Davis Memorial

Davis Memorial is a white marble monument at Mount Hope Cemetery in Hiawatha featuring eleven sculptures of John and Sarah Davis. The figures are arranged within a covered structure and show the couple at different life stages with realistic details in their clothing and features.

Sarah Davis died in 1930, prompting her husband John to commission this elaborate marble monument. The project generated significant attention during the Great Depression as an unusual and costly undertaking for its time.

The site displays eleven life-sized figures showing John and Sarah Davis at different ages, telling their shared life story through marble. Visitors can walk around and see how the sculptures capture moments from their relationship across the decades.

The memorial is accessible during daylight hours year-round at Mount Hope Cemetery on North 8th Street in Hiawatha. The site is easy to reach and visit without special arrangements or restrictions.

The sculptures include not just the couple but also their children and family members arranged throughout the covered space. This expanded family grouping makes the monument an unusual example of a multi-generational memorial from that era.

GPS coordinates: 39.84914,-95.51600

Latest update: December 14, 2025 12:21