Greenwood Cemetery - Port Wing, Wisconsin
Greenwood Cemetery History
There were originally two parts to Greenwood Cemetery. In 1904, the bishop of the LaCrosse Diocese in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, deeded three acres to the town of Port Wing for the cemetery for $1. The document was signed by N.J. Dahlstedt as Town Clerk with James Daly as witness and Eben Olson, Town Chairman, and supervisors, Andrew Kalin and Andrew Peterson. These three acres was on the east side of County Road A and was referred to as the Catholic “side” of the cemetery, but today there is no distinction between Catholic or protestant.
There are newspaper clippings that account for burials before 1904 in Port Wing. These could have been on private property or in a now lost cemetery near the present-day Holiday Pines cabins. There are also a number of unmarked stones or markers with no names in the older section of the cemetery on the east side of County A. These may be interments from between 1905 and 1915 when the “newer” section of the cemetery was deeded to the Town.
On another document dated 20th of December 1913, C. F. Greenwood and his wife Etta conveyed 10 acres on the west side of County A to the Superior Diocese of church, presumably a Lutheran Diocese, for the intention of deeding the property to the Town of Port Wing for cemetery grounds for another $1.
The modern day records, kept by the Cemetery Board, begin with the interment of John E. Erickson in May 1915. At present there are over 850 interred.
In April 1995, George Klovstad conveyed 100 feet running along the north side of the cemetery to the Town of Port Wing. As the grantor, George wished to be buried on this property which the Town granted.
It has been understood that the Greenwood’s wishes for the property were that it not be sold or divided, and anyone wishing to be buried there would be able to do so without the purchase of a lot. This is why the only charge for burial in Greenwood Cemetery is for opening and closing and perpetual care.
A Port Wing Cemetery Association was approved by the Town Board at the spring Annual Meeting on April 8, 1969. Officers were: Bob Jardine, Chair; Virginia Bodeen, Treasurer; Eleanor Kinney, and town workers Ted Bodeen and Ed Beckman. Other names who have served in the past include Margaret Larson, Marilyn Allison, Linda Gustafson, Thurston Larson, as well as others.
Helpful Links
- Find-a-Grave website - Port Wing, Wi
- Veterans in Greenwood Cemetery
- Map of cemetery blocks/sections
Welcome to Greenwood Cemetery
It is the aim of the Town of Port Wing to make Greenwood Cemetery a quiet and beautiful cemetery.
Flowers or decorations may be placed on grave sites before Memorial Day and should be removed by October 1 of each year.
Materials or objects that interfere with site maintenance or have deteriorated to a point that they become unsightly may be removed without notice.
Two monuments are allowed per gravesite, one of which may be upright.
Each monument should have a foundation footing provided by the family.
Please contact the Sexton before setting a monument.
The Town of Port Wing staff will mark the lot for monuments and open and close sites as needed.
A temporary grave marker must be replaced with a permanent marker within one year of interment.
Any monument maintenance is the family responsibility. Contact Sexton for references.
No trees or shrubs can be planted without pre-approval of the Town Board.
Winter months are from November 1 to May 1.
Cemetery Contact Information
Leann Hess, Sexton
715-774-3383
lhess51@gmail.com
9155 E. White Birch Road, Port Wing, WI 54865
Pam Holt, Town Clerk
715-774-3662
clerk@portwing.gov
Cemetery Board
Russell Bailey
Eleanora Tribys
Sam Kurland
Marge Ogren
Leann Hess
Cemetery Rates Information
Updated 2024
All rates include opening, closing, record keeping and perpetual care.
Full Casket Burial in new site - $500
Cremains in a new site - $400
Cremains in a relative's existing site - $100
Weekend Burial - Additional $200
Note: Additional costs may be incurred if the burial is preferred in winter months. Please confer with the Sexton or Town Clerk if questions pertain to winter burial.
Winter months are from November 1 to May 1 unless the ground is not frozen.
A permit for disposition of cremated remains or a body shall be provided to the Sexton before interment is permitted. This document is available through the funeral director chosen by the family.
Pre-payment received by the Town Clerk or Sexton for opening, closing and perpetual care will be:
- recorded in duplicate and a receipt will be mailed
- recorded and the lot information will be recorded by the Sexton and Town Clerk
Send payment to:
Leann Hess
9155 E. White Birch Road
Port Wing, WI 54865
Greenwood Cemetery Q&A
Can a burial be made next to a family member?
The Cemetery Board has, in the past, tried to leave room so family members can be buried next to each other. The only way to be sure you will be able to use the space, or spaces, next to your loved ones would be to pre-pay for the opening and closing, record keeping and perpetual care of the space and if space allows.
Can more than one loved one be buried in the same gravesite?
Where there are existing grave sites that already have a full casket burial, there may be room for several more urns or ashes in each of those grave sites, depending on previous burials. The same would hold true for grave sites that contain only cremains. Some families prefer to scatter ashes and others prefer a container. The space allotted is approximately 12 feet long by 6 feet wide. There is an additional cost for each additional cremains opening and closing of $100.
How many markers can be placed per gravesite?
The Town Board has decided there can only be one headstone and one footstone per site.