Fort Winnebago Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Fort Winnebago Cemetery Soldiers' Lot is a VA national cemetery in Portage, Wisconsin. VA lists it as closed to new burials. Burial is free for eligible veterans, their spouses and dependent children.

Source: National Cemetery Administration (cem.va.gov), retrieved May 2026

History of Fort Winnebago Cemetery Soldiers' Lot

Fort Winnebago Cemetery Soldiers’ Lot is located near the site of Old Fort Winnebago, 2.5 miles north of Portage, Wisconsin. Established in 1828, Fort Winnebago was one in a series of forts along the Fox-Wisconsin Waterway, a portage used to link the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers, connecting Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River. Jefferson Davis was stationed at Fort Winnebago as a young soldier, before going on to become the president of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War.

Interments in the post cemetery began in 1835. Fort Winnebago closed in 1853 and was sold at a public sale. Although not exempted from the sale, the cemetery property was omitted from the deed. As a result, by default, the United States retained the post cemetery. The 2-acre site was designated as a soldiers’ lot in 1862. There are 75 gravesites in the lot, including dead from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish-American War and World War I.

Monuments and Memorials In 1924 the Wau-Bun chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution erected a granite boulder monument dedicated to the memory of the unknown dead. The monument also marks the site of the surrender of Winnebago chief Red Wing in 1827 to the Euro-American settlers of the region.

Directions

Take Interstate 94 toward Madison, Wisconsin, to exit 108 North, 78 (51). Follow 78 North to 33 East. Take 33 East through the town of Portage. At the fork, marked by a red granite monument, ease left to Highway EE. Follow Highway EE for approximately two blocks, the cemetery will be on the right side. The gate to the cemetery will be closed but not locked.

From Dane County Regional Airport: The airport is 40.9 miles to the cemetery. From the airport turn right on Darwin Road. Turn right on Packers Avenue. Continue on County Road CV; continue on Anderson Road/County Road Q. Turn left on US-51. From US-51 take Interstate 39 North/Interstate 90 West/Interstate 94 West, exit 108B. Merge onto Interstate 39 North. Continue on West State Road 33 and turn right on East Cook Street. Continue on WI-33 and turn left on Garrison. From Garrison turn right onto Military Road. From Military Road turn left on Quarry Road and then bear right on CR-EE. The cemetery will be on your right.

Flowers and grounds rules

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 December 1 through January 20. They may not be secured to headstones or markers.

Who can be buried at Fort Winnebago Cemetery Soldiers' Lot?

VA national cemeteries accept a veteran who didn't receive a dishonorable discharge, a service member who died on active duty or in training, the veteran's spouse or surviving spouse (even if they remarried), and minor or, in some cases, unmarried adult dependent children. National Guard and Reserve members qualify under narrower rules. You can ask VA for a pre-need eligibility decision in advance; it does not reserve a gravesite.

What does burial here include at no cost?

• A gravesite in any VA national cemetery with available space
• Opening and closing of the grave
• A government-provided burial liner
• A government-provided headstone or marker
• Perpetual care of the gravesite

Veterans also receive a burial flag, a Presidential Memorial Certificate (presented to the next of kin at the burial) and military funeral honors, which include the playing of Taps and two uniformed service members who present the flag. The committal service is held at a committal shelter, not at the grave, and lasts about 20 minutes. National cemeteries have no viewing facilities, so the funeral itself is held elsewhere.

How do you schedule a burial at Fort Winnebago Cemetery Soldiers' Lot?

1. Gather the veteran's DD214 or other discharge papers, and the deceased's details (Social Security number, dates of birth and death, relationship to the veteran).
2. Fax the discharge papers to the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 866-900-6417, or email them to [email protected] with the deceased's name in the subject line.
3. You or the funeral director call 800-535-1117 (Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. ET) to request Fort Winnebago Cemetery Soldiers' Lot and a date. National cemeteries hold burials Monday through Friday.

VA lists Fort Winnebago Cemetery Soldiers' Lot as closed. Ask the scheduling office what, if anything, can still be arranged here, and about open national cemeteries nearby.

Where is the Fort Winnebago Cemetery Soldiers' Lot burial schedule?

VA posts a daily burial schedule for every national cemetery. Search it for Fort Winnebago Cemetery Soldiers' Lot to see the committal services planned there. It only lists burials whose families agreed to publish them. To change or cancel a burial that's already scheduled, contact Fort Winnebago Cemetery Soldiers' Lot directly at 414-382-5300.

Headstone, flag and burial allowance

• Government headstone or marker: tell the scheduling office which headstone, marker, niche cover or medallion you want when you schedule the burial.
• Burial flag: VA Form 27-2008.
• Burial allowance: For a non-service-connected death on or after October 1, 2026, VA pays up to $1,032 toward burial and funeral costs and $1,032 for a plot; for a service-connected death on or after September 11, 2001, the burial allowance is up to $2,000. Claim it with VA Form 21P-530EZ. All benefits

After the funeral: survivor benefits and the estate

A surviving spouse, child or parent may qualify for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), a tax-free monthly VA benefit, for example when the death was service connected (VA Form 21P-534EZ). The veteran's estate is settled under Wisconsin law; our sister site ProbateUS explains how probate works in Wisconsin and lists each county's probate court. For the rest of the paperwork, from Social Security to bank accounts, DeathUS has a step-by-step checklist of what to do when someone dies.

Nearest cemeteries

The three veterans cemeteries closest to Fort Winnebago Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, by straight-line distance:

• Forest Hill Cemetery Soldiers' Lot, Madison, WI: 38 mi, closed to new in-ground burials
• Central Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery, King, WI: 51 mi, open for burials
• Wood National Cemetery Annex, Milwaukee, WI: 79 mi, closed to new in-ground burials