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They’re at the back of cornfields, down dead-end roads, and in clumps of brush; the pioneer cemeteries of Marion County, and they tell a story of the region’s earliest beginnings.

The Marion County Pioneer Cemetery Commission (MCPCC) was chartered by the county in 2011 to oversee pioneer cemeteries, of which there are 55 locally. According to Iowa Code, a pioneer cemetery is defined as one that has had 12 or fewer burials in the past 50 years. In Marion County, most pioneer cemeteries have not had a burial in 100 years or more.

“As a commission, we believe that these plats deserve protection,” says MCPCC chairperson Valerie Van Kooten. “They’re located in gorgeous natural areas; the sculpture and text on the stones are exquisite; and they are the remains of our ancestors.”

MCPCC receives funds each year from the county to identify and fence cemeteries as well as repair stones. Commission members have occasional workdays throughout the summer to clean up brush, install fence and gates, and place signage.

The group meets the last Monday night of each month from March through October, at the Rural Fire Station in Knoxville (across from Peace Tree Brewery) at 7 p.m. The first meeting in 2023 will be on March 27.

All are welcome to attend meetings, to help with cemeteries, or to do research. A listing of Marion County’s Pioneer Cemeteries can be found at www.marioncountycemetery.wix.com/mcpcc. For more information about the county’s pioneer cemeteries, email marioncountycemetery@gmail.com.