Before the land that lies between Janesville Road and Little Muskego Lake was the home of DandiLion Park and lovely homes and condominiums, there was a peaceful section that was dotted with wildflowers, elm trees and the tombstones of Muskego pioneer families.
John Schuet who owned a large hotel on the lake and land that was known as Muskego Beach leased a section to the Muskego Centre Cemetery Association on January 4, 1882. The names of some of those who went to what they thought was their final rest there included: Christian and Mary Schuet, Adolph and Mina (Pellman) Wollmer, Frankie Wollman, the Tobias Ockler family, Dorothy Peters, Herman and Christine Caesar and the Ferdinand Bishoff family. The graves also included those of two Civil War soldiers, John Bade and George F. Bowers. Ultimately there were 43 burial plots in the little cemetery.
When the Muskego Centre Cemetery Assocation dissolved, the Town of Muskego board took over the cemetery around 1954. After Muskego Beach was sold to Charles Rose and he expanded it into DandiLion Park, he petitioned the board to have the cemetery moved to make room for a parking lot. The Town Board, led by Chairman Earl Breunig gave their approval to continue with court proceedings and for final approval by the Waukesha County Court.
Legal notices were posted in the newspaper in 1955 to make known to any possible heirs or descendants of the deceased of the proposed action. For those who came forward they were able to decide where they wanted their ancestors to be reburied. For the others, whose names were lost to history or whose descendents could not be found they were reburied in cemeteries of perpetual care. Some are now in Prairie Home Cemetery in Waukesha and some are in Highland Memorial Park on Greenfield Ave. Charles S. Rose paid the expense of having the remains disinterred.
The land where once granite monuments stood to those who worked the land, raised crops and livestock and families gave way to a parking lot for an amusement park. The amusement park gave way to homes and condominiums. May those who passed on so many decades ago finally rest in peace and may the city they loved live in peace.
