Murders of 6 kids are all but forgotten
By Rubén Rosario
Article Last Updated: 09/06/2008 09:57:15 PM CDT
Saint Paul Pioneer Press

Pat Hogan will never forget the day he dug a mass grave wide enough to
fit the bodies of six children side by side.

It was Sunday afternoon, Sept. 13, 1998. Hogan, then a grounds worker
and now the superintendent of Forest Lawn Cemetery in Maplewood,
remembers being called in as he was getting ready to watch the Vikings-
Rams game.

Instead, he listened to the game on the radio as he dug the final
resting place for the victims — all siblings — of one of the worst
mass murders in Minnesota, certainly in St. Paul, in recent memory.

"It is a sight I hope to never see again,'' Hogan recalled last week
after he took me to the grassy burial site.

The kids — three boys and three girls, ages 5 to 11 — are on Lot 134,
Block 33 on the cemetery's northwest corner, between the "Anderson"
and "Hang'' graves.

thanks for sharing....I couldn;t hold back my tears as I read this
article. ua tsaug!

jim

On Sep 8, 4:08 pm, StickRice yahoo.com> wrote:

Friend Stickyrice,
Thanks for sharing. The story really makes me tear.
HL

Thanks for sharing. Me too were in tear while reading it..

ms

I am too in tears when I read the article so I shared it on Hmong
Minnesota Radio last night and here what I learned from the listeners:

1. Father still alive and live in Minnesota. He should be the one to
establish the headstones. He was giving enough money to make one, but
he didn't.

2. Regardless of what the past was, for 10 years and still no
headstones, we as community should do something about it.

3. Talked to the father first before the community do anything.

4. This is the work of the non-profit organizations that so called
representing the Hmong community - listener talked to me after the
radio.

5. Father said and promised his family member that he will get one
long time ago.

Here is what I think:

Regardless of the past, whatever the past was, it does not take much
to get one headstones for all six children, we Hmong community should
come together to make this a possible mission. Let them be known to
passer of who they were? Let them be rest like everyone else of their
neighbors.

yt-- a single vertical headstone for my dad in 2002 costed $3,500.
now it costed $5,000. if you are talking about a single verticle, but
bigger and taller one for 6 kids, it probably will cost betwen $7,000
- $10,000. i don't believe the man has that kind of money for it
now. all the monies that were given to him 10 years ago were his free
to spend at will. he probably already used all for zaub mos in laos/
thailand. my question is at the time why would the money be given to
him, why not given to a trush fund. we all know he is no differece
than his wife, qhua hawj. i don't blame him for spending all the
money, but the organizers.

Tserwayia M. Thao,
Since you already have a mean to inform the public, you should start a
campaign to raise money for the headstones. You will never get a
concensus if you ask for people's opinions. There are times when you
must go ahead and act even if you are alone at first. If you are
right, people will follow you. And I can assure you that this is the
right thing to do. My only question is - can this be done without the
parents approval. Sounds like the mom had at least inquired about the
headstones so she would grant permission if the dad can't be found.

Hnub kaj

Yawg Laug Txawj Vam & SCHlers,

A group of us had already started the conversation in trying to
contact the paternal family, the Tou Kong's (Hang), and seek
permission to contribute fund in installing some sort of a marking for
the children...these are not just the Kong/Hang's children, but all
Hmong's. They are our children now and that's why we've found
ourselves to be so charged and emotional about the unmarked grave
site...

Anyone interested, please supply your contact info to me and will keep
all posted on what will transpire...

NOTE: if anyone knows of where we can best contact the member of the
paternal family please let me know...the few people and place/
locations we thought the contact may have been were not successful...

Ua tsaug,

-Txiabneeb
txiabneebatgmail.com

On Sep 9, 8:28 am, YT hotmail.com> wrote:

On Sep 9, 10:35 am, hnub...@gmail.com wrote:

Txawjvamyias & Txiabneeb,
It is good that you two have done something about it. I have thought
of this last night and began to search for some simple head stone. I
found an online deal with free shipping. The cost of an economic gray
granite flush head stone is about $255. I assumed that the
installation costs is about $245 per stone, which will cost about
$3000 total.

First, we should consult the family (parents' consents if possible)
before doing so. If not, a closed relative would be fine. Secondly, we
should consult the cemetery for approval of the head stone types and
size before going any further; and then ask for the installation
costs.

Let us know how your progress is; I believe, lots of us, SCHers are
willing to donate.

HL