Funerals & Cemetery

Funerals


A Catholic funeral is a sacred celebration of faith, hope, and love, offered as we commend the soul of the deceased to God’s mercy. Rooted in prayer and the promise of eternal life, the funeral rites provide comfort to the grieving, honor the dignity of the person’s life, and unite family and friends in the hope of the Resurrection. Our parish accompanies families with compassion and guidance as they plan the Vigil, Funeral Mass, and Committal.


Planning a Funeral at St. Stephen

Please begin by contacting the parish office, which will complete our intake form and check Fr. Stephen’s calendar. Once all of the information has been gathered, Fr. Stephen will review it and reach out to begin making arrangements with the funeral home or the family of the deceased.

After the date and time are confirmed, Fr. Stephen will meet with the family to plan the readings and songs for the Funeral Mass and to learn more about the loved one who has died.


If you have any questions, please contact the parish office at (414) 762-0552 or email office@saintstephenmil.org.


St. Joseph Cemetery     

Cemetery Physical Address: 6380 S. Howell Ave., Oak Creek, WI 53154

Ministry of Saint Stephen Catholic Church - 1441 W. Oakwood Road, Oak Creek, WI 53154 


We are blessed to have two cemeteries belonging to our parish, St. Stephen Catholic Cemetery and St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, both located on Howell Avenue in [Milwaukee / Oak Creek], Wisconsin. St. Joseph Cemetery is available for the burial of caskets and cremation urns. To learn more about available plots, pricing, and cemetery policy, please email our parish sexton at sexton@saintstephenmil.org.


2020 St. Joseph’s Cemetery Committee Members:

  1. Mary Jane Lampe
  2. Ray Bailey Jr.
  3. Jan Wilinski
  4. Judy Wehrli
  5. Bill Lesch
  6. Barbara Schrubey
  7. Fr. Robert Kacalo


The Committee did a physical recording of all headstones and markers on September 16 and 23, 2020. The verification process began October 7, 2020. This process was time-consuming and required careful attention to detail. The committee reviewed every available resource, both physical and printed, to confirm the accuracy of burials at St. Joseph Cemetery. They found that approximately ten years or more of incomplete record-keeping had made this effort necessary. Despite the committee’s best work, some omissions may remain that were beyond their control.


Resources available for the verification process:

  • Copy of original architectural drawing from Steinhagen & Steinhagen, January 1937, updated in September 1969.
  • Original parish registry card index.
  • Parish Cemetery binder with alphabetical internment documentation with reference to physical grave plot size of 3’ x 8’. Note: Actual grave dimensions are utilized from the original September 1969 drawing.


For individuals who were not listed in any of the resources above but have headstones in place, the committee took physical measurements from verified interments to determine their burial locations. Three new updatable PDF site drawings were created by Lampe Design, LLC.


The verification process was completed in October 2021.



St. Joseph Cemetery's Master Listing

In order to learn more about where you or a loved one may have a plot. See below.


Two updatable Microsoft Excel documents were created for future reference:


Abbreviations used in the documents:

  • (R) = Reserved
  • (C) = Cremation
  • (I) = Infant
  • (U) = Undetermined use
  • (initials - #) = Owner of the plot


Please follow these steps to locate specific information:

  • Press Ctrl F
  • Enter First OR Last Name
  • Click Find Next

 

Cemetery Grave & Plot Location Map

St. Joseph Cemetery now has new maps, created by Ryan Lampe of Lampe Design, LLC. When looking up family members or loved ones, please note their Block, Section, Lot, and Grave identifiers to help you find their location.

The cemetery is divided into three maps, organized as follows:


The cemetery is divided into three maps, organized as follows:

The West Map covers Block 1, Sections 1-6, and Block 2, Sections 1-6. St. Joseph Cemetery West Map

The Middle Map covers Block 1, Sections 7-13, and Block 2, Sections 7-12. St. Joseph Cemetery Middle Map

The East Map covers Block 1, Sections 14-20, and Block 2, Sections 13-19. St. Joseph Cemetery East Map


NOTE: The Section location identifiers are at the top of Block 1 and the bottom of Block 2.

 

St. Stephen's & St. Joseph's Cemetery Family Plots

We continually strive to update our cemetery records to get them as correct and complete as possible. If you encounter an error in the recorded data of your family plots or have knowledge of the individuals in our unresolved listing, please contact St. Stephen’s Catholic Church, 1441 W. Oakwood Road, Oak Creek, (414) 762-0552, with the correct details. We will update our database accordingly. Thank you for your help!


Click here to view the UNRESOLVED LISTING