Reinbeck Cemetery Infancy Section
Information
Who is it for?
Any family from the Reinbeck community going through the tragedy of a miscarriage, still birth, or infant loss under 6 months old that wishes to bury the remains of their departed child.
Who do you contact?
You can contact St. John’s directly and we will do everything we can to walk with you through this heartbreaking experience. You may also reach out to any of the funeral homes listed in this pamphlet.
Why an infancy section?
We offer this opportunity in our community as a way to serve families who are suffering through a terribly sad experience by reducing costs and simplifying details. Rather than the expense and hassle of buying a whole plot and your own headstone, we are able to provide the closure of burial at a very reasonable cost through a simplified process. These families receive the peace of knowing their child’s body is resting safe until the day Jesus Christ comes to raise it in the Great Resurrection of the Last Day, and the only decision they have to make is the name of their child.
General Procedures
These plots are designated for the burial of remains in a casket or ashes in an urn only. No spreading of ashes. In order to assure 4 burials in each plot, infants must be 6 months or younger.
For the sake of unity, nothing can be added to the inscription besides child’s name, child’s date(s), and parents’ names.
Since St. John’s does own these plots, any burial must be coordinated with the church, no matter what funeral home you are using.
COSTS
Burial Space in Plot
FREE - this is our gift to you!
Opening/Closing Fee
The city has agreed to reduce their fees to open and close the space for burials.
$100 on weekdays.
$150 on weekends or holidays.
Name on the Tombstone
In order to help keep costs as low as possible, the church has agreed to pay half of this fee for each family. Blackhawk Memorial out of Cedar Falls will add the inscription of your child’s information to the tombstone. They charge per character, so each situation will vary. Simply bring us a copy of the invoice from Blackhawk Memorial after they have completed the inscription, and we will send them half of the cost toward your account.
Inscription
Child’s Name
Child’s Date(s)
Parents’ Names
Funeral Homes willing to work with you:
Abels Funeral Home
Dike, Eldora, Grundy Center, Reinbeck, and Wellsburg
abelsfuneralhomes.com
(319)-824-3319
Locke Funeral Services
Waterloo and La Porte City
lockefuneralsevices.com
(319)-233-6138
Tombstone Inscription:
Black Hawk Memorial
5325 University Ave
Cedar Falls, IA 50613
blackhawkmemorial.com
(319)-266-0282
Other Resources
Awakening Grace
Encouraging families enduring the loss of a child during pregnancy or infancy to grieve bravely, heal gently, and remember boldly.
Orange City, Sheldon, and Leighton, IA
awakeninggracefoundation.org
awakeninggracefoundation@gmail.com
Heaven’s Gain Ministries
Heaven’s Gain Ministries’ mission is to provide for the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of families experiencing pregnancy loss before, during, and after the delivery of their precious baby.
This ministry offers miscarriage and infant caskets and vaults.
heavensgain.org
(513)-888-4200
Helpful Books
Never Forsaken by Kathryn Ziegler Weber
Our Story:
In 2023, Pastor Kevin Richter and his wife Dauli were pregnant with their second child. At 12 weeks, they found out the baby had medical issues. By 14 weeks, there was no heart beat. They found out she was a girl and named her Clemmie Tovah. After their miscarriage, they wanted to have a service for Clemmie as well as a place to bury her. The service was held at St. John's on August 20, 2023.
For a burial place, the Richter family worked with the church, the city, and community members to begin an infancy section in the Reinbeck Cemetery.
Jim Grupp donated two plots to the Richter family. St. John's agreed to take ownership of the plots and manage this ministry. The city agreed to allow four burials per plot and reduce their costs of opening and closing for burials.
St. John's voters approved paying for the headstones as well as half of any future inscription costs for each family.
Alan Bauchman took the photo for the front cover of the informational pamphlet that can now be found at local Funeral homes and churches.
This ministry reminds us that our gracious God loves all children, no matter how young, even those in utero. We are all Jesus' little lambs as displayed on the top of the tombstones.