Indiana Pioneer Cemeteries Project Objectives  
INDIANA'S
COUNTY CEMETERY COMMISSIONS

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County Cemetery Commissions:

Any county in Indiana is empowered by Indiana Code 23-14-67 to create a County Cemetery Commission.  Unfortunately, the statute does not require the creation of these commissions and, in many cases, when the County Commissioners create these County Cemetery Commissions, there is no requirement that they be funded by the County Council.  Consequently, there are a number of counties in Indiana in which these commissions have been created, but they are unable to accomplish anything due to lack of funding.

If you have questions about whether your Indiana county has or could have a County Cemetery Commission, contact your County Commissioners. See http://www.indianacountycommissioners.org/Counties_A.htm for a directory of County Commissioners, courtesy of the Indiana Association of County Commissioners.

At the present time, the INPCRP is aware of County Cemetery Commissions existing or pending only in the Indiana counties of:
 
COUNTY
STATUS
CONTACTS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE?
Clark Unfunded; inactive Contact: Lois Mauk, Clark County Cemetery Commissioner Created 1992; never funded; $ZERO budget.
But see the Clark County Cemetery Preservation Committee's website at:
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~incccpc
Dearborn Pending
Fayette Active; funded; cooperative effort with Trustees; full-time Cemetery Supervisor Contact: John Walters, County Cemetery Supervisor Fayette Co. has a model cemetery maintenance and restoration program.  John Walters, who was the Fayette County Cemetery Supervisor, was a full-time County employee whose job was to maintain and restore approximately 60 pioneer cemeteries.  John resigned that position in January 2002 to pursue opportunities to do cemetery restoration on a freelance basis elsewhere.

The Fayette County Cemetery Supervisor's salary was paid by the County while the department's budget for supplies and materials is made up of funds pooled together by the Township Trustees.  The Cemetery Department has its own workshop and lawncare equipment.  They have several part-time employees and also make use of inmate labor and community service labor, as needed.

Fayette County has accomplished a tremendous amount of progress in identifying, restoring and maintaining its pioneer cemeteries with a shoestring budget, coupled by the dedication of several employees and the commitment of its county and township officials.

See the Fayette County Cemetery Supervisor's job description.

See photos from the Fayette Co. Cemetery Department's Open House from May 12, 2001.

Floyd Pending Contact:  Jack Briles Discussions underway for possible creation of a County Cemetery Commission.
Franklin Created Oct. 15, 2001 Contact:  _________ Active, per Donna Tauber
Gibson Pending Discussions underway for possible creation of a County Cemetery Commission.
Hamilton Active Contact:  Joe Burgess
384 North 11th Street
Noblesville, IN  46060-2146
Hancock Created 08/06/2001 Contact:
Judy Davis-Fuller
Cemetery Commission President
123 Shade Tree Court
Greenfield, IN.  46140
judgejudy112746@aol.com
(317) 467-4773

Bonnie Andrews
Cemetery Commission Secretary
2636 W. Garden Dr.
Greenfield, IN.  46140-8523
HanGeneSoc@aol.com
Cell PH# (317) 466-3083

The commission is active and currently unfunded. They have asked for a
budget of $2, 045. County council has not voted on it as of 08/2002.
Henry Created 09/19/2001 Contact:  Donna Tauber, President, Henry County Cemetery Commission, Spiceland, IN
< dtauber@kiva.net >

Other contacts:  Angela Tielking and U. E. Bush

09/19/2001 -- County Commissioners passed ordinance creating a County Cemetery Commission (see Ordinance in PDF format); Commission appointments pending

See Cemetery Commission Website
at http://www.hcgs.net

Jay Activated 9/2000 Contact:  Paul Pinkerton, County Cemetery Commission President
5341 W. 400 North
Portland, IN  47371
Budget is supposed to kick in in 2002
Jefferson Active Contact:  Jefferson County Cemetery Board
300 East Main Street
Room 103
Madison, Indiana  47250
(812) 265-8944
$10,000 budget
Hancock Created 2001 Contact:  Angela Tielking
Knox Active Contact:  Jon Andrews, County Cemetery Commissioner,
P. O. Box 295
Vincennes, IN 47591
Knox County Cemetery Commission had a budget of $18,000 for the past three years (1998-2000) under a court-ordered settlement agreement with the County Council.  They have cleaned, fenced and surveyed about 30 of 41 endangered cemeteries of the 170 known cemeteries in Knox County. About 85 of that 170 are church- or association-related, 40+ are taken care of by the trustees and the Knox County Cemetery Commission is responsible for the rest.

After the county invested over $50,000 in "carving these back from the wilderness", they quit funding. The Knox County Cemetery Commission's budget for 2001 is only $2,500.  The budget for 2002 is a whopping $1,000.

