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Resthaven Memorial Gardens

Resthaven was developed in early 1955 by the Cadillac Development Corporation out of Flint, Michigan. It was sold to Glen Hutchison who assumed ownership in February 1955. The Hutchison family owned and operated it until selling to Tom and Linda Eads in 1983. The operation of the cemetery has had only four managers in the last 50 years, Glen Hutchison, the original owner, Bob Morts, Hutchison’s son-in-law, Tom Eads who took over management in 1977, and Eads’ partner Tim Whitaker who is no longer involved with the business. Since 1988, the cemetery has been owned by Whitaker Eads Funeral Homes, Inc. of Trenton. It is licensed by the State of Missouri as Grundy County’s only Perpetual Care/Endowed Care cemetery which means that it has a trust fund set aside by State law to be used only for the maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery. All other cemeteries are by law considered no-endowed cemeteries and must have a sign stating that fact. The Cemetery Trust is fully funded and audited annually by the State of Missouri.

There are approximately 14,000 cemetery spaces developed at Resthaven with around 8500 being sold to property owners. About 8 acres remain undeveloped west, north, and south of the present mortuary building. Since 1977 the cemetery office has been located in Resthaven Mortuary. Previously, several different offices spaces were rented downtown. The last rented space for the cemetery was located in the late Gene Crawford’s State Farm Insurance office located in the

Previously, several office spaces were rented downtown. The last rented space was located in Gene Crawford’s State Farm Insurance office located in the present KTTN building. Opal Laundy, Dorothy Harris, and Vina Lee Spickard have been the cemetery secretaries over the years. Currently, Cindy Stewart is employed as the secretary.

The first burial was on September 8, 1955, which was a reburial from another cemetery. The first property owner to be buried at Resthaven occurred in January of 1957. The first cemetery space was sold on February 5, 1955. The cemetery conducts about 75 burials per year. To date, over 2600 burials have taken place at Resthaven.

The cemetery is platted in different sections. The first section to be developed was the Devotion Section which was dedicated with a large Bible. In 1958, the center section, entitled The Masonic Section was surveyed and platted. In 1966, the Christus section was platted on the north side. It is devoted by the statue of Christ. The cemetery, as a whole, is recorded with the Grundy County Recorder of Deeds.

At the time that Resthaven Mortuary was built in 1978, it was the first combination cemetery and funeral home built outside of a major metropolitan area.
Current owners Tom and Linda Eads have been in the funeral business for 33 years. Their son, Jeff Eads and business associate, Vince Neal, work with the Eads couple and hope to continue providing service at their downtown chapel, the mortuary, and Payne Funeral Home at Galt for the next 50 years.