Overview

Cemeteries have different meaning to different people. To all they contain the earthly remains of our ancestors. Periodically some may visit the cemetery and their ancestors, most likely their parents and siblings. Some drive by the cemetery and may notice it, may even think pleasant things. Many though just pass by the cemeteries as they would a tree or a building as they drive along.

Cemeteries have special significance especially to those who have family interred there. The sexton manicures the lawn and trims each grave markers. To these all are family. To the pastor of the congregation, they are in his or her charge as are those who are living and attend weekly service. To the genealogical researcher, they are the families that need to be identified. To the historical societies rest the task of documenting these our communities ancestors.

Then there are some who believe each individuals interred in the hallowed grounds of our cemeteries require that they be identified not only by name, but by who they were. They were the son or daughter of parents, the spouse of another, and the father or mother of children. Each cemetery needs its ‘bible' identifying those who chose to have their earthly remains cherished by their Mother earth.

Many individuals will have a grave marker erected. Some may not. For those who do, time will wear on these monuments, they may disappear or their wording become unreadable. As time marches on, our memories of them may also march on and they become forgotten. They were here, but are no more.

Some may have buried here family generations many before and many after. Others may just have themselves or maybe a spouse. They may have chosen to settle in the north this county, some in the south, others to where the sun rises and still others to where it sets. All, though, are our family, that is the family of the Township of Germantown.

The Germantown Cemeteries are: Christ Evangelical in Dheinsville, Last Home in South Germantown, Our Saviour United Church Of Christ in Rockfield, St. Boniface Catholic in Goldendale, and St. John United Church Of Christ in Kuhburg. Information here is a composite derived from grave markers, parish burial service registrations, Washington County death records, and obituaries.

Most of the relationship information came from parish records, family genealogies and death notices.

If you can help in the relationship identification process, please contact the home team.

Parish Naming/Location:

For the Evangelical congregations, throughout their history, they had three name changes. Initially the church was known as 'Evangelical'. In 1934 we see the name changed to 'Evangelical & Reformed', and in 1957, they became 'United Church of Christ.'

Christ Evangelical Cemetery:

  • The church is located at the intersection of Highway 145 (Appleton Avenue), Highway 167 (Holy Hill Road) and Maple Road. The cemetery can be found just north of the church.
  • Church records through 1861 were identified as lost in a fire and were recreated as best could be from family records.

     

    Last Home Cemetery:

  • The cemetery is located on the east side of Pilgrim Road just north of Mequon Road contiguous to and south of the railroad track.   It is managed by a Board of Directors.

     

    St. Boniface Catholic Cemetery:

  • The church is located at the intersection of Freistadt and Goldendale Roads. The cemetery surrounds the north and east sides of the school.
  • Records from July 1847 through February 1852 are not available and many records for some years in the 1870s are not there.

     

    St. Boniface Cemetery Old:

  • The cemetery is located on the north side of Freistadt Road halfway, that is, 1/2 mile west of Maple road and 1/2 mile east of Goldendale Road.

     

    To obtain a full background on the St. Boniface cemeteries please check here.

    St. John Evangelical Cemetery (Old):

  • This cemetery, also known as Heritage Hill Historical Cemetery is locate north and west of the St. John United Church of Christ church.

     

    St. John United Church of Christ Cemetery:

  • The church is located on Donges Bay Road just west of Highway 145. The cemetery can be found west of the church.
  • Deaths were not recorded from 7 June 1906 through 6 February 1909
  • Burial location was not identified on many entries; assumed church cemetery unless proven otherwise.

     

    Our Saviour United Church of Christ Cemetery:

  • The church is located northwest of the Division and Lovers Lane Roads intersection. The cemetery is positioned just south of the church.

     

    Findings:

    At no time was this information accumulation considered a definitive study. When conflicting information was found, it is reported as such without any attempt made to determine which of several dates might be correct. The source created closest to the actual date of the event is considered most likely correct. For example, in the case of a baptism record created 30 days after a birth, and a burial record created 80 years later, and both identify birth dates and they are different, the baptism record is considered more likely to be correct.

    A note to researchers, please treat this as secondary source information. If you wish to hang your hat on a name, a date, a location, or a relationship, it would behoove you to verify it against a primary source such as a vital birth, marriage, or death record.

    Not all individuals in these cemeteries are identified. Church lists identify those individuals for whom a church burial service was conducted and they at times do not identify a burial location. When the burial location was not identified, it was considered to be the parish cemetery. Missing completely will be those individuals who had a burial service conducted outside the area, are buried here, and do not now have a grave marker.

    An in depth review of St. Boniface information identified 31% of those interred in its cemetery do not have a grave marker. Christ Evangelical had a similar percentage. That is, the church identified the person but there is no marker.

    Without exception, prior to 1920, many babies and young children, and prior to 1880, most interments do not in this day identify the grave. This is not to say there never was a marker, but if there was, the marker did not meet the challenge of the years. Regarding babies and young children, there probably never was a marker.

    Identified here then are our family, the family of Germantown, Washington County, Wisconsin, USA.

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