for the German Evangelical Protestant Cemetery

Spectators gather for the German Evangelical Protestant Cemetary rededication on a pleasant August afternoon

The New Berlin Landmarks Commission held a Rededication Ceremony for the German Evangelical Protestant Cemetery, a New Berlin pioneer cemetery, on Saturday, August 28th, 2010 from 1-3 pm. The cemetery, also known informally as the "Sittel" cemetery, is located at 4041 S. Racine Ave., south of Coffee Road on the west side of Racine Ave.

Laurie DeMoss, Chair of the Landmarks Commission, delivers her remarks. At right is Ron Seidl, City Council representative

The ceremony was attended by over 110 people, on a beautiful late summer afternoon. Attendees included descendants of the first church secretary, Johan K. Meidenbauer--Mr. and Mrs. Roy Meidenbauer, many descendants of George Sittel, one of the last pioneers to be buried at the cemetery, as well as a descendant of the Diessenhusen (later known as Thiessenhusen) family, Al Mueller. Other descendants of families from the German Evangelical Reformed Church built in 1865 further north on Racine Avenue were also present, including the Meidenbauers, Frieda Hart, and descendants of Pastor Heilert, who ministered there for many years, to mention a few. Many people attending the ceremony traveled quite a distance, possibly the farthest was a Sittel descendant who traveled from South Carolina.

Laurie DeMoss welcomes Pastor Dale Radke to the podium

In recognition of the fact that the church that originally stood at the site was a Lutheran church, Pastor Dale L. Radke, of Servant of the Savior Free Lutheran Church, Milwaukee Wisconsin, served as the officiant, providing an invocation and words of rededication, along with several readings and a benediction, as well as a dramatic visual presentation.

Laurie DeMoss and James Gorman, Pastor UCC Waukesha, display a recently uncovered c. 1840-1860 book, written in German, containing records of the German Evangelical Protestant Church

Pastor James Gorman, minister of the Evangelical and Reformed United Church of Christ, Waukesha, Wisconsin, was also in attendance at the ceremony. He is the current pastor of the church where members of the New Berlin German Evangelical Reformed Church (started in 1865 after they separated from the fellowship at the German Evangelical Protestant Church) affiliated after their church was closed in the 1950's. He has graciously assisted the Landmarks Commission in translating the original records of the German Evangelical Protestant Church from the 1840's through the 1860's.

Many Sittel descendents attended the ceremony. Sittel ancestors buried here include Ana Maria (d. 1862) and George (d. 1873)

Past and present Landmarks Commissioners were recognized for their contribution to the restoration of this pioneer cemetery, including Libbie Nolan and Jackie Hermann, members of the original New Berlin Landmarks Commission and Bart Williams, former Landmarks Commission Chairman, who attended along with his family from West Bend, Wisconsin. Following remarks by Laurie DeMoss, current Chair of the Landmarks Commission and Ron Seidl, City Council Representative on the Commission, refreshments were enjoyed by those attending including cookies donated by Ron Seidl's company, beverages donated by McDonald's, and water provided by the Landmarks Commission.

A sign-in attendance ledger was at the registration table, along with a nice photo display coordinated by Sue Hemmen, current Landmarks Commissioner, with the assistance of the Sittel family. Those who chose to do so provided their email addresses for future contacts and updates. Many individuals toured the cemetery to view the restoration work that has been done to date. A very enjoyable afternoon was spent remembering the original German Lutheran pioneers of New Berlin and the essential contributions they gave to make New Berlin the community it is today.

Members of the Landmarks Commission, along with the City of New Berlin and numerous Boy Scout troops have worked for many years to reclaim this long-neglected cemetery. The access road and parking lot given by Elaine Krauti are gratefully acknowledged.

Landmark Commission members assemble at the new kiosk sign. Left to right: Sherry Kampa, Eugene Wicihowski, Ron Seidl (at rear), Sue Hemmen, Jackie Hermann, Laurie DeMoss, Kay Jashinsky, Peggy Ament, and June Pelkola, posing as Mary Todd Lincoln

Pioneer History

by Laurie DeMoss and Sue Hemman
New Berlin Landmark Commission

The first German church in New Berlin was Lutheran and this cemetery is the only evidence still remaining. Many of New Berlin's early pioneers were industrious, thrifty German settlers, educated in German and bilingual in English, with the ability to pay in cash for land and stock.

