The Iowa Veterans Cemetery was dedicated and began burials in July of last year. The cemetery’s director says since then, just over 300 veterans have been buried there. Director Steve Young says many more veterans have decided to use the cemetery as their final resting place.
Young says they try to stress "pre-need planning" for those who call, and there are over three-thousand veterans and family members who have already applied for future burial. He says it really helps the process to have all the paperwork filled out ahead of time. Young says keeping the grounds up is one of the big issues now that the cemetery is open.
Young says the major challenge has been the weather and trying to keep the grounds looking appropriate with watering and erosion control. He say another challenge is the great number of people who want to visit during the week. Young says people have been respectful as they visit the cemetery during funerals.
He says veterans who’re interested can find out more about on the Iowa Veterans Affairs Department website under the cemetery section. He says look under the "eligibility for burial" section to get forms to submit. Young says they hand out forms to people who visit and you can also call the cemetery at 515-996-9048.
The cemetery is located off Interstate 80 at the Van Meter exit.