West Des Moines, IA

Jordan Cemetery, 2950 Fuller Road

Historic Jordan Cemetery was founded by one of Polk County's earliest settlers, James C. Jordan, who arrived in Polk County in 1846 and homesteaded in the area of the cemetery.

Initially the cemetery may have been planned as a family burial area, or for burials of members of pioneer families who died on their way westward. Grave markers in the cemetery indicated that one of the first burials occurred in 1855 when Melinda Jordan, James C. Jordan's first wife died. Jordan, described as "one of the leading farmers of interior Iowa," served as a state senator and state representative.

Records show that Jordan deeded the cemetery land to a cemetery association to administer. In 1920 the association voted to ask Valley Junction - - as West Des Moines then was called - - to provide funds to help maintain the cemetery. The cemetery is now managed by the City of West Des Moines Parks & Recreation Department. Monuments in the cemetery today contain the names of members of some of the West Des Moines area's earliest and most prominent residents.

Burial plots are available for purchase in the newer western part of the cemetery.  For more information please call 515-222-3444 or email parkrec@wdm.iowa.gov.

• Burials and burial plots currently available for purchase can be found by clicking on the following weblink. https://burialsearch.com/Cemetery.
  
  
• Jordan Cemetery Rules and Regulations
  
  
• Want to know more about the history of Jordan Cemetery?  Click here for a historical "self-guided tour" brochure

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