Oak Hill Cemetery Association working to raise money to repair historic Cedar Rapids site

The Oak Hill Cemetery Association is working to raise money for repairs at the historic Cedar Rapids site.

A goal of $20 per burial has been set. That means with 11,575 known burials on the property, the overall goal is $231,500.

'The maintenance of the cemetery is the primary motivating factor for us,” said Carl Thoresen, cemetery superintendent.

Funds raised will go toward fixing roads, taking down trees, tearing down the deteriorated caretaker's house, improving the maintenance garage and restoring the entrance wall and gate.

'Cemeteries are truly guardians of our heritage,” said John Linge, president of the cemetery board of directors.

Jane Thoresen said a little more than $17,000 had already been raised by the end of June.

'We'd like to see all of that happen by the end of five years,” said Jane Thoresen, a volunteer at the cemetery.

Carl Thoresen said the cemetery's designation as a 501(c)(13) instead of a 501(c)(3) excludes it from being eligible for a lot of grant money.

Although the cemetery is essentially landlocked, Carl Thoresen said the cemetery is active and still a viable business. He said on average, there are 25 to 30 burials there per year and enough space for about 150 years' worth of burials. There are approximately 32 acres of ground in the cemetery, he added.

The cemetery, first established in 1854, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Many historical figures intricately tied to Cedar Rapids History are buried there, including the Douglas family, who once resided in the Brucemore estate.

'We're just sort of a melting pot of Cedar Rapids and American history,” Jane Thoresen said, adding that many of the burials are in some ways relevant to current events. 'It's pretty much a who's who of business and industry leaders of the area.”

One of the projects the money will go toward is a facility where workers can meet with families, Carl Thoresen said.

'That way we can work with families and their needs much better than we can now,” Carl Thoresen said.

The caretaker's house would not be rebuilt after being demolished.

'The whole thing's tilting,” Jane Thoresen said about the structure. 'The (cemetery board of directors) pulled the plug on it.”