The Descendant Community of Milwaukee County Grounds Cemeteries, Inc. is a newly founded non-profit organization with a mission to provide ethical care for approximately 10,000 individuals once buried at four municipal cemeteries on County Grounds, Milwaukee, between 1852 and 1974.
The individuals were often marginalized as they were Milwaukee’s poor, the afflicted, or unknown at the time of death.
In this hallowed ground lies at least one Civil War drummer boy, who later perished and was buried without proper veteran recognition.
His name was William Craig.
He enlisted to serve in the Civil War in 1861. After a bout with pneumonia, Craig was discharged from one company and three months later signed up for another one. His duty of service lasted until he was 15 years old at which time he was honorably discharged.
Craig went back to Appleton and started a family. Unfortunately, Craig never fully recovered from pneumonia and suffered from lung complications for much of his adult life.
On Veterans Day 2023, the Descendant Community of Milwaukee County Grounds Cemeteries will host a Veteran's headstone recognition and dedication event at Cemetery 3.
