Boy Scout project aims to honor Civil War vets

Waterloo Boy Scout Shane Douglas poses at the headstone of one of Waterloo’s 99 known Civil War veterans buried locally. His Eagle Scout project will place a bronze marker recognizing the veteran and his service at each of the gravesites. (submitted photo)

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War, local Boy Scout Shane Douglas is working on a fitting way to honor local veterans of the battle of brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor, to earn his Eagle Scout rank.

The Waterloo High School sophomore is working with the city of Waterloo and its three main cemeteries to place memorial markers at the graves of each known Civil War veteran in Waterloo.

“A lot of people don’t take into account that the Civil War happened here,” Douglas said. “It’s kind of a neat way to recognize them.”

Douglas, a self-proclaimed history enthusiast and member of Boy Scout Troop 323 , approached Waterloo Mayor Tom Smith last year about putting together a project that would allow him to combine his two interests of history and scouting. This was one of the ideas he came up with.

The goal is to have all 99 Waterloo graves marked with bronze markers by April 9, the 150th anniversary of General Robert E. Lee’s surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia.

Thirty-two veterans are buried at Ss. Peter & Paul Cemetery, 66 at Kolmer Cemetery and one at St. John United Church of Christ Cemetery. Of these 99, 20 do not currently have any type of headstone.

“This project will give those 20 veterans some type of recognition and a marker of their gravesite that will be there for years to come,” said Shane’s father, Waterloo Assistant Chief of Police Mike Douglas.
Smith agreed.

“That’s really why I think it’s so important to do this,” he said.

Each marker will be made to last, cast of bronze and include the veteran’s name, rank if known and dates of service. The cost is about $60 per marker, and already a handful of local businesses have chipped in to help cover the costs associated with them — as well as a rod for each that will be in cement then buried to give the marker stability and visibility.

Ss. Peter & Paul Church, the city of Waterloo and Walmart are among the donors so far, but the total raised is far short of the nearly $6,000 needed. Smith is hoping other businesses and individuals in the community or with ties to Monroe County will step forward to help fund the project. The city is handling the intake and disbursement of all donations.

This is a sample of what the Civil War veteran grave marker will look like as part of Shane Douglas’ Eagle Scout project.

“They can donate to pay for the marker of a specific veteran or just make a general donation,” he said. “This is the kind of thing Waterloo is all about.”

For now, Douglas is working with information compiled by the local historical societies on the veterans, the ranks of which include one Confederate soldier, so when the ground warms and the money is raised he can set about his important task of helping make sure no area veteran goes unacknowledged for service to our country.

To contribute to the project, checks can be sent to or dropped off at Waterloo City Hall, 100 West Fourth Street. Specify the Civil War veteran marker project as the intended recipient and name of the particular veteran whose marker you’d like to fund, if applicable.

A full list of Civil War vets is below.

