Oxford Junction Cemetery celebrates Cemetery Appreciation Month

Each spring, the governor of Iowa declares May Cemetery Appreciation Month in appreciation of our ancestors’ resting places. “Iowans are aware of the need to preserve the rich heritage contained in our pioneer historical cemeteries,” reads the May 2021 proclamation, drawing a connection between respect for the past and concern for the future. 

The Oxford Junction Cemetery Association, in its own commitment to preserving the past for future generations, created an endowment fund with the Jones County Community Foundation that will provide an annual source of funding to benefit the cemetery forever. This Cemetery Appreciation Month, board members are grateful for the lasting impact the fund and future supporters will have on the preservation of this important piece of local history.

Mayflower Cemetery is the only cemetery in Oxford Township and is used by all denominations of churches in the area. Early stones of some ancestors are written in the Czech or German language. Often several generations of a family are interred in the cemetery. 

The community is proud of the appearance of the cemetery and assists with maintenance as needed – yet Mayflower Cemetery faces a common challenge: maintaining and improving an aging property with limited income. The endowment fund provides supplemental long-term income to the cemetery, ensuring dollars are available for maintenance projects like landscaping and upkeep of the cemetery.

“Much like Iowa’s historic cemeteries, community foundations are forever,” says Sherri Hunt, the Foundation’s executive director. “Our endowment funds are invested permanently, and the earnings from that investment provide annual funding to address our community’s greatest needs for generations to come.”

The Foundation also holds funds for Merritt Cemetery and Wilcox Cemetery. 

Contact Hunt at jccf@dbqfoundation.org to learn more about how the power of endowment can support the needs of Jones County and its people.