The City of Eau Claire, Wisconsin has posted searchable cemetery indexes online. The indexes cover Forest Hill Cemetery, 822 Emery St. and Lakeview Cemetery, 1500 Buffington Dr.
They are also including some interactivity to the website. The following is from their site:
The history of the Eau Claire area is in many ways buried in the past at Lakeview and Forest Hill Cemeteries. The City Parks, Recreation & Forestry Department has begun an effort to uncover the memories and histories of the past by publishing genealogical records on the City Website.
Now that this project is nearly complete, the public has real time access to the cemeteries genealogical records – allowing families to find the names of loved ones, and add photographs, memories, obituaries and life stories.
“As visitors search the records, we want them to share memories and stories on the profiles of their loved ones. Our hope is to get input from the community to collect history and record details of the lives lived in or community,” said Todd Chwala, Supt. of Parks, Forestry and Cemeteries. “We look forward to enriching Eau Claire’s history from this new service.”
For centuries, cemeteries have collected and held the burial records in cumbersome books and paper record systems. Today, Lakeview and Forest Hill Cemeteries can give community members access to the past through a simple search on the Internet.
“Now, we are asking residents to contribute to this project. We are welcoming anyone in the community to submit information or pictures of those buried in one of our cemeteries,” said Chwala. “We have published the names of who is buried here – but families and loved ones have the life stories, memories, and timeless photographs. Together, we can collect, preserve and enhance the history of Eau Claire and interpret our story.”
To contribute a memory, obituary, story or picture, visit www.ci.eau-claire.wi.us/home/cemeteries.
