Samuel Dodds, one of Lena’s first settlers designated the area and the plans for a town cemetery in 1854. In 1866, the cemetery was officially transferred to village ownership when Lena was incorporated. After land additions to the north and east, it became the 27-acre cemetery that is known as Lena Burial Park. The cemetery is under the jurisdiction of a board that is appointed by the governing board of the Village of Lena.
Lena Burial Park hosts the American Legion’s Veteran’s Memorial honoring those who served in World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf. The cemetery also honors those who served in the Civil War in a separate memorial. The most recent addition to Lena Burial Park is a 72-niche columbarium for the inurnment of cremations that was opened in 2020, the first in a public cemetery in the area.
