A large marble vase has been stolen from the Montgomery, Ala., gravesite of legendary country singer Hank Williams. The manager of the Hank Williams Museum, Beth Birtley, said the vase was made from Georgia marble and was engraved with the initials H.W.
Birtley said the vase was apparently stolen sometime Saturday night. She said no other damage was done to the gravesite, where Williams and his wife, Audrey, are buried. She also noted that the vase, which was connected to a base, was also stolen about three years ago, but was found undamaged at that time.
“We don’t want to prosecute. We don’t have to know who took it. We just want it back,” Birtley said. The vandalism at the gravesite came just a few days after the museum wrapped up activities marking Williams’ birthday. He would have been 79 on Sept. 17.
A native of Butler County, Williams died on New Year’s Day 1953 on his way to a concert in Ohio. He was 29. Williams’ grave and memorial, in Oakwood Cemetery near the state Capitol, is a frequent stop for country music fans visiting Montgomery. 
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