Waukesha County
Online Genealogyand
Family History Library
It is not a mere field in which the dead are stowed away unknown;
it is a touching and beautiful history,
written in family burial plots,
in mounded graves,
in sculptured and inscribed monuments.
It tells the history of the past--not of its institutions, or its wars, or its ideas,
but of its individual lives--of its men and women and children,
and of its household.
It is silent, but eloquent, it is common, but unique."
Joseph Anderson, as quoted in Mount Moriah by Helen Rezatto
Introduction
Prior to 1872 the official recording of death information in Waukesha County was very sporatic. After 1872 records are better but still incomplete. September 30, 1907 state law mandated that all deaths in the state of Wisconsin be recorded. In searching the earlier records you may have to rely on church and cemetery records and land records (sometimes there was a transfer of property at someone's death).
See Also the Military Section for war casualty lists.
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Cemeteries
I have listed the cemeteries by location and alphabetically. Many of the cemeteries include transcriptions of tombstones, photos of headstones, and links to obituaries.
Most of the death information I have on this site will be found in the cemetery section. Use the search at the top of the page to find all the pages that contain your family name.
Click on a link below to get directly to a township:
[Brookfield] [Delafield] [Eagle] [Genesee] [Lisbon] [Menomonee] [Merton] [Mukwonago]
[Muskego] [New Berlin] [Oconomowoc] [Ottawa] [Pewaukee] [Summit] [Vernon] [Waukesha]
Cemetery X (burials where the cemetery is not known)
People buried elsewhere but died in Waukesha or have a Waukesha County connection.
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Transcribed Obituaries
Waukesha County Obituaries and Death Notices - Please click on the letter of your surname.
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[ R ]
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[ Y ]
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Online Death Indexes and Resources (FREE)
Waukesha County Death Index 1820-1907
Waukesha County Obituaries and Death Notices
Waukesha County Police Officers Killed While Serving
Pre-1907 Vital Records (Wisconsin Historical Society website link)
Wisconsin Deaths 1959-1979 (offsite link)
Social Security Death Index Approximately 1963-Current (offsite link)
Find a Grave - Free resource where a few of the county researchers have added photographs and information.
WIGenWeb Tombstone Project
Milwaukee Deaths-Many Waukesha families had Roots in Milwaukee County.
Wisconsin Circuit Court Access-This contains more recent probate information.
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Mortality Schedules
In the years 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1885, 1890 and 1900 a Mortality schedule was recorded at the time of the Federal Census taking. The mortality schedule contained a list of deceased persons during the prior 12 month period. The 1890 and 1900 mortality schedules have been destroyed and are no longer available.
1850 Mortality Schedule -Mukwonago, Vernon, Muskego Twns.
1860 Mortality Schedule
1870 Mortality Schedule
1880 (not yet transcribed)
1890 and 1900 destroyed (no longer available)
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Researching Death Records
How to find vital death records
How do I get a copy of a death certificate?
Helpful information when reading Tombstones
Waukesha County Funeral Homes (past and present)
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Area Research and Assistance
Area Libraries
Area Historical Societies
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Lookup Volunteers
We have a number of people willing to do lookups for death records. Be sure to check out the lookups page.
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Share Your Death Records
If you have photos of tombstones or have transcribed records (cemetery listings, funeral cards, death cards, obituaries, death notices, coffin plates, church records etc) you can submit them to me for inclusion on this site. Just email me using the link at the bottom of this page.
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