Evangelical and Reformed Church Cemetery<
This inactive cemetery is located on the west side of Hwy Y (Racine Ave) between Coffee Road and Swartz Road
History
The German Evangelical and Reformed Church is responsible for establishing two cemeteries, one half mile from each other on county Y (Racine Ave). The church established in 1842 broke up and abandoned the first church and cemetery during the Civil War.
This is the second cemetery (see also Cemetery 110)and had its last burial about 1952. The German Reformed Church merged with the Evangelical Church in 1934 and became the Evangelical and Reformed Church of New Berlin. The church dissolved in 1950 and was torn down in 1955. The cemeteries are under the care of the City of New Berlin and have been since 1969.
On a visit to the cemetery August 3, 2006, the cemetery was overgrown in places and many of the limestone tombstones were unreadable.
The following article intertwines the history of both cemeteries.
Waukesha Daily Freeman | Waukesha, Wisconsin | Friday, August 26, 1955 | Page 4
Old Churchyard Cemetery Fights
Losing Battle Against Encroachment
The town of New Berlin is fighting a valiant, but losing battle against time. Sumac, milkweed, thistles and wild grass grow lustily where family burial plots were once laid out in neat, orderly rows. Black-eyed susans and peony bushes have been choked by advancing crab grass. Moss covered tombstones, their inscriptions hardly legible, topple over in the dense grass. The picture is one of neglect, desolation and gloom.
Located on Hy. Y about four miles southeast of Waukesha, the churchyard is that of the former German Reformed church of New Berlin. The congregation was organized in 1849 and the first frame church built that year. In 1850 a brick church was erected at a cost of $800.
As the founding members died, and their children and grandchildren moved out of the district, membership dwindled. Services were discontinued seven or eight years ago. Four years ago the parent synod of the Evangelical and Reformed church sold the church. It was razed by the purchaser.
Tombstones bear silent witnesses to the hardy pioneers who settled in New Berlin township in the eighteen forties. Family names on the monuments include the Kerns, Pirners, Boheimes (now Beeheims), Swartze, Koefflers, Hubmanns, Lukes, Wildes, Grasers, Stallmans and Wagners. Inscriptions on many of
the older markers are in German. Earliest tombstones in the cemetery were erected in 1860.
Lorenz Kern and Carl H. Wilde, who are buried there, were born in 1788 when this nation was still a youngster. Many others buried in the churchyard were born in the early eighteen hundreds.
Last December the synod turned the cemetery over to an association composed of three surviving members of the congregation. They are George Beeheim and Mrs. Henry Kern of the town of Waukesha, and Mrs. Anna Lindner, 1518 Jefferson ave. Beeheim said that he has been busy operating his farm and hasn't had time to look after the cemetery. He said that it is difficult in summer to hire help to do maintenance work. But, he promises, the cemetery won't be forgotten and that the small association will take steps to get it back in shape.
Cemetery Records
All available original records of the Evangelical and Reformed Church of New Berlin are held by the Evangelical and Reformed United Church of Christ
413 Wisconsin Avenue
Waukesha, WI 53186
262-547-2424
At the Waukesha County Museum there are transcriptions from the tombstones and church plot numbers, 1860-1935. There is a chart of the cemetery. All of the early records of the church have been translated from the GErman and the transcription is in the Museum files. This includes death records, 1842-1949.
