This cemetery was established on the farm once owned by Henry and Sophia (Plumer) Saar. This was later the Van Pelt farm on Highway 275, and the Mineola Road, in the Northeast Quarter of Section 15, Oak Township. It is fenced and there is a metal arch with a cross over the gateway.

Old Iron Gateway to Saar's Cemetery

Earlier burials in Plumer Settlement were made in this cemetery, which is 67 by 54 feet and was platted for 65 lots. However, when the Salem Lutheran Church was built to the north, the Plumer Settlement Cemetery was established across the road from the church.

Grave of Laura Salomea Beck

In the "Salem Church history", the first funeral in the church was for Laura Salomea Beck who is buried in Saar Cemetery. Maria Plumer (1 Dec 1796 - 10 Dec 1859), was originally buried in "Saar's Field". Her husband Johann H. Plumer along with other prominent Germans in "Plumer Settlement" founded The Salem Lutheran Church and cemetery. Johann, being fearful that his wife's grave would one day be lost, had her moved to the new cemetery. This would have been between August 1872 and July 1874 when Pastor S. Estel was the pastor. Maria was the first burial in the new cemetery.

• Four burials are known; markers exist for the first three named:
• Heinrich Georg Beck: 23 Apr 1846 - 14 Apr 1863 (son of Asmus and Elsabe Beck)
• Hans Christian Beck: 24 Jun 1841 - 22 Mar 1863 (son of Asmus and Elsabe Beck)
• Laura Salomea Beck: 9 Jun 1864 - 1 Apr 1868 - (Daughter of Christian & Sarah Beck). Laura died tragically when she fell into a tub of scalding water used for butchering.
• Margaret Anna Schoening (Scheel): 11 Mar 1802 - 1863 - Wife of Hinrich F. Schoening (Memorial marker in the Plumer Settlement Cemetery for Margaret and Hinrich)

Graves of brothers Hans and Georg Beck

Sources:
Text: Drawn from a description of Saar's Cemetery in the Mills County Iowa Cemeteries book. The original description was contributed by Mrs. Carl Green. It has been updated and corrected with information from Mary Plumer (Margaret Schoening's great-great-granddaughter).

Vintage Photo: by David Plumer Ewing

New Photos: by Randy Beck. A great-great-grandnephew of Georg and Hans Beck and a 4th cousin of Laura Salomea Beck. (Photos taken April 9, 2000)