City of Rensselaer, Indiana

Weston Cemetery is a beautiful, tree-filled cemetery with the oldest sections on rolling hills encompassing some of the highest points of ground within the city limits. It is a traditional cemetery with burials facing east and monuments (headstones) being allowed and encouraged. The cemetery is bordered by Brookside Park on the north and the Iroquois River to the south. The cemetery's south side is divided into the east and west parcels by a scenic wrought iron bridge which spans Maxwell Creek. The south portion of the cemetery currently has approximately 7700 burials. The North addition is separated from the cemetery property by Lincoln Street/Bunkum Road. There were approximately 500 unsold spaces in the cemetery when the new addition of 16 acres was developed in 2002. The "North Addition" created an additional 8400 spaces and increased the overall land mass of the cemetery to approximately 42 acres. This allowed for an overall burial capacity within the cemetery of about 17,000 spaces.

Steeped in local history and the oldest continuously operating facility in Rensselaer, Weston Cemetery is the third oldest cemetery of the 58 recorded cemeteries within Jasper County. The first burial occurred on June 22 1841, (five years after the first settlers appeared in what is now Rensselaer). The owner of the original section of the cemetery; Dr. Henry Weston who was the son-in-law of the eventual city's namesake, gave the land to the City of Rensselaer in 1868. At the time the city platted the cemetery (1873) there were already about 200 recorded burials. In 1943, L.A. Bostwick platted the oldest and previously un-platted section of the cemetery and recorded the data found on tombstones at that time. His records show 25 burials in the 1840's, 93 in the 1850's, 82 in the 1860's and 14 in the 1870's prior to city platting. There are another 20 plus suspected burials during this period with no dates on the markers and perhaps another 30 plus with no markers found.

There are over 700 veterans buried in Weston Cemetery. Veteran burials encompass all wars beginning with the War of 1812. In Section A of the old section there is a row of Civil War veterans buried next to each other. This area is known to cemetery employees as "Civil War Row". The military ranks of those within Weston Cemetery range from General (two), to private/airman and seaman. The cemetery conducts memorial and veteran day ceremonies next to its veterans monument located in the North Addition each year. The cemetery also has a former Majority/Minority Leader of the Congressional House of Representatives laid to rest within its confines.

The cemetery has been added to numerous times, through the purchases or gifts to arrive to its current size. A board of trustees governed the cemetery until the 1980's at which time the board was dissolved and the City of Rensselaer assumed full responsibility of the cemetery operations.

Weston Cemetery employees are caring workforce who take great pride in its appearance and work diligently to ensure that all aspects of cemetery operations are observed. They are responsible for burials, lot sales, upkeep of the grounds, maintenance of equipment and compliance of city ordinances as outlined for cemetery operations. They are further willing to assist in genealogical research and gravesite location. Maps of the cemetery are available through the office.

Weston Cemetery is pleasant to the eyes and a tranquil/comfortable place to visit. Numerous assessable water faucets and trash receptacles are provided for your use. Many individuals choose to stroll, walk and jog through the cemetery on a daily basis. All roads are paved and parking is available.