Pioneer Cemetery Commission
DES MOINES COUNTY
PIONEER CEMETERY COMMISSION
(Prepared March 11, 2008)
The County Board of Supervisors formed the Des Moines County Pioneer Cemetery Commission in January 1999. The members of the commission are all volunteers.
There are nine (9) regular voting members of the commission. Other supporting members are referred to as associate members. For the 2008 calendar year the officers are: Chairman - Larry Werner, Vice Chairman - Alan Mohr, and Sec'y/Treas - Fred Wetzel.
The commission holds meetings once a month. During the late fall through the early spring months the meetings are the 4th Monday of the month starting at 5:30 and held at the county courthouse in the general meeting room. Late spring through early fall the meetings are held in conjunction with a work session at one of the cemeteries.
It is the practice to hold two-work sessions a month during the months when evening activity is feasible, normally the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the months of daylight savings time. Work sessions start at 5:30. If a meeting is scheduled during a work session the meeting follows the work activity.
The purpose of the commission is to identify, restore and maintain the pioneer cemeteries in Des Moines County. A pioneer cemetery is defined as a burial location that has had fewer than 6 burials in the past 50 years and is not under active care by another organization.
At the present time there are roughly 48 cemeteries in Des Moines County that
qualify as pioneer cemeteries. The pioneer cemeteries vary in size
from 1 or 2 graves to some with over 100.
The county provides a yearly budget for the operation of the commission including, grave restoration, maintenance (mowing), etc. Private contractors provide the cemetery maintenance. For 2008 there are 28 cemeteries being maintained by 11 contractors. The remaining 20 or so cemeteries are too remote (back in the timber), or are deemed not requiring attention on a yearly basis to be maintained.
As noted earlier the commission tries to have two-work session per month during the months of nice weather. Commission members and other volunteer's clear brush, cut down trees, repair gravestones, and reset stones. For the stones that require new bases or are too heavy for the volunteers to handle the commission contracts for new bases and the resetting of stones.
Signs indicating the name of the cemetery and that it is a Des Moines County pioneer cemetery have been erected at 33 of the cemeteries.