  Spouse/Parents Headstone Present
KOLMER CEMETERY
Satter, Jacob Caroline Bier
SS. PETER AND PAUL CEMETERY
Arns, Judge Elizabeth Zitt
Brautigam, Casper Magdalene Bright
Burgess, Rev. Valentine
Carroll, Richard
Crowe, John M. Thomas Crowe and Maria Hines No
DeMint, William T. Caroline Durfee
Eichenseer, Mike Margaretha Keilhack No
Feller, Jacob Margaret Loetz
Foetmann, Henry Elizabeth Koerver
Freund, Andrew No
Gebhardt, Mathias No
Horcher, Louis Crecentia Seibermann
Jansen, Benedict Carolina Juhring, Anna Kalkman
Keilhack, Joseph Therese Gaml
Lang, Henry Sr. Ms. Utz, Mrs. Rothe
Lingeman, Joseph Sophie Otte No
Maurer, Johann Maria Stadel/Abraham Maurer and Catherine Krauss
Meyer, Jacob John and Appolonia Meyer
Muelhauser, Andres Margaret Kuehn
Murphy, Jeremiah Mary Dinan
Payne, Thomas Jefferson Margaret Rainer
Rau, Peter R. Sr. Frances Niggenaber
Redle, Adam Agnes Scharfenberger
Schaeffer, Stephen Appolonia Storch
Schlemmer, George Clara Gauckesbrink Eversmann No
Schmitz, Matthias Caroline Klein
Sondag, Servais Dorothea Gauen
Sondag, Theodore Mary Hecker
Stein, Daniel Christine Anslinger
Zeis, Nicolaus Lorenz Zeis and Maria Margaretha Berg
Zimbelman, Louis Sr. Caroline Hoffmann Seiffert
WATERLOO CITY CEMETERY
Ambrecht, Adolph Catherine Stap
Anthony, Capt. Darius D. Sarah Belle Payton
Bachmann, Louis No
Bange, Julius Dorothea Hergenroeder, Anna Mary Mincker (Muengen) Klein No
Bersche, Louis Jr. Louisa Acker No
Brokaw, Lewis Lydia Miller
Copp, Capt. Wm. H. Julia Crocker, Mary Gilmore
DeMint, Lt. Andy K.
DePuyt, Fred Christine Kern
Dohrmann, Christian F. Fredericka Rudolf
Engel, George Katherine Neun Mack
Engelbrecht, John No
Fischer, George Barbara Hoffman
Gauen, Lt. Jacob E. Mary Tillmann
Gebhard, Martin Mary Ann Kroll
Goethe, George Son of Wilhelmina Goethe No
Hempfling, Johann Elizabeth Kunz, Barb Reischel
Henckler, Charles Mary Gooding
Hermann, Conrad Margaret Kumpf
Heusohn, Philip
Horine, Abraham Jacob and Mary Horine
Jehling, Philp Margaret Herbst
Kirckhoff, Carl Caroline Korckhoff
Kruger, Heinrich G. Mary A. Kruger
Lang, G. Anton Louisa Burkhardt
Lieb, Andreas Barbara Rinning
Loehr, Henry Louisa Rusteberg
Loehr, William C. Elizabeth Rusteberg
Lofnick, John Conradine Lotz
Martin, John Christina Martin
Meier, Henry Margaret Meier No
Meyer, Georg Lena Mieher
Morrison, James Caroline M. Ryan
Morrison, Col. William R. M. Drury, E. Horine
Mueller, Christian Philipine Bier No
Oldenorph, Henry Laura Lich
O’Neil, Oscar Rosa Miller
Perry, William Phoebe Sprinkel No
Phillips, Alonzo Cath. Hettinger
Rainer, William
Reinhold, Lawrence
Reis, Adam
Reuter, Christian
Ritzel, William Sr.
Rogers, Martin
Rogers, William
Rogers, Lt. Wm. H.H.
Sauerhage, Friedrich
Schaefer, George C.
Schindler, Gottlieb
Schlingmann, H. William
Schmale, Henry
Schneider, Adam
Schrader, Friedericke
Schrimpf, John
Schultheis, Daniel
Schultz, Bruno
Sinclair, Levi M.
Slate, Emory
Smith, John
Stapp, Johannes
Stroeher, Anton
Teichgraeber, Louis R.
Wedel, Henry M.
Wild, Adam
Wilson, John L.
Wissmuth, Henry

*Thank you to the Monroe County Genealogical Society for compiling this information. If you have any questions about how to contribute to the placement of a Civil War veteran memorial marker at the gravesite of any of the above veterans, or to make a general donation to the Eagle Scout project of Shane Douglas, call Waterloo City Hall at 939-8600.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Andrea F.D. Saathoff

Andrea is a graduate of Gibault High School and the University of Missouri School of Journalism, the University of Missouri Harry S Truman School of Public Affairs and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville College of Education. She lives in Columbia with her husband and their twin toddler sons. When she isn't cheering on St. Louis Cardinals baseball or riding the emotional roller coaster of Mizzou Tigers football, she enjoys attending and participating in the many family events the county has to offer. email: andrea@republictimes.net
HTC web
MonroeCountyElectric300X15012_19