Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
RECEIVING VAULT
RECEIVING VAULT. The receiving vault was a building constructed at a cemetery for the storage of bodies when the ground was too frozen to dig graves with the limited equipment available in pioneer days. Some families chose to hold the funeral services in the vault. At the time of the funeral service, it was fortunate that many coffins had a pane of glass over the face of the deceased. This made it possible to confirm the identity of the deceased. A wooden panel then covered the glass.
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Source:
Mary Christopher and Rowley, Mike, Woodland Cemetery in Des Moines--A History, The History Press, Des Moines, 2024, p. 52
