Hartford, WI — Approximately 50 people gathered recently at St. Killian Cemetery on Union Street in Hartford to dedicate a new Civil War veterans monument honoring 11 soldiers buried at the cemetery.
 The ceremony was organized by the Washington County Civil War Monument Committee, which has spent years identifying and recognizing Civil War veterans buried throughout the county.
Vietnam veteran Richard Lindbeck, a member of the committee, welcomed those in attendance and reflected on the significance of preserving the memory of those who served.
“Today we are here to recognize and honor our comrades who served in the Civil War,” said Lindbeck. “I’m Richard Lindbeck. I’m on the Civil War committee for Washington County. Have been for 10 or 15 years now.”
Lindbeck explained that volunteers have conducted extensive research across Washington County’s cemeteries to identify Civil War veterans and ensure their service is not forgotten.
“We have gone through some 69 cemeteries in Washington County and we have identified every Civil War veteran in those cemeteries,” he said. “This has been an ongoing project to ensure that we do not forget those who served during the Civil War.”
Lindbeck noted that Washington County has a rich military heritage and that the committee has already dedicated monuments at dozens of cemeteries.
“The Civil War was a significant time in our nation’s history,” he said. “Washington County is one of the areas that is rich in veteran history. We’ve erected some 24 monuments so far out of the 69 cemeteries that we have to make sure that those who served are not lost to our history.”
He credited the late Gene Wendleborn, a World War II Navy veteran and volunteer researcher with the West Bend Historical Society, for beginning the project.
“Gene Wendleborn, a Navy veteran of World War II and a research volunteer at the West Bend Historical Society, started this project,” Lindbeck said. “He canvassed all the cemeteries, church records, newspapers and the county veteran service office to ensure that Civil War veterans and all those who served were properly accounted for.”
“Gene passed before his research was done, and the county veteran service office took over this operation,” he said. “A committee of volunteers was established to work and continue to honor our Civil War veterans.”
The monuments, Lindbeck said, are funded entirely through private support.
“The monuments are paid for by donations from local businesses, community organizations, as well as individual donations,” he said. “No tax dollars are used, and the committee members donate our time.”
During the ceremony, Lindbeck read the names of the Civil War veterans buried at St. Killian Cemetery who are commemorated on the monument: Johann Assenmacher, Peter Assenmacher, Peter Blum, Sebastian Dietenberger, Joseph Messmer, Adam Reck, Jacob Scheck, Joseph Schwartz, Nicholas Schwartz, Peter Schwartz and Toussaint Surprenant.
An honor guard then performed a ceremonial rifle salute followed by a moment of silence in remembrance of the veterans.
As the program concluded, Lindbeck thanked attendees and reminded them of the historic significance of the date.
The ceremony served as both a dedication of the new monument and a reminder of the generations of Americans who have served their country, from the Civil War through World War II and Vietnam.
Click HERE to read about other Civil War Monuments in Washington County, Wi
The presented monument will ensure Civil War Veterans are not forgotten even if their headstones have deteriorated and are no longer legible.
