CEDAR RAPIDS — Thirty-three years ago, Beth DeBoom’s mother was buried in Czech National Cemetery — the same place her Irish grandfather and Czech grandmother were laid to rest years ago.
DeBoom, 56, said she doesn’t visit “as often as I should,” but she drives by all the time to go to the nearby Hy-Vee on Wilson Avenue SW, “doing a little wave” to her late loved ones as she passes by. The cemetery, established in 1895, connects her not only to her family buried there, but to her Czech heritage.
“It’s such a beautiful example of our heritage and our community,” DeBoom said.
She used to take her children through this cemetery and read off the Czech names the way they’re supposed to be pronounced, DeBoom said — the way her grandmother taught her.
“It’s a lovely place,” DeBoom said. “I love all the names, and knowing how to pronounce them makes me feel so very Czech every time I’m there.”
But the historic cemetery at 2200 C St. SW where more than 9,300 people have been buried risks running out of funding by Aug. 1 to continue regular maintenance, namely mowing, though people could continue to be buried at the cemetery.
The volunteer-run cemetery board is looking for resources and benefactors to continue maintenance while exploring longer-term solutions to make the cemetery financially sustainable, Board President Matt Linn said.
Linn, who also owns nearby Brosh Chapel, said the cemetery has faced increasing financial headwinds in recent years because of rising maintenance costs and a nationwide decline in traditional burials. Expenses from the 2020 derecho damage also were a drag on the cemetery’s budget.
- Mowing costs make up about one-third of the annual operating budget for the 24-acre cemetery. Linn said it costs about $30,000 a year for mowing alone. Mowing expenses rose by 13 percent from 2022 to 2023, and are expected to continue to increase annually. The cemetery contracts for mowing and snow removal.
- Repairs and cleanup from the derecho affected the cemetery’s finances. Some of the damages were covered by insurance, but most tree cleanup was not. The cemetery lost more than 100 trees in the storm. Total costs for trimming, removal and stump grinding exceeded $100,000.
- As more people choose cremation nationwide, sales of plots and niches — aboveground locations where urns can be placed — have dropped.
The cemetery’s 990s for the 2022 tax year show it brought in $77,223 in revenue — down from $88,423 the prior year. Factoring in expenses, the cemetery lost $12,387 in 2022 and $27,149 in 2021.
“We cannot have it be unkept or not managed properly because the families that have been buried … they take great pride in the cemetery and that’s a very sensitive subject for them,” Linn said. “We’re trying our best to work out a solution financially that can help out the cemetery sustain itself.”
DeBoom, who learned of the cemetery’s financial situation from Linn, said she considered it a “preservation crisis.”
“It was a big surprise, because you bury a loved one there and you think that everything is going to be taken care of,” DeBoom said. “It was definitely a wake-up call … The problems that they’re having can be addressed. It’s not a dire situation. $40,000 annually isn’t a lot of money.”
The annual budget falls between $30,000 and $50,000, Linn said. Future possibilities the board has explored to grow revenue include offering different burial opportunities such as a cremation garden or allowing pet burials, but those would cost money to develop. Another possibility was expanding naming rights so people could donate to name benches or streets within the cemetery.
The cemetery is looking to raise $200,000 in 2024. Donations would cover:
- Grounds maintenance: Annual costs for mowing alone in 2023 were $27,000 — one-third of operating expenses.
- Continued derecho recovery: The cemetery looks to continue replenishing the tree canopy lost in the derecho.
- Upcoming expenses: Road resurfacing and larger repairs to the cemetery’s 1997 Dodge Ram.
- General operating costs: Regular maintenance and overhead costs such as insurance, utilities, etc.
How to donate
The Czech National Cemetery, a 501(c)(13) nonprofit, is collecting donations to build its funds for maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery. Here’s how to give:
By check, in person or by mail:
Czech National Cemetery
2200 C St. SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
By credit card, in person or online:
www.Czech-National-Cemetery.com
“When it’s completely out (of money), that’s been an unknown, what happens,” Linn said. “We’re taking an active role and trying to make sure that it sustains itself because as a funeral home, our interest is not to run the cemetery, own the cemetery.”
People often walk through the cemetery to visit their loved ones, sometimes stopping by Brosh Chapel for help to find a plot.
“It’s a quiet place,” Linn said. “I just don’t want to see it look disheveled at all.”
Comments: (319) 398-8494; [email protected]
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Cedar Rapids’ Czech National Cemetery risks running out of money by August. Here’s how to help.:
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