Unacceptable situation

To the editor,

As a reader of The Gazette-Democrat newspaper and also a subscriber (for many years) I wish to express to you and the Union County area a total injustice that I feel has happened at the Cobden school.

Most of you know that my daughter Lisa Ann Gott was in an accident that resulted in her death in November (accident)/December (her death) 1980. Lisa touched many lives and many of you had the privilege of knowing her personally. She was an asset to her family, her school, the athletic department, her church and the entire community. She lettered in basketball and played softball, was in band, swing choir and was a dedicated Christian girl. She attended Walnut Grove United Methodist Church on a regular basis.

I have come to find out that the basketball shirt bearing her number that was retired by the athletic department and the school is no longer on display, nor is her photograph and plaque. The memorial scoreboard which many of you helped to buy with your generous donations to her memorial was also replaced without her family being notified. I understand that at the time of replacement it was still functioning properly.

I personally feel this is strange since other memorials were left in the “trophy room” and still remain there. It is my understanding that the whereabouts of these items seems to be a mystery and I understand, one of the leaders “didn’t know but would check into it.” I find this extremely disturbing that in a leadership capacity this information was not readily available or maybe just being evasive! At any rate I think this is totally unacceptable.

I truly believe if this can happen to items left in memory of Lisa Ann Gott other strange happenings could and have gone on and continue to go on. Many of these things some of you already know about.

I do plan to get some answers and I am in hopes that my family, friends and acquaintances as well as the ISHA will support my endeavor to bring justice to this situation. I think it will be a shame if I have to “lawyer up” (as they say on TV) to get this matter straightened out.

I am sure you all realize that if this can happen to a deceased person many other strange things could be happening or could have happened under this watch.

Thank you for allowing me to bring this to your attention and that of your readers and all Union County residents.

Sincerely, Pat (Gott) McNeill, Mackinaw