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~~~~~ It was 1991, I collected angels. They were all over my home. My boyfriend at the time came home one night with this statue. Mary Keokee Monroe's gravestone. I was horrified. He said " I stole it for you because you like angels." He proceeded to tell me how 3 of his friends, & him stole it in the middle of the night with in a VW van. He told me he broke into glass to get it. It came to me with a broken finger , & 2 wing tips. They had damaged her in the process. It was so disturbing. He would not let me return it. He was a sick, abusive, volatile man. I was in a horrible abusive situation & did not know how to get out of it. That first night he thought I would be elated with this gift- I was horrified & told him to return it to this person, this enraged him so much that he started to beat me in front of his 2 friends, & the angel in the middle of the living room .... He had swung me to the floor so that the side of my head hit her marble base, I saw stars & just tuned into her as I lost conciousnes. I watched his buddie's leaving instead of helping me . This beating was one of the worst I ever endured from him. Not the last however. Now he was worried that I would try to return it & he'd get caught in the process. He promised me that if I tried to return her that he'd kill me or smash the statue & put the bits in the dumpster so no one would find it & he could never be charged. There were hundreds more of those beatings, hundreds. In the end he did permanent damage to me & that angel in many ways. Most of the beatings revolved around that statue & that was his usual mantra the threats of her destruction & my death. I eventually made him show me her grave, I would take flowers to it when I could get away, go talk to her there & leave little trinkets, just hang out there, talk to her mom & dad, I promised to get her home. This place was my escape. This place was the only place I found peace & was safe . I am agnostic, I started to feel that this statue & I were in the same horrible position. When he beat me up, I would ask her for help, I would feel a presence in the room & I talked to her & asked for help from her, to protect me. I prayed to her in a way, I guess. I asked her to help me & I asked her to be my gaurdian angel... not only that angel statue; but the girl Mary . I felt connected to them both almost in seperate ways. I felt a connection with this beautiful statue. We were both in a really bad place. On top of that I felt bad that she had to witness this all. She didnt deserve it or ask for it & I did feel sort of responsible for her in this way. Such ugliness in the face of this angel & Mary- I felt so bad- they werent supposed to see such evil. I really fell bad for that & I have a hard time putting that part into words as of now. I had her in my home for 9 years- give or take. He told me that he should destroy the statue so that he'd never be caught with it... he broke bits of it moving her from one place to another. He broke her hand at that later move. He handed it to me in a box & said something to the fact of -' look what you've done Jen - this is all your fault.' I wasnt there when her hand actually broke- or her finger or her wing-- I didnt see it happen- But I saw it. an hour later, I had all those pieces in a box & was going to save them to return with her-or maybe I thought of even sending them to the city adress for the graveyard- or I thought of burying them at the grave next time I went for safe keeping - or I thought of dropping them at the police station with an anonymous note ....I told him this. ..... so then the box disappeared. I am sure it ended up in a dumpster or something horrible. I honestly dont know where they are today. I took more than a few beatings so that this statue wasn't destroyed. He thought if he destroyed it- smashed it; then he wouldnt get caught & then charged. This statue is in one piece today because of me- That I am sure of. He used to beat me in front of her- telling me it was my fault he took her because I liked angels. Why didn't I like THIS angel & wasn't it good enough for me, he always ask me. I never saw this statue before this. But we were in it together now. I couldnt turn him in yet - I had to be safe myself & get away from him first . Had I turned him in then I would be dead. So I had to play this one out & I did. I turned him in the second I got out of that abusive relationship. I blame myself for all of this & everyone knows my story. I hide nothing. I DO blame myself for not turning her in sooner- but how much abuse could I take? My life was in danger.He beat me hundreds of times for 9 years-- I was an abused woman & had all the symptoms with no safety net or family to help me. And if I was dead she'd never get returned. He was serious about this as he thought it was 'grave robbing' & would bring him huge jail time. I had to do the right thing at the right time......I made that call when I was safe to the local police & The Woodland Graveyard. David Mitchell is the one who took my phone call on that day & he helped get her back home to where she belongs. Since then I take flowers & gifts for her-- not because I feel I protect her-- I still blame myself in a way & feel I owe her. That is why I take flowers, that is why I try to campaign for repairs. I do feel responsible still & in a way I am . I take full responsibility for that & am open about it, have nothing to hide & do what I can now. I turned the people in in 2000 , made a police report- the Cleveland police took it out of his home- not mine- I had since got my own place & I did not take that with me. Still he found me & beat me up - sofinally, after that last beating I then went to CLeveland Police & made a report looking all beat up with one eye swollen shut. I told them this is why I didnt turn him in before.....I told them this was not the worst beating, but it was the last & I was turning him in for her. For mary. A police report was made. I also called David MItchell @ City of Cleveland cemeteries, I told him the adress of the statue & that I had also called police . He had only been on the job a short time & when we discussed this years later, he said he didnt even know if it was a real call or a prank but he listened to his instinct & followed through . The city nor I could press charges against my x that stole her because he had pulled political strings & his uncle, a high political man in Ohio at the time, had helped him get out of charges on this. The detective who took the angel out of his home told me this on the phone an hour later. . He told me that my x was given a ticket & small fine & NOT charged with anything. They also said they found 30 assault weapons there under his bed, SKS's & AK47's & let they had to let him keep them. He had to because of the political favor. He said he had never seen anything like that ever happen. I didn't even leave my house for 2 years. While I was still in that abusive realtionship, there were times that were so bad, I remember crawling to her / the statue, beat & bleeding. I would put my hand on her head. Touching her curls. As soon as I touched her I would feel a sence