Rules & Regulations

It is the desire of the City of Newton to continue to make Union Cemetery and Memorial Park Cemetery a quiet, beautiful place and a symbol of love and faith. To this end and for the mutual protection of the interment rights of others, the following rules and regulations have been adopted by the City Council of the City of Newton, Iowa, as the rules and regulations of Union Cemetery and Memorial Park Cemetery.

It is the duty of the City of Newton to preserve the rights conferred on them under the laws of the State of Iowa for insuring the stability of improvements, the orderly upkeep of the grounds, a respectful manner of interment, and proper observance of the sacredness of the Cemetery.

The City reserves, at its option, to temporarily suspend or modify any rule or regulation; and such temporary suspension or modification shall not be construed as affecting the general application and enforcement of such rules. 

Click here to view the full Cemetery Rules & Regulations.

  1. Floral Decorations, Plantings & Other Decorative Items
  2. Marker/Monument Regulations
  3. Lot Sales or Transfers
  1. Clean-up Times will be: The 1st full week of April and the 1st full week of October weather permitting. During this clean-up City Cemetery staff will remove all cemetery decorations that have been placed on burial spaces. If you’ve placed decorations you want to keep you must remove them prior to the dates listed above. All decorations not permanently attached to a headstone or the foundation left after the start of clean-up will be removed and thrown out. Once clean-up week is over decorations may be placed again until the next removal period.
  2. Flower Regulations: Fresh cut flowers and artificial bouquets set into the permanent containers/vases on the foundations will be permitted at all times. Flowers/bouquets will be removed when they become unsightly. Flowers stuck in the ground are not permitted. The City assumes no liability for damage to fresh flowers and plants caused by periodic spraying of weeds, mowing or trimming.
  3. Permanent containers/vases must be made of granite, bronze or aluminum only and permanently attached to the base of the foundation. No glass containers allowed. No permanent vases allowed in designated Veteran’s Blocks.
  4. No plantings of trees, bushes, flowers or any other live plants on or around the burial space.
  5. No benches, hedges, fences, landscape edging or enclosures of any kind on or around burial plots.
  6. The placing of toys, boxes, ornaments, and similar items may ONLY be placed on the foundation of the monument and must be permanently attached. Glass objects are not permitted. Items can be no more than 12” in height and are limited to 2 items per monument.
  7. A metal, single stem flag holder no more than 30 inches above ground surface is allowed if placed adjacent to the foundation. Flags can be placed in the flag holders and shall not extend more than 36 inches above the ground surface. 
  8. A single shepherd’s hook, no more than 42 inches in height, may be placed immediately adjacent to the foundation with one hanging basket allowed. The cemetery will not maintain hanging baskets or urns of plants.
  9. No flowers, wreaths, plantings or other objects allowed on or at base of columbarium at any time.
  10. Artificial wreaths and evergreen blankets are permitted between November 1st and the first clean-up of each calendar year which occurs the first full week in April.
  11. The City of Newton assumes no responsibility for the loss or damage of any floral decorations, other memorials or their containers and reserves the right to remove items not in compliance with regulations.