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NH Mother Says Cemetery Removed Halloween Decorations From Son's Grave

FRANCESTOWN, N.H (CBS) -- A New Hampshire mother says the decorations she has put at her teenaged son's grave have been repeatedly removed by the cemetery. Christina Wohle's 18-year-old son, Cole, died from a heart attack shortly after a rodeo competition in 2016.

She said Cole had a sense of humor so she is annoyed that the cemetery keeps removing the skeleton wearing a cowboy hat she placed at his plot.

"He's dead. He's not here with us anymore. But his humor was big and it could live beyond the grave and it could brighten people's lives just walking by and seeing it and chuckling. Cole would have loved that," Wohle said.

"The decoration was not meant to make anyone upset, or to be disrespectful to others. Cole loved Halloween and this was just a way to share his love for a holiday and his humor with others," Wohle said.

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Christina Wohle said she was celebrating her son's sense of humor with these gravestone decorations (Photo Courtesy: Christina Wohle)

The family said if anyone nearby was offended, they would have removed the decorations but it was removed three times without the cemetery contacting them first. "I believe that kindness goes a long way, a simple phone call from them instead of taking the decorations down would of been a different story," said Wohle.

She added, "We had great response from people in the town when the decoration was first put up."

But the family will not set it up again.

"It was something to just really remember him by and just kind of help bring a smile down here because it's always tears when we come down, and sadness and he would like to see a smile on our faces and other people's faces," said father and dad Rob Wohle.

WBZ-TV reached out to the cemetery for comment but has not heard back.

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