When Frederick William III, ruler of Prussia, issued a decree to unite the Lutherans and the Reformed into one evangelical congregation, the forced Prussian Union caused many Lutherans to immigrate to America to seek freedom of worship. The first group of Protestant Germans arrived from Rhenish-Bavaria in 1840 led by Christian Damm, his wife Margaret (Wagner) Korn Damm and her sons Jacob and Henry Korn, along with Jacob's wife Katherine (Eiler) Korn. Christian Damm's family built a log cabin on the west side of Racine Ave. JacobKorn's family settled at the comer of Racine Ave. and Observatory Rd. Henry Korn's family later settled on Observatory Rd., near Woelfel Rd. In 1841, Henry Luke and Philip Strieder (Streeter) arrived. Henry Luke married Margaret, a daughter of Christian and Margaret Damm and settled along Racine Ave. east of and including the Little Grove School area at Swartz Rd. In 1842 the Kerns arrived from Hesse-Darmstadt and in 1843 the Swartzes and Grasers came from Bavaria and Alsace. George Sittel and his wife Anna arrived in New Berlin from New York in 1851, settling along Coffee Rd. Their headstones are among the very few still left standing in the cemetery.

It was in 1842 that those first Germans gathered in Christian Damm's log house to organize their church congregation led by a Lutheran pastor, the Rev. Friedrich Schmidt of Daldorf, Wuerrtemberg, Germany, who was a circuit-riding preacher. The first burial was that same year - Barbara Luke, 13 days old who died of convulsions. A few years after Pastor Schmidt moved to Michigan in 1844, Pastor Johannes Weinmann of Bemhagen, Wuerrtemberg, Germany was called to minister to the German settlers in New Berlin. It appears that Christian Damm, who had an original land grant along Racine Ave., donated the land for the cemetery and the first frame church that was built in 1848 and dedicated in 1849. In 1852 Christian Damm sold additional land to the congregation for $25. The first child baptized was George Wagner, born April 29,1850, son of Peter and Mary (Sittel) Wagner. The parsonage was erected by 1852 and a parochial school taught by the pastor was established. Johan K. Meidenbauer was the first secretary and historian of the church. Initially he listed 26 contributing families as members. Within three years this list had grown to 42 families.

Subsequent pastors were Pastor Daniel Huber, 1860-1863, Pastor John Zwolanek, 1864-1865 and Pastor Bartelt-1866. Doctrinal differences led to the breakup of the church in the late 1860s. A majority of the congregation wished to leave the Lutherans and form a German Reformed church, echoing the issues that had originally caused the Germans to seek religious freedom in America many years before. The founders of the new church were Jacob Wagner, Daniel Schley, Philip Streeter and Abraham Kem. Initially the new German Reformed group met in the Little Grove School.In 1865 Jacob Korn deeded land to the trustees about a half-mile north of their former church near Racine and Swartz Rd. A brick church was built there in 1865 at a cost of $800. A cemetery was dedicated at the new site and as the old Lutheran church was abandoned after 1867, the original Lutheran cemetery became nearly forgotten, overgrown and neglected.

Pioneer life was difficult and filled with hardships. Disease, illness and accidents were daily occurrences. Of the 93 interments in this cemetery, 65 were infants or children. As was mentioned, the first burial was a baby of Henry and Barbara Luke. Sadly, they buried a second newborn daughter in 1846, a 13 day old son in 1847, an 18 day old son in 1849, an 11 day old son in 1850, a 13 week old daughter in 1851 and a 10 week old son in 1858. Just as sad are the losses of Christoph and Margareth Krainer. They buried a 9 month old son in 1859, then between July 4 and July 14, 1863 they lost a 17 month old, a 6 year old and a 4 year old to throat angina. In 1865 another 13 month old son died. J.K. Meidenbauer and his wife Catherine had only one child. It was stillborn and is listed on the cemetery record, but they chose to bury the infant near a pine tree on their farm.

Information for this history has been gathered from these sources:"German Pioneers of New Berlin" by J.H.A. Lacker; "History of St. John's Oakwood Evangelical Lutheran Church"; "Not as German as You'd Think" by Mary Ella Milham; collection of New Berlin Almanacks; New Berlin Citizen, 4/87, and Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod records.

Burial Record
Rededication