Mount Calvary Cemetery (Dubuque)

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Mount Calvary Cemetery is one of the two main cemeteries for Catholics in the Dubuque, Iowa area. The cemetery is located at 1111 Davis St, Dubuque, Iowa. It is in the northern part of the city. The cemetery is located near two other cemeteries - St. John's Cemetery, and Linwood Cemetery.

The cemetery offers regular burial and mausoleum entombment. It also has lawn crypts. Mt. Calvary has an area set aside for the burial of cremated remains, and also maintains columbarium niches in its original chapel space.

[edit] History

On July 19, 1861 William Rumpf and Herman Bruening sold five acres of land to the Dubuque Diocese in order to establish a cemetery for German immigrants. For the next three years this cemetery served the members of Holy Trinity (now St. Mary's) Church.

In 1864, in response to the increasing size of the German community in Dubuque, the present St. Mary's Church was constructed. The cemetery was then called St. Mary's Cemetery. It mainly served the parishoners of St. Mary's Church as well as other German Catholics living in the area. The pastor of St. Mary's also directed the operation of the cemetery. After the population explosion of the late 19th century, St. Mary's was eventually divided into several other parishes (Sacred Heart, the second Holy Trinity, Holy Ghost, and Nativity) to handle the increased population. The cemetery then became the primary burial location for the members of these new parishes as well.

In 1902 the cemetery changed its name to Mount Calvary Cemetery. The Calvary Cemetery Association was incorporated at this time to oversee the cemetery. Dubuque Archbishop John Keane gave the Association a warranty deed to the property on April 5, 1902. Over time the Association has purchased surrounding lands - which resulted in the cemetery growing in size to over 40 acres (16 ha).

In the 1960's, the Regina Caeli chapel and the Resurrection Garden mausoleum were built near the cemetery entrance. The old chapel, which is situated near the center of the cemetery, was eventually converted into a space to hold columbarium niches.