Transcriptions
Photographs of some tombstones available at:
Offsite link at WI GenWeb
Below are a list of names on tombstones photographed See also a transcription of the church death records. ARMOUR: John M./OSSW: Margaret G BERNHARDT: Adam Bernhardt/no dates/OSSW: Margaret/1840-1902/nee KRASSER (wife of Adam BERNHARD)/ b: no date listed Wettringen Southern Germany/ d: 1 Feb. 1902 New Berlin/cause Dropsy/interred: 4 Feb. BOEHEIM: John John A. John K. Ursula BOETCKER: Carl Goetcker/born Jan. 10, 1827/died Feb 14, 1802/Carl (farmer) widower of Charlotte GILDEMEISTER/b: 10 Jan. 1827 Sternin Eastern Pomerania Germany/d: 14 Feb. 1905 New Berlin/Buried 16 Feb./OSSW: Charlotta Boetcker/born Dec. 22, 1823/died Mar 25, 1904/Charlotte nee GILDEMEISTER (wife of Carl BOETTCHER, farmer)/ b: 22 Dec. 1822 Nessin Eastern Pomerania Prussia/ d: 25 Mar. 1904 (old age weakness) New Berlin/ Buried 27 Mar Boheim, Heinrich C. Church, Catharine Eckel, Heinrich Eckel, Jacob FRANTZ: Adam Frantz/Heinrich Adam b: 2 Feb. 1804 Palatinate Bavaria/ d: 29 July 1880 GRASER: Auguste nee KAUFMAN Graser/b: 1 Aug. 1847/d: 2 Feb. 1876 (lung infection) age 28 years 6 months 2 days/ interred: 4 Feb 1876 Graser, Charles H. Graser, Emma Graser, Friedrich and Katharine Graser, Jacob Graser, Jacob and Wilhelmina Graser, Jacob Jr. and Wilhelmine Graser, William and Johanna Hesse, Pastor H. HUBMAN: Anna nee BOEHEIM/b: 19 Feb 1861 U.S.A./d: 29 Oct. 1900 New Berlin/Buried 1 Nov. 1900 (Service in German & English)/OSSW: Anna Katharina b: 30 June 1886/wife of Michael Hubmann/ d: 9 Sep. 1886/interred 10 Sep. 1886 Imig, Katharine KERN: Abraham Kern/b. 20 Dec. 1846 New Berlin/d. 12 May 1920/ interred 15 May 1920/OSSW: Christena Kern nee Stern/b. 15 May 1849 Waukesha/d: 18 Nov 1915 Waukesha Town/interred 22 Nov 1915/wife of Abraham Artie Kern/son of H. M. Kern/Arthur Georg/son of Heinrich KERN and Maria WERNING/b: 21 Sep. 1892/d: 4 June 1896 New Berlin/OSSW: Carrie Kern/Caroline Katharine b: 5 Nov. 1888/d: 9 July 1889/ interred: 11 July 1889 Kern, Lorenz Kern, Mathilda Louisa Wilde Kickhefer, Herman and Albert Kickhefer, Herman and Amelie Klug, Florance Knoepfel, Christoph KOEFFLER: Caroline Koeffler/1843-1923/Rest in Peace/ Caroline (Mrs.)/b: 1 Dec. 1843/ d: 2 June 1923 Koeffler, Conrad Koeffler, Conrad and Caroline Koeffler, F.J. Koeffler, Wanda Korn, Heinrich Kramer, Catherine Kramer, John LUKE: Adam E. Luke/1866-1928//b: 19 Aug 1866 New Berlin/ d: buried on 30 Nov. 1928 (transported for burial from Biloxi Miss.) Luke, Fred W. and Mary Luke, Heinrich Luke, Henry A. and Amelea Luke, John LUKE: See Seaman Marferring, August and Louisa PIRNER: Anna B. Pirner/wife of S. Pirner/1823-1905 Anna Barbara (wife of Sebald PIRNER, farmer)/ b: 17 Jan. 1824 Reglershof Upper Palatinate Bavaria/ d: 15 Sep. 1905 (dropsy & old age weakness) New Berlin/ Buried 18 Sept. Cemetery of the Reformed Church New Berlin Barbara Pirner/wife of G. Pirner/(Mrs. Geo.)/b: 26 July 1855 Eschenfelden Oberpfalz Beyern Germany/d: no date/ Buried 21 Dec. 1934 Pirner, George Pirner, John Pirner, John (son) Pirner, Sebald Rindt, Gerhard Rindt, Herman SAUB: Adam Saub Schaetzel, John and Mary Schiffman, unclear Schiffman, unclear and Alvina Schreiber, Friederich W. SEAMAN: Albena H. (Luke) Seaman/wife of P. Seaman/ not legible from photo STALLMANN: Augusta/wife of E. W. Stallman/born Nov. 22, 1810/ Died March 30, 1894/Auguste nee MICHAELIS/ b: 22 Nov 1810 Osterwick Prussia/d: 29 Mar. 1894 Muskego Stallmann, Ernst Wm. Stern, Heinrich Stern, Henry and Henreetta Subitch, Kathrine and unclear Wagner, Jacob Wagner, Jacobena WILDE: Aug. T. Wilde/August Theodor (farmer) husband of Wilhelmine STALLMANN/b: 23 Feb 1823 Baerwalde Province Brandenburg Prussia/d: 24 Jan. 1907 (old age weakness) New Berlin/ Buried 28 Jan./OSSW: Wilhelmina/Wilhelmine nee STALLMANN (widow of Aug. WILDE)/ b: 3 Oct. 1832 Bassen Hanover Germany/d: 26 June 1918 New Berlin age 85 years 8 months 23 days/ Buried 1 July 1918 Wilde, Carl H. Wilke, Robert and Wilhelmina Winthrod, H. and family
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