, manager of the La Grande Cemetery Maintenance District, said.

Anderson said a security guard was at the cemetery until 2 a.m. Wednesday. Sometime after that, a person or persons unknown rampaged through five of the cemetery’s eight sections.

Best estimates say the damage was done sometime between 2 and 7 a.m. Police were notified about noon Wednesday. The vandal or vandals, said Police Chief Brian Harvey, didn’t leave much for investigators to go on.

“We’ve got a case where there’s not a lot of opportunity for leads, and no suspects,” he said.

Anderson and two other people employed by the Special Districts Association of Oregon maintain the city’s cemeteries. Their wages, along with cemetery operation and maintenance costs, are paid with city taxes.

The budget never has been big, and times are tougher now. Anderson said district employees are taking furlough days because of the recession.

Some of the damage done Wednesday, particularly to the older marble stones, can’t be fixed. Old, hand-carved stones will have to be replaced. For the rest, Anderson estimates cost of repairs at about $15,000.

It’s a hard hit to a limited budget.

“It’s going to be a lot of work. We’re going to have to bring in a backhoe to stand some of the heavier stones up,” she said.

There is one sliver of good news, though. The cemetery keeps excellent records, so all the markers can be returned to their appropriate places.

Anderson said vandalism is an ongoing problem at city cemeteries. In a single incident at Hillcrest in the mid- to late-1990s, 65 monuments were damaged; in another in the mid-1980s, someone broke into the crypts at Grandview Cemetery and stole items off bodies.

More recently, what Anderson calls “anarchy signs” were spray painted on gates and crypts at Hillcrest.

“I don’t know if they do it because they don’t like God or what. I don’t have a clue who it is, but I know it’s someone very disturbed,” Anderson said.

Hillcrest sits on two parcels of land across from each other on 12th Street, just north of the Blue Mountain Conference Center.

Vandalism usually occurs in the west portion, closest to the cemetery’s boundary with Eastern Oregon University and well away from the lights and traffic of 12th.

“It’s always in the dark areas. What we really need is lights, but there’s no money for them,” Anderson said.

She said the cost of adding lighting is high, and the district is paying off a $50,000 loan for its share of 12th Street right of way improvements. She said she plans to ask the city of La Grande for help.

“If we had just three lights, it would be a big improvement. I’m going to talk to the mayor about it,” she said.

Harvey said his officers are following up on the case and would appreciate help from the public. Anyone with information about the vandalism is asked to call the La Grande Police Department at 541-963-1017.

“This is about more than just the property damage,” Harvey said. “There’s a huge emotional impact. This is extremely offensive to those who have loved ones there. We’d love to solve it.”

Anderson said it is never easy to explain graveyard vandalism to family members.

“It’s a personal affront for them. It’s just like someone breaking into your house. It’s very disrespectful and very upsetting,” she said.