As a veteran himself, Anderson Funeral Homes Owner and Funeral Home Director Jody Anderson has always held a special place in his heart for those who serve. So when he purchased the Rose Hill Cemetery along Iowa Avenue East last June, he knew he wanted to do something special with the 1942 Howitzer on the property.

Just over a year later, Anderson has put north of $100,000 into improving the cemetery — including at least $60,000 toward new roads — and he partnered up with local military equipment enthusiast Doug Betts of Albion to restore the Howitzer, which was used in Italy during WWII and later repatriated back to the U.S., to something closely resembling its former glory. When Betts inquired about the possibility of working on it, Anderson didn’t think twice about saying yes.

On Friday afternoon, in partnership with Marshall County Veterans Affairs and the combined VFW/American Legion Honor Guard, a rededication ceremony was held to officially celebrate all of the work that went into the project.

“This Howitzer, the reason we’re here today, was deteriorating, basically laying on its side with rotted wheels up by the office,” Anderson said.

The rededication was extra special for Paul Heckman, a local veteran who was present for the original dedication on Nov. 11, 1961, and he was invited back over 60 years later to see the new and improved Howitzer. Heckman and Jean Huseboe, who has worked at the cemetery since 2008, were just a few of the people who had hoped to see the Howitzer restored someday.

The brief ceremony, which ran around seven minutes, featured a prayer, brief remarks from Anderson and Betts, a 21-gun salute from the combined Honor Guard, the customary playing of “Taps” and a raising of the U.S., Iowa and POW/MIA flags. Betts joked that it wasn’t always an easy job, but it was undoubtedly worth it in the end.

“I’m used to working on trucks and old cars, and you don’t go down to the local hardware store and get Howitzer parts,” he said.

As he noted in a subsequent interview, however, Betts didn’t go into the restoration worried about how much it would cost or how he would get the parts. He just made it happen, and he had a great partner throughout the process.

“Jody is the perfect person to work for because he said ‘Do it,’ and that was all I needed,” Betts said. “I’ve been around this for a long time and am known in the community for it, so I think he knew it would be right when it was done.”

With a fresh coat of paint, Betts said the Howitzer is “a trifle darker” than he would’ve preferred — more Korea colors than WWII colors — but he’s confident it will fade back to the correct shade over time.

Looking forward, Anderson, who co-owns the funeral home along with partner and fellow funeral director Brandon Lenehan, sees Rose Hill as more than just a place where people are buried. He knows families who regularly stop by just to eat lunch, and he has a bigger vision for its future.

“We want it to almost be a park-like atmosphere,” Anderson said. “We’ve got a lot of things we want to do to make it more than just a cemetery.”

Betts also plans to showcase the Howitzer at parades in the future, including during the upcoming Oktemberfest in Marshalltown. He’s also on the hunt for a Hotchkiss anti-tank gun, if any T-R readers have one or know where to find one.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.