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About

Located in West Des Moines, Iowa, McLaren’s Resthaven Chapel & Mortuary and Resthaven Cemetery provide people from many backgrounds with compassionate care. The funeral home and cemetery are located near Interstate 235 in West Des Moines, only minutes from interstates 35 and 80. Working together, they provide vital convenience and simplicity when planning final arrangements.

A welcoming funeral home

Reception room at McLarens Resthaven Chapel & MortuaryWe are committed to accommodating families of all belief systems and cultures at McLaren’s Resthaven Chapel & Mortuary and are dedicated to creating the personalized services you and your family deserve. We believe a final service should reflect the uniqueness of a life and we design one-of-a-kind services that capture the essence of a person.

We offer everything from a traditional church funeral to a modern celebration of life with live music, catering and a send-off that reflects the personality and passions of yourself or your loved one. Whatever your vision or your loved one's wishes, we go the extra mile to try to make it happen.

The funeral home’s spacious chapel accommodates approximately 150 guests. The reception room comfortably seats 50 for a small service or a catered event before or after a funeral or memorial service. From a continental breakfast to a pie buffet to a full-service dinner, we will help you plan most any type of affair.

Cremation services

Not everyone knows that there are many cremation options. If you are interested in cremation, the funeral home team can explain the process and different options. From a direct cremation without a memorial service or a witness cremation to a full funeral service before or after the cremation and more, we help you understand this increasingly common choice—and handle all of the cremation arrangements.

Count on us

Lobby at McLarens Resthaven Chapel & MortuaryMcLaren’s Resthaven Chapel & Mortuary and Resthaven Cemetery are members of the Dignity Memorial® network, the largest group of licensed funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers in North America, and we are always here for you when you need us. Whether you are planning a funeral or cremation ahead of time or need immediate assistance, please call our funeral home team.

Resthaven Cemetery

Resthaven Cemetery sits on 40 acres in West Des Moines, Iowa. With rolling hills, a serene lake that’s the home of a swan couple named Jack and Jill, and numerous water features, it is a beautiful final resting place and a picturesque setting in which to remember a loved one.

Burial options

Resthaven Cemetery offers traditional ground burial as well as above-ground entombment. The cemetery property includes a cremation garden, cremation benches and cremation niches. There are 2 mausoleum choices: Garden Mausoleum overlooking the lake and the older Chapel Mausoleum. We also offer private family estates.

Cemetery flowers

Cemetery grounds at Resthaven Cemetery.Resthaven makes it easy for you and your family to continue to honor those who are memorialized here through a floral placement program. Sign up and we place a lovely silk floral arrangement on your loved one's gravesite, crypt or cremation memorial twice each year: fall and spring.

We honor veterans

WHV 2020 - Level 4 At McLaren’s Resthaven Chapel & Mortuary and Resthaven Cemetery, we understand the unique needs of America’s veterans and their families. As a Level Four Founding Community Partner with We Honor Veterans, we are honored to serve our nation’s heroes and take this responsibility seriously. We have taken steps to ensure our staff is knowledgeable of all the benefits available to military veterans and their families.

We recognize the selfless contributions of the men and women who serve in our armed forces in a number of ways. Most notable is the cemetery's black granite veterans wall, which includes the names of local veterans who have died and the dates in which they served our country.

Row of American flags leading to a water fountain at Resthaven CemeteryThe cemetery also hosts a popular Memorial Day event that includes lunch, a speaker from the community, live music and several veterans organizations and groups. We hold a Veterans Day event as well and participate in the Dignity Memorial® Homeless Veterans Burial Program. With respect, integrity and dignity, we will walk you through the steps of creating a veteran’s memorial service that truly honors the life and sacrifice of your loved one.

History

Earl D. McLaren opened his 1st funeral parlor in 1921 at 409 Maple St. in Valley Junction and operated it there until 1927. He opened a 2nd location at the McLaren family home at 300 6th St., just west of the city hall. It operated there from 1927 to 1935. McLaren's moved to 312 5th St. in 1935, as Valley Junction grew and spread west.

In 1978, McLaren’s funeral home moved from Valley Junction to Resthaven Cemetery, at 19th Street and Ashworth Road, building a state-of-the-art funeral chapel on the cemetery grounds. Earl McLaren's son, John B. McLaren, was instrumental in the development of the facility and served as president of the combined Resthaven Cemetery Association and McLaren’s Resthaven Chapel and Mortuary until his retirement in 1983.

Designed to offer privacy to families while meeting the changing needs of the community, McLaren's Resthaven Chapel & Mortuary has lived up to our founder's promise to “serve as we would be served.” We believe that a high level of care is the mark of true professionalism.

Cemetery where the swans live

Cemetery grounds at Resthaven Cemetery.Resthaven Cemetery was established in 1931 by W.H. Colvin on the site of the former Mountain Dairy Farm. It was among the 1st cemeteries in the United States to allow only flush-to-ground grave markers.

R. Harley Riggs and Carl Ripper bought the cemetery from the Colvin estate in 1953.

Mrs. Fred Chander gave the cemetery its 1st pair of swans, Jack and Jill, in 1955 in memory of her late husband. Jack and Jill lived at the cemetery lake and raised a family. The lake is still home to ducks and swans, including a couple also named Jack and Jill.

Resthaven Cemetery operated a Christmas tree farm on the property for many years until 1998.

Amenities

Location

Cremation

Service

Religious & Cultural

Other Languages Spoken

Other

Every Detail Remembered

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An experience like no other, carefully crafted by our caring planning team.

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Cemetery & Cremation Property

A final resting place that reflects a unique life and legacy for generations to come.

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Personalized Catered Receptions

From desserts and appetizers to a sit-down meal, we can arrange it all.

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Our Collections

A lasting remembrance as unique and special as the individual it represents.

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Create an unforgettable memorial that perfectly reflects the life lived.

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Plan a Simple Cremation

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Honor the memory of your loved one with cemetery flower placement.

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Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

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Remember the one you love

Honor the memory of your loved one with cemetery flower placement. You choose the flowers. You choose the months. We do the rest..

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Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

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Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

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Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

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Unable to find an obituary?

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Express your sympathy with flowers & gifts

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Remember the one you love

Honor the memory of your loved one with cemetery flower placement. You choose the flowers. You choose the months. We do the rest..

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Unable to find an obituary?

Not finding what you are looking for? Search for your loved one's obituary across any of our other locations.

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Ratings & Reviews

Verified Customer Reviews

Since 2005, many of our customers have taken the time to tell us how we did each year via our Voice of the Customer program. Our star ratings and comments from families come directly from these surveys.

"Perfect with care"

Verified customer reviews Verified Customer

April 2022

"The team treated us like they would want to be treated at the time of loss. No pressure to do the service one way or the other, but instead made sure it for with our expectations."

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December 2021

"Our experience at McLarens was exceptional. Casey did a great job listening to us and helping us decide the best choices. He went above and beyond to make everything perfect."

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September 2021

"Kari Lilly went above and beyond to see that our experience was everything it could be. She was responsive and compassionate, and we will always be grateful."

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September 2021

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