Foley Family Desperate After Funeral Home Fails To Deliver Headstone
Family struggles to get answers from funeral home service
Foley, Ala. — (OBA) — A family with a loved one buried at Pine Rest Cemetery in Foley is looking for answers after they say they haven’t received a headstone more than two years after they paid for it. As reported in Foley News, the funeral home's management has yet to respond despite several requests.
Tony and Deborah Nelson buried Deborah’s mother, Dora Amos, in the cemetery in November 2023. Tony Nelson said the family ordered and paid $3,150 for the headstone in January 2024 and was told it could take six to 18 months to receive it. Nelson provided a copy of the order form and canceled check to 1819 News.
However, what happened next has led area management to look into the matter.
The Nelson family called after a year to check on the status of the headstone. They were told there was a delay, but that the funeral home expected the headstone to arrive soon. However, two years and two months later, the headstone has still not arrived, and the family has reason to believe it was never ordered.
“They took our money and our check was deposited, but the headstone was never ordered,” Nelson said.
Tony Nelson said he became suspicious in September 2025 when the funeral director, Tim Street, told him the headstone had arrived.
“He said it looks nice. I’ve seen it,” Nelson recalled. “It looks really nice. You’re going to be proud of it.”
Nelson said he was told the headstone would be placed at the gravesite within a couple of weeks. However, by October, the headstone was still not placed. Then something even more suspicious happened. Nelson said Street told him the headstone was still not at the funeral home, but that he did have the monument’s base. Nelson said he offered to pick up the headstone himself, but he was told he could not do that.
The family filed a complaint with the Alabama Board of Funeral Services in January 2026. Foley News confirmed that an investigation is underway but the Executive Director of the Board of Funeral Services, Charles Perine, stated “we cannot comment any further while the investigation is ongoing.”
Street is licensed through the board for both the Foley cemetery and Pine Crest Funeral Home in Mobile as a funeral director, cremationist and preneed sales agent.
The Nelsons said they are devastated and feel the debacle has added to their grief.
“The headstone is your last monument for your loved one that shows their life and legacy,” Tony Nelson told 1819 News. “That’s why a headstone has a date of birth and it has a date of death. That’s their legacy and he took advantage of this.”
Area manager Gene East visited the funeral home on Tuesday. He told 1819 News that he is looking into what happened and working with the Nelson family to order the headstone. He confirmed the headstone was never ordered but said he isn’t sure why.
“If a family has ordered a marker with us, we will take care of it,” East said.
Nelson said he was told the headstone will be delivered within six to eight weeks.
Street has not returned media requests from reporter Erica Thomas.
Reporters have reached out to the corporate attorney who represents the regional conglomerate of funeral homes that purchased Pine Rest Funeral Home and Cemetery in 2016.
Gulf Shores News staff reached out to Pine Rest and left a message for ownership to call. We have not heard back as of the date of publishing this article.
The Nelsons have filed a police report with the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.
Share this article w/ Friends...
