St. John Lutheran Church

Cemetery Accounts

 

            With the increase in the amount invested in CD’s for the Cemetery Fund, it has been questioned through the years, “How much of the interest money may be spent on other Church related items?”  Entering the last 20 months of my ministry at St. John, I thought that it would be helpful to research the investments to the Cemetery Fund and to relate the intention of those who have given.

            In 1985 Mrs. Minnie Wiegert began the Cemetery Fund with an initial gift of $5,000.00.  This money was placed in a CD designated Cemetery Trust #1.  The intentions of Mrs. Wiegert were that the interest from this CD would help pay for cemetery upkeep—mowing, weeding, trimming and the like.

            In 1995 the will of Mr. Fred Wachs gave $1,500.00 to Cemetery Trust #1 for the same purpose as Mrs. Wiegert had stipulated.

            On March 14, 1996 the CD for Cemetery Trust #1 was issued for $15,000.00.  The interest from the original CD, Mr. Wachs’ donation, and other donations must have brought the total to this amount. I recollect that there was also a $5,000.00 gift from Wilfred Zier estate at this time for the Cemetery Trust #1.  This would be included in the above $15,000.00 CD.

            In 1998 the Cemetery Accounts were put under the umbrella of the Memorial/Endowment Fund.  On December 21, 1998 $12,500.00 was given to the Cemetery Fund from the estate of Mr. & Mrs. Bernard (Olga Buttenhoff) Zientarski with the stipulation that it be used for the same purposes as stipulated in Cemetery Trust #1.  This amount was placed into a CD.  On February 25, 1999 the Zientarski estate gave $23,750.00 to the Cemetery Fund with the same stipulations.  This money was also placed into a CD.  On June 28, 1999 $500.00 was given as a memorial for Chris Wiegert.  This was later added to a former CD.  On September 9, 1999, the Minnie Wiegert estate gave another $5,000.00 for Cemetery Trust #1.   On October 11, 1999 the final distribution of the Zientarski estate gave the Cemetery Fund $234.30 to be used as the above gifts.  In December of 1999 and January of 2000 $585.00 was given in memory of Daniel Kruse.  In June of 2000 $1,000.00 was given in memory of Martha Achterberg, whose immediate family is no longer in Lincoln County.  In December of 2003 there was an anonymous gift of  $665.08 and in December 2004 another gift of $295.18.  In December of 2005 a memorial of $100.00 was given in memory of Walter Kruckenberg and another anonymous gift of $100.00 was given in June of 2006.

            When all of the bequests, estate gifts, initial Cemetery Trust  #1 CD, interest from all of these, plus, the gifts of $10.00 to $100.00 and more by individuals over the years.  There is very little, if any money that could be used for other purposes, according to Cemetery Trust #1, the wishes of those who have given through estates, and the general donor.

            At the present time all of the interest from the Cemetery Savings Account and the CD’s must go to the upkeep, maintenance, etc. of the cemetery.

            This information was gleaned from the records, wills, Cemetery Savings account ledger, estate information and the like.  Reported this 12th day of December, 2006, by Pastor Gerald T. Radtke, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church beginning September 1974.