Over There: Milwaukee and the Great War

On April 6, 1917, the United States entered the war against Germany that had been raging in Europe since 1914. During the Great War, over 122,000 Wisconsinites served their country in all branches of the military, including “over there” in France and at training camps across America. They were soldiers, aviators, nurses, ambulance drivers, doctors, and engineers. Forest Home Cemetery is the final resting place of over one hundred veterans of World War I, including pioneering American aviator General Billy Mitchell, members of the famous 32nd Red Arrow Division, and a number of U.S. Army “Polar Bears” who served in northern Russia.

Tour includes (subject to change):

• Gustav Stearns, Lutheran minister and Army chaplain of the Red Arrow Division
• Howard Lord Morehouse
• Alice Miller Chester and William Merrill Chester
• Billy Mitchell
• John Lendrum Mitchell
• Victor and Meta Berger
• Allen Sivyer
• Gilbert E. Seaman
• Edward Rand Richter
• Lois Alicia West

About Your Guide 

Tour guide Marguerite Helmers has spent over twenty years researching how World War I was recorded in literature and visual arts. She is an emeritus professor from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and served as a member of the Wisconsin World War I Centennial Commission.

Important information

• This 1.5-mile walking tour moves at a brisk pace over uneven cemetery roads and grounds. See tour route below. Please wear comfortable footwear and watch your step! Our tour guides have a lot to share and are on a tight timeline, so please try to stick together.
  
• This tour will run rain or shine and will only be canceled in the event of a dangerous weather event. Tickets are non-refundable.
  
• Please arrive about 10 minutes before your tour. Meet under the canopy outside Halls of History (next to the main office inside the Lincoln Avenue entrance).
  
• Parking is free and available throughout the cemetery; however, the spots in front of the office are reserved for cemetery business Monday–Friday, 8 am–4:30 pm and 10 am–3 pm Saturday. There is ample parking around the chapel, in front of and to the side of Halls of History. Sundays you may park wherever you like.
  
• After your tour, please take a moment to review us on Google reviews or TripAdvisor.
  
• Proceeds from all tours and events help preserve and enhance the historical and natural elements of the cemetery.

Tour route: Over There - Milwaukee & the Great War

About your guide

Tour guide Marguerite Helmers has spent over twenty years researching how World War I was recorded in literature and visual arts. She is an emeritus professor from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and served as a member of the Wisconsin World War I Centennial Commission.

About Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum 

Established in 1850, Forest Home Cemetery is Milwaukee’s oldest-operating cemetery, open to people of all faiths, races and backgrounds since its inception. Forest Home Cemetery is on the National Registry of Historic Places and is the finest example of a Victorian-era rural garden cemetery in the Upper Midwest 

 Milwaukee’s largest green space with more 2,600 trees on nearly 200 acres, Forest Home is the city’s first accredited arboretum and is open daily to the public from dawn to dusk. Leashed dogs, jogging, strollers and bicycles are welcome.  

 Each year, we host public and private historical and nature-based tours, field trips and teen programs, plus our signature community events: Memorial Day, Doors Open, Dia de los Muertos 5K and Festival, Shakesepeare Festival and Spirits of the Silent City after-dark historical tours.   

We have many volunteer opportunities for adults and youth looking for service hours! Email [email protected] to find out more. 

Sign up for our newsletter on our website (foresthomecemetery.com) and follow us on Facebook and Instagram so you don’t miss any of our tours and events! 

If you enjoy our beautiful space, stay longer! Stop in the office Monday-Friday 8 am–4:30 pm and Saturday 10 am – 3:30 pm , or call a counselor (414) 645-2632 to find out about our many burial options. 

Host or Publisher Forest Home Historic Preservation Assoc.