Officials with the Western Iowa Pioneer Cemetery Association appeared before the Shelby County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, to speak with regard to a pioneer cemetery. Chairman Ron Chamberlain spoke to the board as the association was looking for the supervisors to help gain entrance to the Doyle Cemetery located in Grove Township in Rural Shelby County. The Doyle Cemetery is a pioneer cemetery which falls under a different category.

“Pioneer Cemetery means a cemetery where there have been 12 or fewer burials in the last fifty years. Each county board of supervisors may adopt an ordinance assuming jurisdictions and control of pioneer cemeteries in the county. The board shall exercise the powers and duties to township trustees related to the maintenance and repair of the cemeteries in the county. Except the board shall not certify a tax levy but instead maintenance and repair of all cemeteries under the jurisdiction of the county including pioneer cemeteries shall be paid from the general fund. The maintenance and improvement program pioneer cemeteries may include restoration and management of native grasses and wild flowers.”

Currently the entrance to the Doyle Cemetery is only open between the months of September to April due to the ground around the cemetery is farmed by the landowner. The discussion focused around who was responsible for the maintenance and access to the Cemetery. The Supervisors agreed that the trustees of the townships are responsible for pioneer cemeteries and landowners would need to agree to allow access to develop a pathway to the cemeteries. Ron Chamberlain, Chairman of WIPCA said the trustees have not been doing their job.  “Because I would say in the last 100 years, 5 years the cemetery has been mowed by the trustees. They are not taking care of it.”

County Attorney Marcus Gross said it would be up to the trustees to report to the landowner about establishing a road.  “I think what would probably happen is the trustees would notify the surrounding landowner to cease and desist from farming it so that it could be re-established. That’s just off thought on that. I don’t think just by moving the fence it did not make it not a cemetery. I think it’s still a cemetery.”

Supervisor Steve Kenkel said he would like to see a sit down with all parties involved to get something resolved.  “I would like to see us get together with the trustees and I personally would help with that and see if we can get some kind of access. There is realistically only a couple of landlords that can probably or could give us access. I am not saying build a road. What I am talking about is putting a small strip of ground, seeded down, access off another road where you can get in there and don’t destroy it after a rain. It’s not perfectly what we want but it is somewhere in the middle. Is that a goal we can work on? WIPCA Members agreed.”

No timetable on when a joint meeting will occur was established and more information will come out at a later date.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)