If your people were German and if they could read--they probably read the Milwaukee Herold und Seebote Newspaper or the Milwaukee Germania Abendpost. There were other Germany papers in the early years which are on microfilm at the main Milwaukee Public Library. If you know a date, you should go online to the main library and contact their DITTO services. Pricing is cheap, but you must have a date before they will do a search and make copies for you. If there was a obituary--it will be in the old German Script and written in the German language.