Pioneer Cemetery Commission agrees to maintain Eastman Cemetery after county‑attorney review; Boy Scout to mow

The Clayton County Pioneer Cemetery Commission agreed on April 11 that it will assume responsibility for maintenance of Eastman Cemetery after County Attorney Zach Herrmann’s written guidance was reported to the commission.

Bruce Collins told the commission that Herrmann “wrote ‘No one knows exactly who owns the cemetery,’” and that Herrmann cited sections of the Iowa Code to support the view that the Pioneer Cemetery Commission is responsible for maintenance. Collins also reported that Herrmann found no recorded easement documents but said the commission would have “good legal ground to obtain an easement if it was needed,” according to Collins’s summary of the attorney’s note.

The issue arose because no mowing or other maintenance was performed at Eastman Cemetery during the 2025 season. Paul Young reported that Boy Scout troop member Ethan Pitzer will mow the cemetery; the commission agreed to reimburse Pitzer for mileage and other out‑of‑pocket expenses incurred for the project. The minutes do not record a formal vote tally for that decision.

Next steps recorded in the minutes include the commission assuming maintenance responsibility going forward and not pursuing easement matters at this time, since access has not been a problem. The county‑attorney citations to the Iowa Code were reported but the minutes note the specific code sections as "various sections" and do not list exact citations.