A routine cleanup event meant to honor the dead has raised new questions about ownership of the grounds they’re buried in. As Ray County commissioners prepared to join a cemetery workday later this month, they uncovered a deeper legal and historical issue: in many cases, no one can confidently say who owns the land being maintained. Some graveyards have recorded deeds and official caretakers – others are legally murky, their history lost to fire, neglect or assumption. “You can’t give away ownership of something you haven’t received ownership of,” said Eastern Commissioner Max Hockemeier. “Because the records are murky, we just want to understand it first before any action is taken.” Hockemeier noted the confusion surrounding cemetery ownership became clear while reviewing the history of the Richmond Cemetery. The site is believed to be closed because burial locations are uncertain. Further complicating the issue, many of its original legal documents were destroyed in the McCauley…