T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY The 2026 Riverside Cemetery calendar featuring local photographs captured at the Marshalltown landmark is now available for sale. The first place winner from the cemetery’s contest, “Blossom Getting Ready for a Date with Frankie” by Kathy Holdsworth, is the January photo.

When Kelly Schott took over as general manager at Riverside Cemetery back in January, one of the first things she launched was a yearly photo contest. The fruits of that labor have now been turned into a 2026 calendar featuring photographs taken at the cemetery, in all seasons and via a variety of creative influences. It is now available for purchase, quantities limited.

The contest ran through the fall, with cemetery staff and board members reviewing the entries.

“We got like 30 or 40 photos turned in. People were allowed three photos each,” Schott said. “We had wildlife. Some taken at the mausoleum, some abstract. We had some older photos turned in. We had just a huge variety. It was fabulous to see.”

First, second and third place winners got to have their photos used for the January, February and March pages, respectively. First place receives $100, second place $75 and third place $50.

The calendar breaks down as follows:

• (First place) January: “Blossom Getting Ready For a Date With Frankie” by Kathy Holdsworth

• (Second place) February: “Elk at Sunrise” by Steve Steward

• (Third place) March: “Mausoleum” by Walt Huffaker

• April: “Cross at Sunrise” by Steve Steward

• May: “Yawning Goslings” by Teri Shetler

• June: “Geese in a Row” by Rhonda Boyd

• July: “Enjoying a Summer Day at the Lake” by Kathy Woodward

• August: “Great Blue Heron” by Trent Christensen

• September: “Geese at Sunrise” by Mike Brennecke

• October: “Fall at the Lake” by Ron Cook

• November: “Fall at the Fountain” by Teri Shetler

• December: “Swan” by Steve Steward

“Several (photos) were taken of Blossom, and we lost her earlier this year,” she noted.

Contributors ranged in age (students to elderly), type of camera, black and white and color images, and what inspired them.

“It was nice to see people actually coming out to the cemetery and visiting and taking pictures, enjoying Riverside because of all its beauty and being part of the community,” she said.

The photo contest and accompanying calendar will be offered yearly.

Schott asks that people do not submit photos of moments of grief and/or those taken during memorial services.

She said that the photo contest was a trip down memory lane for some participants, particularly hearing tales of people learning how to drive along the winding roads of the cemetery. For others, the cemetery has become a refuge from the stressors of everyday life.

“Riverside is not just a cemetery; it seems to be a part of the community where the community can come out, kind of take a deep breath and relax, and kind of step away from all of the day-to-day activities that go on in our lives that sometimes bring us down and are heavy,” she said.

Calendars are $20 each. All proceeds go directly toward feeding the birds at Riverside. Submissions to the 2026 photo contest (and 2027 calendar) open Jan. 1. Photos can be emailed, mailed or brought into the office.

“I will say that having the prints on hand is nicer, because then we get a better quality. We have gone out and made prints so that we can get a really clear photo,” she said. “But it’s not a requirement.”

Judges do not see the entries until the review takes place all at once, with winners announced in October. Schott said a committee of people not affiliated with Riverside would likely judge the next contest.

Calendars can be mailed for three dollars. To learn more, the cemetery may be reached at 641-753-7891. Entries for the photo contest can be sent via email to: frontdesk@rsc50158.org.