Fayette County Pioneer Cemetery Commission

State of Iowa Law

(portions of Iowa Code 5231.102)

331.325 Control and maintenance of pioneer cemeteries - cemetery commission

1. "Pioneer Cemetery" means a cemetery where there have been twelve or fewer burials in the preceding fifty years

2. Each county board of supervisors may adopt an ordinance assuming jurisdiction and control of pioneer cemeteries in the county

3. a. In lieu of management of the cemeteries, the board of supervisors may create, by ordinance, a cemetery commission to assume jurisdiction and maganagment of the pioneer cemeteries in the county. 

359.33 Tax for nonowned cemetery

Township trustees may levy a tax not to exceed six and three-fourths cents per thousand dollars of assessed value of taxable property to improve and maintain any cemetery not owned by the township, provided the cemetery is devoted to general public use.  

Gravestone Care:

After years of accumulating carbon from burning coal and wood, plus dirt from plowed fields, grave stones become dark and hard to read. Lichens grown and "eat" away the stone

NEVER use a wire brush to clean a grave stone. 

There are approved products and methods that will clean a gravestone. ASK a pioneer cemetery grave stone restorer before you pu anything on a stone.