LEDGEVIEW, Wis. (WLUK) -- A historic cemetery's riverfront property is becoming a problem, as erosion threatens to unearth the buried.
Over the years, the De Pere Greenwood Cemetery's riverfront property has become a bit of a problem June 12, 2023. (WLUK)
The De Pere Greenwood Cemetery sits on the banks of the Fox River, just south of the city of De Pere. Founded in 1859, it's the oldest non-denominational cemetery in Brown County and the final resting place for many well-known people and families from the area.
“Everyone here has a story to tell. Even Syble Hopp is buried here. The Lawtons are buried here. Wells Foundry is buried here," said Jewels Sowers, president of the De Pere Greenwood Cemetery Association. "We have schoolteachers, superintendents of East De Pere and the high school and of West De Pere. Walks of all faiths are all here."
Unlike other cemeteries that may be owned by a church or a community, De Pere Greenwood isn't owned by anyone. Those buried there are the landowners of their individual plots.
“Most cemeteries, you have the right to be buried there, but you do not own this," explained Sowers. "I kind of humorously say it's the least expensive riverfront property in the area."
Over the years, the riverfront property has become a bit of a problem, though. For decades, rain runoff has caused issues from the top of the hill -- and the river has deteriorated the soil from below.
“But it's been in the last 15 years or so that the mass of erosion has really happened on the shoreline," said Sowers.
That erosion has led to part of the hill falling into the river, leaving some vaults on the hillside of the cemetery exposed.
“We are losing hillside and shoreline in massive amounts. The upper corners there and there and have dropped this year about three feet, just straight down,” said Sowers.
Temporary fill has been used to help cover up some of the exposed vaults, but it's not a permanent fix for the more than 1,100 feet of shoreline.
“It will become an abandoned cemetery falling into the river," warned Sowers, "and that just shouldn't happen to this beautiful, historical cemetery.”
The De Pere Greenwood Cemetery Association, which manages the cemetery, had an engineering study done on the property. The engineers determined the riverbank needs to be stabilized, invasive species need to be brought under control, and woodland restoration and maintenance needs to take place.
All that work, which would be a permanent fix and ensure the integrity of the hillside, comes with a $2.5 million price tag. And since no one person or entity owns the cemetery, the cemetery association is looking to the community to help pay for it.
Click here for more information about donating to the De Pere Greenwood Cemetery Association.
“It's getting the word out," said Sowers. "That's the biggest thing -- getting the word out and people to realize how important this cemetery is to the community and how historical it is and how the erosion problem is such a problem to this river.”
-----
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that Greenwood is the oldest non-denominational cemetery in Brown County, not the oldest of all cemeteries in the county.