County plans memorial scatter site at Amery Prairie View Cemetery for unclaimed cremains

Polk County Community Services Director Tanya Eichlton told the County Board of Supervisors on July 15 that staff have identified Amery Prairie View Cemetery as a site to receive the cremains of unclaimed Polk County residents after the statutorily required holding period. Eichlton said the scatter-site program is intended “to give back to the community members, who truly have no other option,” and to provide a respectful final disposition for people whose next of kin cannot be found. The program would use a small plot at the county-owned Amery Prairie View Cemetery, near the former county poor farm. Eichlton said the site contains about 28 unmarked crosses and four headstones; she cited one headstone bearing the name John McAdams with a date of death of 03/27/1883. The county researched deed and historical records and chose the name Amery Prairie View Cemetery for the project. Staff described features already planned or installed at the site: a donated headstone purchased through Melgaard Monuments at a discounted price, a bench built by an Amery School District technical-education student, and a sign mounted with help from the county highway department. Eichlton said the county is developing an online database that will list name, date of death and town of burial for people scattered at the site to help family members searching for remains. Eichlton described the process for transferring unclaimed remains: funeral homes will retain cremains for 60 days while staff exhaust measures to locate next of kin; if unclaimed after that period, the county will assume responsibility, the medical examiner will authorize cremation, and the county chaplain will be asked to conduct a small service before scattering and recording the disposition. Eichlton said, “The use of the plot will be rare. It's not an alternative to a burial for family members. It is truly for those unclaimed, dissidents.” She also noted a legal distinction: unidentified persons who remain John or Jane Doe are not eligible for scattering because those remains may need to be exhumed for future forensic work. Eichlton said the deed lists the Environmental Services Committee as the official owner of the property; a nearby resident has volunteered to maintain the grounds under an authorization letter from the county. She told the board the county currently has one unclaimed cremain since 2023 that would fall under the program. No formal vote or ordinance was taken on the presentation; staff presented the plan for the board’s information and thanked contractors and local partners who contributed to the site work.