TAMPA, Fla. — Families with relatives buried at Tampa’s lost College Hill Cemetery say they’re not giving up their fight for answers to where the final resting place of their loved ones will be.
This month marked 107 years that Angela Alderman’s great uncle was laid to rest in College Hill Cemetery. She has now made it her mission to give a voice to those who are lost.
“There’s 1,200 people that are missing,” said Alderman.
Alderman believes where the cemetery once was could be the now Italian Club Cemetery’s parking lot.
“Maps don’t lie. It’s history,” said Alderman. “History does not lie, so if those bodies are not there, then where are they?”
ABC Action News last shared her story nearly a year ago. Alderman has continuously pushed for a scan of the grounds to know if those buried within College Hill still rest there or were moved somewhere else.
Related: Families continue to wait for results with Tampa's lost College Hill Cemetery
"There’s no reason why this is taking so long,” she said.
According to a memo to Tampa City Council on Thursday, the Cemetery Task Force contacted the Italian Club to get more information about whether a scan had been done, and if so, to provide the report on it.
The memo said that so far the Task Force hasn’t gotten confirmation of any action or results.
“Those lives matter to their families, they matter to their children, they matter to their parents, so they should matter to us,” said City Council member Luis Viera.
Viera said on Thursday this is an issue of public interest and that his office reached out to the Italian Club.
“I’m going to invite them to come back in May of 2024 to discuss with City Council their findings, because again, the city of Tampa doesn’t have the power to go onto private property and see what’s there with regards to cemetery, different things like that, from my understanding from what our attorneys tell us, but we can work with stakeholders like the Italian Club to make sure that we have transparency in that process,” said Viera.
In the meantime, Alderman will continue fighting for answers on their final resting place.
“I will not stop, and I have the strength of 1,200 people behind me, including my great uncle,” said Alderman.
ABC Action News has repeatedly reached out to the Italian Club for comment and has not heard back, but we will continue to stay on top of this story and any developments.