of peace. There were times I thought I was going to die, & asked her to save me. There were times I preteneded I was dead so he'd stop & I'd pray to her.........You could feel the energy eminating from her. It was amazing. She would seem to have a sound to her... like a buzzing sound or a low humming noise, like what you'd hear at a power plant or something like that , not all the time , but alot of random times. Almost always when things were this intense & volatile & he was hurting me. When she did this she also seemed to have a light about her, like she was lit up , or a light was on in the room or there was light coming from her , but not really - I have no words for this - But I have noticed it in a few pics I have taken of her also. Sometimes I thought there was a light on in the room, there wasnt. It was bright - kinda not coming from her , but yes, kinda of coming from her. She sat in the living room ; I never could sleep in there because it always seemed so bright even at night with the lights off. Sometimes I would put my hand on her head just to feel this peace & presence from her... I told her out loud all the time told her that if she helped me get out of this situation, the first thing I would do was turn him in & get her back to Mary's grave. If I could get back where I belong, I would help her get back where she belonged. In the end, I did almost die, he beat me so bad & for so long I didn't ever think I would get out alive. I did eventually get away, I moved out & had to leave with almost nothing. I ran. One of the very first things I did was call the police & make a report about her, then called the graveyard told the appropriate people who took her & where she was. Names & adresses. I felt an urgencey to get her back where she belongs more than ever now, because I was not there to watch her anymore. The sense of urgency was HUGE. I felt I couldn't protect her, & he certainly didn't care. He was alone with her.It made me feel disgusting. I had to get her out now too! The detective that was in charge of getting the statue out of my x 's home was nice enough to call me after & let me knw what happened & that she had gotten back to the graveyard safely. The detective told me " We charged him with stolen property, he got a ticket & fine ; nothing more- He pulled political strings because of who his uncle is. Since strings in high places were pulled, no real legal action will be made against him . " the cop also said, "He told us he had no idea how this statue got in his home, that is was there when he moved in ." Then he told me that the statue was back where it belongs at Woodland Cemetary." --He told me it took several police officers & some type of crane machine to get it out of his home. I was relieved she was in once piece & back where she belonged. At least there was that & I felt good about it . I had done it & gotten her home. I didn't leave my home for about 2 years due to trauma & anxiety from that experience. I have permanent damage from this mans abuse. So does the statue. The first time I came to Woodland Cemetary to see her here, was magic. I drove up, saw her from afar, behind the fence, behind the gates, behind glass, she started lighting up & humming more than I had even remembered, it was like she knew I was there. I swear it looked like a spotlight was coming from her, or like lights were inside of her glass. I approached the glass crying so hard, I put my hand on the glass.... I realized i couldn't touch her curls in her hair anymore as I always did, or lay my hands on the top of her wings, or her button on the front her dress...that little button holds so much energy ...... I was used to actually touching her for strength. I then felt all kinds of bad FOR touching her so much...Well at least she was back where she belonged, behind her glass safe & sound. Maybe someday in the future I could do something to help her from what being at my home did to her... get her professionally cleaned or something get hand oils off her, the cigarette smoke, the polution from the world- all of it. I thanked her & I could tell she was thanking me. Mary was home & she was so happy! She radiated light & buzzed & hummed so intensely at this moment it seemed the entire graveyard revolved around her. The air seemed thick & almost animated , like everything was slow motion. I was not alone there. It was a magical moment. I still go & visit her, all the time. I still talk to her, still pray to her. She still buzzes , hums & is brighter than any light when I come to visit. I consider Mary Keokee Monroe to be a friend. A guardian angel. This statue, this girl, saved my life. She has no family left- The Monroe's are long gone. If she does they have not come to her grave since 1991- I'd love to find them & tell them - maybe they dont know? Hard to imagine forgetting a plot like this. I'd love to find some living relatives.. maybe they'd want to help. I have searched & found nothing. She has a chapel her mother opened in her name after she died, Keokee Chapel in Paradise Township PA. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Keokee-Chapel-UMC/214569085288489 But I come to her grave to visit & it is decaying , overgrown & uncared for. I come monthly , or I try. I do things for it, plant flowers, bring flowers, angel statues, clean up around it, weed, no one else ever does.; well maybe a few volunteers at the cemetery here & there . But mostly is is only city workers mowing & raking & that is expected. It is in a state of decay & needs professional cleaning, her fence repaired & her glass replaced. Even though she has the graveyard, & the chapel, no one else but me seems to care. I visit her weekly & & will continue to for the rest of my days. This girl / statue saved my life, this girl made it possible for there to be a chapel for others to pray in , this girl made it possible for some to go to college with a scholarship in the past in her name with her families money...... I cannot find any of her relatives.I recently heard one man was found but not by me....... If they are out there I'd love to find them & talk with them / maybe they'd like to help. It seems like I cannot get anyone to help her... She is my angel & I am hers. ....... I am happy & safe now in my life because of her.  Please, after you are done reading this... go to the top right hand  of the page where it says : "More " ... there are several other pages on this site about  Mary & her family & all the history & pics I can find on them.... Also;  Please check out the Facebook page I created in her name , Mary Keokee Monroe that I update weekly . Thank You  SO much for your interest IN Mary Keokee Monroe & her family plot at Woodland Cemetery  / Cleveland Ohio... Thank u for helping me keep their memory & spirit  alive in this way . There are several more pages of pics &  all  the history  I could find  of Mary & her family.  Also  the recent planting I have done since 1991 including BEFORE & AFTER pics.  GO to the top of this page  where it says " MORE' on the upper right hand side, hover with the mouse  &  you'll see all the other pages on the  site I have created. Please check it out  & thank u  ~~~~~~ Jennifer Leder