Incorporating the Skeletal Remains of Two German Lutheran Cemeteries into the Surrounding Immigrant Population of Mequon, Wisconsin

Abstract

The skeletal remains of 24 individuals were disinterred from the Altenburg Lutheran Church Society Cemetery and the German Evangelical Lutheran Cemetery (Stolz Site) in 1987 and 1989, respectively. Both unmarked cemeteries were located in Mequon, Wisconsin. The majority of these individuals were interred during the mid-nineteenth century, a time when German populations were becoming established as a major cultural and ethnic force within the region. Although these cemeteries have undergone multiple analyses, they have not been incorporated into larger discussions of settlement and mortuary practices in the area. By characterizing German immigrant settlement and mortuary practices, it is possible to incorporate the Altenburg and Stolz cemeteries into this larger framework.