(A) Government furnished headstones.
(1) Headstones, as furnished by the government, shall be set on the centerline at the head of the grave with the inscription facing the grave. All headstones shall be set 22 inches above the ground. It being further understood that no other type except the government regulation headstone shall be allowed. The spouse’s headstone shall be an exact duplicate of the government headstone.
(2) Interment shall be limited to that of the remains of one person on each space.
(3) Each headstone shall only contain information specific to the individual who is interred there.
(B) Ornamentation.
(1) Permitted ornamentations. The following are permitted on the gravesite: one flower arrangement, fresh or artificial, with a diameter not to exceed the width of the military marker and/or the height of the military marker. In lieu of a flower arrangement, one living plant, in a pot, not to exceed the width of the military marker is permissible. This flower arrangement or potted plant must be placed in front of the military marker. A gravesite may be allowed more than one flower arrangement or living potted plant under the following circumstances:
(a) Memorial Day: permissible 15 days prior to Memorial Day and must be removed no later than 15 days after Memorial Day; and
(b) Interment: must be removed no later than 21 days after interment.
(2) Yuletide wreaths and flags. Yuletide wreaths are permitted beginning the Friday after Thanksgiving and must be removed no later than March 1 of each year. Yuletide wreaths do not count as the one permissible flower arrangement allowed. Only United States flags are to be displayed and may not exceed 12 inches by 18 inches in size. The flagstaff may not exceed 36 inches.
(3) Prohibited ornamentations. The following items are not permitted on the gravesite: permanent plantings, vigil lights, breakable items (e.g., glass/ceramic vases), balloons, toys, stuffed animals, shepherd’s hooks, saddle decorations or similar devices, other similar commemorative items or markers and/or items degrading to the United States of America and a military burial site.
(C) Military personnel; burial. All soldiers, sailors, marines, coast guard, air corps, WAVES, WACS, WAFS and marine auxiliary who reside in or have resided in the city may be buried in the burial grounds as set aside for this purpose; provided, they qualify under one of the following provisions:
(1) If death occurs while in active service;
(2) If the person has served in the military or naval forces of the United States in any war, the dates of which are recognized and retained by the county’s Commission of Veterans Affairs and stipulated in Iowa Code § 35.1, and such service was for at least 90 days and received an honorable discharge; and
(3) If the person is in service at least 90 days and serves during a war in which the United States may in the future be engaged and is honorably discharged.
(D) Spouses.
(1) The spouse of a deceased qualified person, who is buried in the area provided in division (C) above may also be buried in a separate grave next to his or her spouse. In the event the spouse of a qualified person precedes the qualified person in death, the spouse may be buried in the area reserved under division (C) above; provided, the qualified person is 60 years of age or over, and gives assurance that he or she will eventually be buried in the grave next to where the spouse is buried.
(2) The foot of the graves shall be towards the center of the circle.
(3) The production of the honorable discharge of the deceased shall be sufficient for the Cemetery Superintendent to permit the interment.
(Ord. C-167, passed 8-3-1993; Ord. C-386, passed 9-2-2003; Ord. C-408, passed 11-3-2004; Ord. C-434, passed 5-1-2006; Ord. C-456, passed 9-18-2007)