Knox County has no cemetery tax, nor is there any hope of getting one. The only thing that we have accomplished this year is with the help of 20 volunteers from the Northwest Territory Genealogical Society that have helped re-clean 2 cemeteries and one that we are not even responsible for. The trustees are supposed to take them back into their inventory when they are put back in shape again.

Any complaints or letters of disgust concerning cemeteries should be directed to:

Tim Ellerman
President of the Knox County Council
Knox County Court House
Vincennes, IN 47591
LaPorte Active Contacts:
  • Kenneth Baker, President - Ken1077@attbi.com
  • Patricia Harris, Recording  Secretary - wpharris@netnitco.net
  • The LaPorte County Pioneer Cemetery Commission meets the first Friday of each month at the county complex, unless
    the meeting is combined with a tour of our pioneer cemeteries to check on their maintenance, etc.
     
    Madison Active Contact:  John Brundage, County Cemetery Commissioner
    Monroe Created 2003 Contact:  Larry V. Stephens,
    stephenL@indiana.edu
    Newton Inactive Contact:  Kyle Conrad 01/01/2001 -- County Ordinance for the Establishment of the Cemetery Commission of Newton County, Indiana {in Adobe Acrobat PDF format*}
    08/13/2003 -- Commission members still not appointed
    Ohio Created 1999 Contacts: Don Curry
    5196 SR 56W, Rising Sun, IN
    $1,000 budget
    Parke Active Contact:  Jim Wilcox, Treasurer, Parke Co. Cemetery Commission
    P.O. Box 291
    Rockville, IN 47872
    (765)569-2843
    Parke County's Cemetery Commission has received funding from the County Commisioners and has been working since spring of 2001.  As of August 2001, they have have restored 6 cemeteries with at least 2 more scheduled.  The Cemetery Commission meets once a month and conducts business.
    Perry None Per Donna Tauber, "no cemetery commission as the trustees actively maintain their township per county commissioners"
    Scott Active Contact:  John Robbins, Jr., County Cemetery Commission President
    1903 S. Finely Firehouse Road
    Scottsburg, IN  47170
    Budget of $21,768
    Sullivan Active Contact:  Harry Carpenter, County Cemetery Commissioner
    Hymera, IN
    812-383-4921
    Budget of $6,000
    Switzerland Inactive Possible Contacts:
  • Bill Olds, 68 Tardy Ford Rd., Vevay IN 47043; 812-427-3356
  • Dorothy Burley
  • These names have been provided us a possible contacts for the County Cemetery Commission in Switzerland County; not yet confirmed.
    Washington Active Richard Dixon Very active

    {"Pending" means discussions are underway with County Officials.}

    *
    To our knowledge, the remainder of the 92 counties in the state do not have Cemetery Commissions.


    Indiana Code 23-14-67 -- CARE OF CEMETERIES BY COUNTIES
    http://www.ai.org/legislative/ic/code/title23/ar14/ch67.html
    (emphasis added)

    Sec. 1. This chapter applies to cemeteries that:

      (1) are without funds or sources of funds for reasonable maintenance;
      (2) have suffered neglect and deterioration;
      (3) may be the burial grounds for Indiana pioneer leaders or veterans of an American war, including the Revolutionary War; and
      (4) were established before 1850.
    Sec. 2.
    (a) The board of commissioners of a county may appoint a county cemetery commission consisting of five (5) residents of the county.
    (b) The members of a county cemetery commission shall be appointed for a term of five (5) years. The board of county commissioners shall stagger the terms of the members to permit the appointment or a reappointment of one (1) commission member per year.

    Sec. 3. A county cemetery commission may request the levy of an annual tax for the purpose of restoring and maintaining one (1) or more cemeteries described in section 1 of this chapter that are located in the county. The tax may not exceed fifty cents ($0.50) on each one hundred dollars ($100) of assessed valuation of property in the county.

    Sec. 3.5.
    (a) Before March 1 of each year, a county cemetery commission shall file an annual report with the Indiana historical bureau established by IC 4-23-7-3.
    (b) An annual report filed under this section must include information on the following:

      (1) The budget of the county cemetery commission for the preceding calendar year.
      (2) Expenditures made by the county cemetery commission during the preceding calendar year.
      (3) Activities of the county cemetery commission during the preceding calendar year.
      (4) Plans of the county cemetery commission for the calendar year during which the report is filed.
    (c) The Indiana historical bureau shall make reports filed under this section available for public inspection under IC 5-14-3.

    Sec. 4. A county cemetery commission established under this chapter shall:

    (1) present an annual plan and budget; and
    (2) make an annual report;
    to the board of county commissioners and the county council for approval.


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