Pioneer Cemetery volunteers seek same funding after ground-penetrating radar finds unmarked burials

The Winneshiek County Pioneer Cemetery Commission told supervisors on Jan. 3 that volunteers continued site maintenance through tree removal and mower operations, and that a recent ground-penetrating radar project at several pioneer cemeteries identified what appear to be unmarked burials.

Janelle Culberson, representing the commission, said volunteers removed wind-damaged trees and that a Luther College anthropology team performed GPS mapping and radar scans that revealed burial features not marked by headstones. Culberson said the commission did not conduct excavations to confirm the radar readings and noted that only a shovel-proof excavation would prove a find, which the commission did not undertake.

The commission said it gave mower operators a pay increase last year and asked the board to provide the same funding level as the prior year to support ongoing maintenance. Culberson said the work keeps cemeteries accessible and preserves records that otherwise may have been lost after churches and records were destroyed.

Supervisors thanked the volunteers for the work and acknowledged interest in the commission’s projects, including a planned restoration at the Saint Bridget’s cemetery site. The commission indicated it would follow up with a written summary and can provide the full scan report on request.