Apr 12, 2021
There might be a chance Riverside Cemetery could get some help from FEMA for paying for derecho-related damages.
After the Times-Republican covered the denial on April 8, Riverside Cemetery General Manager Dorie Tammen received a call from the Iowa Homeland Security office, explaining why the cemetery was denied funding. She said he told her there might be a chance to appeal and reverse the decision if Riverside could prove the value of the historical location as something more than just a cemetery.
Tammen posted on the Riverside Facebook page asking for people to send letters about their experiences in the cemetery — fishing in the pond, feeding the birds, going for walks and on picnics, sitting in the infamous Death Chair and more – to prove Riverside is more like a city park.