DETROIT (AP) — The remains of casino mogul Don Barden have been buried by his estranged wife — six months after the prominent Detroit businessman died of complications from lung cancer.
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DETROIT (AP) — The remains of casino mogul Don Barden have been buried by his estranged wife — six months after the prominent Detroit businessman died of complications from lung cancer.
Bella Marshall organized a burial Friday at Woodlawn Cemetery in Detroit, despite claims from Barden’s family that he wanted her to have nothing to do with his funeral arrangements, The Detroit News reported Saturday.
The couple was divorcing when Barden died. Marshall did not attend his funeral service in May.
Barden’s siblings had his remains placed in a temporary mausoleum at the cemetery, and Marshall learned earlier this month that he had not been buried.
"Due to my personal and religious beliefs, I immediately exercised my legal rights as Don’s widow … and immediately took appropriate action to see that Don was buried," Marshall said in a statement.
Marshall said Barden’s sister and brother-in-law had not carried out arrangements which she claims were made and paid in advance.
Douglas Barden said plans were to move the remains into a permanent mausoleum when one was built — as his brother requested in writing before his death.
"She didn’t consult anybody," Douglas Barden said of Marshall. "The whole thing is in writing, what he wanted. We were with him every day — she wasn’t — until he took his last breath. She just went against his wishes."
Marshall went to court earlier this year to have her husband declared incompetent. Don Barden later sued for divorce. How Barden’s estate will be distributed is being handled in court, according to the newspaper.
Don Barden was born in Inkster, Mich., and grew up in Detroit.
He made millions with cable TV franchises in Detroit and the suburbs before venturing into casino ownership. He owned Majestic Star Casino LLC and casinos in Las Vegas, Gary, Ind., Black Hawk, Colo., and Tunica, Miss.
In 2010, Black Enterprise ranked Barden Companies number 10 in the top 100 grossing black-owned businesses with profits of $405 million. Barden was honored that year with the business magazine’s lifetime achievement award.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.