10/22/2009 8:10:02 AM

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By Janice Gregorson

Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN 

The theft of a tombstone display designed to raise awareness of domestic violence won't silence the voices of the victims.

	Domestic violence remembrance There will be a domestic violence vigil at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Rochester Community and Technical College. The National Clothesline Project, which includes T-shirts recognizing victims of domestic violence, will be brought outside for the program.

Jackie Foley, president of Olmsted County Family Violence Coordinating Council, said this Sunday's candlelight vigil will go on despite the theft.

The cardboard tombstone display was erected along a path by Rochester Community and Technical College, the site of Sunday's candlelight vigil. Each tombstone had the name and story of a person killed in Minnesota last year as the result of domestic violence, including Teresa Bugarin of Dodge Center and her 12-year-old son, Nicholas.

All 37 tombstones in the display were stolen last week, Foley said.

"This is another testament that these women, even in their death, that their story has been silenced," Foley said.

Foley said a local businessman offered to donate material to construct a new display out of wood. Foley said she hopes an organization will come forward to do the work.

She made the display that was stolen and said it took her nearly a month to cut out the cardboard tombstones, screw on stakes, paint the markers and attach the stories.

Anyone willing to help can call Foley at the Women's Shelter at 285-1938.

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