City of Princeton 

Home of the Famous Flea Market and Historic Downtown on the Fox
 

Cemetery Restoration Project

Cemetery Sexton: Gary Fenske (920) 369-6160

Princeton City Hall:  (920) 295-6612

Spring/summer artificial flowers and other memorial items may be placed on gravesites between the dates of May 1 through October 15th.   Any items remaining after October 15th will be disposed of.

Christmas wreaths may be placed on the gravesites after Thanksgiving but shall be removed by the following April 1st or will be disposed of by the Cemetery Sexton.

 

2024 Cemetery Walking Tour Date - Saturday August 24, 2024

Saturday, August 24, 2024 the Cemetery Walk was held featuring the following individuals (individuals who did the portrayal listed after the name)
Betty Tuinstra - Gold Star Mother (Mary Lou Neubauer); Daniel Trainer Jr. - Dean of Natural Resources at UWSP (Pastor John Stelter); Daniel Trainer Sr. - WDNR Warden (Pastor Bruce Hanneman); Ernest and Martha Hiestand- Founders of Handcraft Co. (Ernie & Naomi Pulvermacher); Evelyn Shew - Wife of an early Princeton Merchant (Carol Graff); Harriet Paull-Wife, Mother, and Grandmother (Linda Ottman); Timothy Paull - Ice House Owner from the late 1800's (Daniel Hoppa); Polly Rosebrook - An early Princeton Settler (Susan Gorr); and an overview of the many Veterans buried in the City Cemetery (Will Gorr)  

2023 Cemetery Walking Tour Date - Saturday August 26, 2023

The 2023 Cemetery Walking Tour had the portrayal of 10 individuals who are buried in the City Cemetery.  Featured this year were Morris Swed (portrayed by Ernie Pulvermacher) a local store owner/businessman, Arnold Ross (Pastor John Stelter) resident & Fire Fighter, Mary Ann Halonen (Mary Lou Neubauer) Veteran from WWII, Carrie Kelsey (Sue Gorr) Civil War widow, Edward "Tiff" Kolleck (Pastor Bruce Hanneman) local barber & musician, Doris Giese (Carol Graff) Princeton public school office worker, John Nelson (Will Gorr) Veteran WWII, Lorraine Otto (Naomi Pulvermacher) Princeton Public School teacher, Vashti Merrill (Linda Ottman) resident from a Princeton pioneer family, and Charlotte Schwarze (Ava Kuklinski) local resident with family ties still in the area.  

Cemetery Project Vision and Overview

The restoration has several components: 

1)  Cataloging and Indexing Grave Sites            2)  Monument and Grounds Clean-up

3)  Monument and dedication of Potter's Field    4)  Restoration of Monuments and Burial Sites

5)  Designation of War Veterans Sites

 

2018 Historic Newspaper Articles

"Scenes of the Past" are Historical articles which are published in the Princeton Times on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays from February through November. This link contains a reprint of the stories which have been published.

2017 Historic Newspaper Articles

"Scenes of the Past" are Historical articles which are published in the Princeton Times on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays from February through November. Following are a reprint of the stories which have been published.

 

Repairing and Cleaning Headstones

Many stones in the cemetery are in the excess of 100 years old.  Stone restoration can include clearing overgrowth or cleaning of the stone, or may be more extensive and include actual stone repair.  The City has engaged the services of a professional to undertake those with extensive repairs needed.

Potters Field

Potter's Field was recognized and a monument was dedicated in November 2015.  Through the efforts of the City Employees and local monument dealer Tom Nikolai, the stone with engraving of "Remember Me Now, Forget Me Never" has been placed as a memorial to all.

Fund Raising and Donations

 

The Restoration Project has been fund raising to cover the project costs.  Donations have come from private parties, civic groups, and bake sales.  A donation plaque is placed on the building honoring those who have provided a financial contribution.  Pictured is a donation received from the local VFW Post which started the fund base.

 

Information Center/Signage for the Cemetery

Located on the storage shed, the Cemetery Information Board was added in 2015.  The map display shows the unique "clover leaf" design, along with current events and upcoming fund raisers. There also is a plaque honoring those who have donated to the Restoration Project. A donation of $50.00 or more will generate a plaque in your honor. As part of an Eagle Scout Project, Jack Peters of rural Berlin, built the sign for the front of the building and erected a flag pole by the Gravesite of the Unknown Soldier.

Preserving 100 Year Old Maps

The need to preserve the paper maps from the 1800's proved to be a challenge until we discussed the project with Linda and Russell Forbess of "Seams Old".  Being recommended by the Wisconsin State Historical Society, Linda preserved our maps for years to come. 

531 South Fulton Street / PO BOX 53, Princeton, WI 54968 / Regular Business Hours 7:00AM - 3:30PM Monday thru Friday (920) 295-6612 / After Hours Emergencies (800) 383-2313