National Cemetery Administration
Mound Cemetery Soldiers' Lot
Visitation Hours: Open daily from sunrise to sunset.
Office Hours: Monday thru Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Closed federal holidays except Memorial Day.
This soldiers' lot is closed to interments.
Burial in a national cemetery is open to all members of the armed forces who have met a minimum active duty service requirement and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.
A Veteran's spouse, widow or widower, minor dependent children, and under certain conditions, unmarried adult children with disabilities may also be eligible for burial. Eligible spouses and children may be buried even if they predecease the Veteran.
Members of the reserve components of the armed forces who die while on active duty or who die while on training duty, or were eligible for retired pay, may also be eligible for burial.
From Mitchell International Airport (24.6 miles from the cemetery): From the airport take Wisconsin-119 West. Take the Interstate 94/US-41 exit towards Chicago; take the Wisconsin-20 exit towards Racine/Waterford, exit #333; turn left on Washington Avenue; turn left on West Boulevard; follow West Boulevard to the cemetery, which will be on the right side of the road.
From the South: Depart I-94/US-41 North, at exit 333, take ramp right for WI-20 toward Racine/Waterford, 0.6 miles.
Turn right onto SR-20 East/Washington Ave, 7.0 miles. Turn left onto West Blvd. Arrive at Mound Cemetery.
From the West: Depart SR-20/SR-83/ E Main St. Turn right to stay on SR-20/SR-83/ S 1st Street, 21.5 miles.
Turn left onto West Blvd. Arrive at Mound Cemetery.
From the East: Depart SR-32/Sheridan Rd, 3.1 miles. Turn left onto SR-11/Durand Ave, 1.0 miles.
Turn right onto West Blvd, 1.6 miles. Arrive at Mound Cemetery.
From the North: Use same directions as from Mitchell Airport.
Fax all discharge documentation to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-866-900-6417 and follow-up with a phone call to 1-800-535-1117.
For information on scheduled burials in our national cemeteries, please go to the Daily Burial Schedule.
The private and community cemeteries that contain NCA soldiers’ and government lots, and Confederate cemeteries, do not always have staffed offices on site. When administrative information for the larger cemetery is available, it is provided below.
Mound Cemetery
Phone: (262) 636-9188
Fax: (262) 635-3338
Website: http://www.cityofracine.org/Cemeteries.aspx
NOTE: Link will take you outside the VA website. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked website.
This soldiers’ lot is overseen by Wood National Cemetery.
Please contact the national cemetery for more information.
For educational materials and additional information on this cemetery, please visit the Education section, located below.
Cemetery policies are conspicuously posted and readily visible to the public.
Floral arrangements accompanying the casket or urn at the time of burial will be placed on the completed grave. Natural cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time of the year. They will be removed when they become unsightly or when it becomes necessary to facilitate cemetery operations such as mowing.
Christmas wreaths, grave blankets and other seasonal adornments may be placed on graves from Dec. 1 through Jan. 20. They may not be secured to headstones or markers.
Permanent plantings, statues, vigil lights, breakable objects and similar items are not permitted on the graves. The Department of Veterans Affairs does not permit adornments that are considered offensive, inconsistent with the dignity of the cemetery or considered hazardous to cemetery personnel. For example, items incorporating beads or wires may become entangled in mowers or other equipment and cause injury.
Permanent items removed from graves will be placed in an inconspicuous holding area for one month prior to disposal. Decorative items removed from graves remain the property of the donor but are under the custodianship of the cemetery. If not retrieved by the donor, they are then governed by the rules for disposal of federal property.
VA regulations 38 CFR 1.218 prohibit the carrying of firearms (either openly or concealed), explosives or other dangerous or deadly weapons while on VA property, except for official purposes, such as military funeral honors.
Possession of firearms on any property under the charge and control of VA is prohibited. Offenders may be subject to a fine, removal from the premises, or arrest.
Mound Cemetery is located in Racine, Wisconsin, about two miles west of downtown. The site was used as a burial ground by American Indians, and a number of burial mounds are extant. Joseph (Antoine) Ouilmette, a French-Canadian fur trader, first laid claim to a large tract of land in Racine in 1834. Norman Clarke, another early settler, purchased a portion of Ouilmette’s land in 1839. In turn, Clarke and James Kinzie, who had become dual owners of the property, sold a 35-acre parcel to the city of Racine in 1851 for use as a cemetery. The first interment in Mound Cemetery occurred later that year. Dr. Philo R. Hoy, a local physician, was instrumental in the development of the cemetery. Hoy conducted archaeological investigations on the burial mounds, and as a member of the cemetery committee, he influenced the design of the cemetery plan to ensure that the mounds would be preserved.
After its establishment, all of the burials within the city limits were exhumed and reburied at Mound Cemetery. Through the late 19th century, it served as the primary burial ground for many citizens, including the founder of Racine, Joseph Knapp.
The 0.03-acre soldiers’ lot is located in lots 1, 5, and 6 within Mound Cemetery. The city of Racine sold these to the federal government in 1868 for $40.25. There are fourteen interments in the soldiers’ lot, including one unknown soldier. The thirteen other soldiers were members of Wisconsin military units who either died at local hospitals or at nearby Camp Utley.
We are developing educational content for this national cemetery, and will post new materials as they become available. Visit the Veterans Legacy Program and NCA History Program for additional information. Thank you for your interest.
