Cemetery Stewards

Glendale, Oak Grove, Sims, Laurel Hill, Woodland  and St. Ambrose Cemeteries

Enjoy the peace and serenity of your historic surroundings while maintaining and preserving monuments and plots as a volunteer steward of Des Moines' cemeteries. Picking up litter, trimming around monuments, cutting back dead flowers, and monitoring for holes, sunken grave stones and vandalism are some of the small tasks to complete on a monthly or weekly basis depending on the block you choose. Blocks range from ¼ acre to an acre. Schedule a regular time that works best for you, your family or your group. Training and supplies are provided. For more information, call (515) 248-6320.

Cemetery Information

Glendale Cemetery  Please call Glendale Cemetery office at 515-248-6320 for price information.

Laurel Hill Cemetery  Please call Glendale Cemetery office at 515-248-6320 for price information.

Removal of Cemetery Decorations

On July 1,  Park and Recreation staff will begin removing all memorial decorations that have been placed on gravesites in Des Moines Municipal Cemeteries over the summer.  Friends and relatives who have decorated gravesites with items they would like to keep must remove them by no later than Sunday, June 30, 2013, or they will be discarded.  This pertains to all Des Moines Municipal Cemeteries locations:

• Glendale – 4909 University Ave.
• Woodland and Saint Ambrose – 2019 Woodland Ave.
• Laurel Hill – 3601 East Court Ave.
• Oak Grove – 3903 SW 31st St.
• Sims – 3605 East University Ave.
• Elm Grove – 6501 Indianola Rd.

Materials remaining on gravesites on July 1, will be discarded.  Cemetery staff will complete the clearing of materials by July 27.  After this date , visitors can place decorations, which will remain in place until the fall cleanup begins the week of October 1, 2013.  For more information pertaining to any of these locations, contact the Des Moines Muncipal Cemetery Customer Service and Sales Office at 515-248-6320 or
  cem@dmgov.org.