Plains Folk: In Search of Iron Crosses

NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

October 29, 1998

Plains Folk: In Search of Iron Crosses

Tom Isern, Professor of History
North Dakota State University

Please don't think me morbid if I say that I intend to spend much of the next year or so prowling cemeteries. It all has to do with a piece of work for the State Historical Society of North Dakota—identifying and surveying cemeteries containing iron cross grave markers.

These treasures of Great Plains "folklife" are getting fairly well known across North Dakota. People know that in localities peopled by Germans from Russia, graveyards are likely to contain iron cross markers fashioned by local blacksmiths and exhibiting distinctive designs and traditional symbols.

German-Russian folk long have recognized these objects of funerary art as a cultural legacy, but much of the broader public awareness comes from the work of North Dakota State University Professor Tim Kloberdanz. About 10 years ago he surveyed iron cross cemeteries in the German-Russian heartland east of the Missouri River. As a result, 23 of them were placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The reason for re-opening the survey now is to broaden its coverage. To begin with, we know that other ethnic groups besides Germans from Russia have iron cross cemeteries. I've seen wonderful collections of iron crosses in cemeteries of Germans from Hungary and also in those of Ukrainian settlements. Judging from what I've seen in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, I expect to find iron crosses in Métis and French cemeteries too.

Furthermore, there are iron crosses of another sort in Bohemian, or Czech, cemeteries. These are cast iron crosses made in foundries, including one in Mandan and also other shops in other states. They marketed the grave markers through catalogs, newspaper ads and ethnic lodges.

The cast iron markers made by Charles Andera of Spillville, Iowa, are known and celebrated in many states. My old friend Loren Horton of the Iowa State Historical Society says he has found Andera crosses in several North Dakota sites.

I've said on many occasions, including to the governor, that I have the best job in North Dakota, and as I contemplate the opportunity to catalog these objects of folk art and get to know many more people and communities on the northern plains, I'll say it again. At the same time I'm daunted, because there are scores, perhaps hundreds, of cemeteries to consider, hundreds of miles apart.

Help, please. If you know of cemeteries containing iron cross grave markers, and you don't know for sure whether they were covered in the previous survey, I'd sure like to hear from you. It would be helpful to have names and locations (legals or directions) for such sites. It would be particularly helpful also to have leads to people who have background knowledge of the cemeteries or of the craftsmen who fashioned the crosses.

You can write me. My mailing address is Tom Isern, Minard Hall 412C, NDSU, Fargo ND 58105-5075. You can call me at 701-231-8339. Or, you can e-mail me at isern@plains.nodak.edu.

What's likely to come of this? First, knowledge about this cultural treasure of the northern plains will be accumulated in the files of the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Second, it's possible that additional cemeteries will be nominated for the National Register of Historic Places.

Let me close with two assurances. We recognize at the outset that these cemeteries are sacred sites, deserving of not only respect but also reverence. We know, moreover, that people are concerned about the safety of the cemeteries. That's why the survey will not disseminate any specific information about sites and locations. The documentation of iron crosses is intended to safeguard them, not threaten them.

So say hello if you see me four-wheeling up your section road this winter.

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Source: Tom Isern (701) 231-8339

Editor: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136