| Historic Western Lutheran Cemetery |
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(now Delmar), and Zion on 21st and Benton started Western Lutheran Cemetery. It was not uncommon for churches to start cemeteries, usually for their own members. Lutherans started cemeteries for the same reason they started parochial schools--to provide for the needs of their members from the cradle to the grave. Eventually Zion was bought out, and Immanuel took over sole ownership of the cemetery, and then actually moved the church to the land immediately next to it. In recent years care of the cemetery has become more of a burden for the small congregation. An effort was made in the 1990's to form a corporation composed of some of the agencies started by Pastor Buenger. That corporation went defunct after several years. Small as it is, Immanuel congregation feels a responsibility to care for the graves of the 1,500 or so dead saints who are buried there, including Johann Buenger and Franz Pieper. The question that is also asked is, Can the cemetery still be used for burials? There is the problem. No one will bury a loved one in a place that will not be maintained perpetually. The guarantee of maintenance of Western Lutheran Cemetery is difficult for a small congregation that is barely keeping its head above water financially. Immanuel invites the Lutheran community locally and across the country to join us in this exciting 10-year project. Become part of one or all of the three phases: |
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| The entrance to the cemetery on Ashland Avenue. The cemetery is one block square in size. |
| The grave of J.F. Buenger is in the cemetery decorated with plastic flowers. |
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| 2. Community Work Project |
| 3. Green Cemetery |
| 1. $100,000 Endowment |
