COOK COUNTY CEMETERIES
© Kim Torp

Early burying grounds (prior to 1835) were located at Fort Dearborn and along the river.
In 1835, two regular cemeteries were established near Lake Michigan, at the edges of town. One was located at Chicago Avenue and the other at Twelfth Street.

"In 1843, a cemetery complex began on the Green Bay beach ridge at North Avenue and slowly extended north with the 60-acre “City Cemetery” and south with the smaller “Catholic Cemetery.” A Jewish Burial Society bought six-sevenths of an acre in City Cemetery in 1846. Four years later, the city added 12 acres to its cemetery by purchasing the adjacent estate of Jacob Milleman, a victim of cholera.

Citing the proximity of the burial grounds to the city's water supply as hazardous to public health, Chicago's sanitary superintendent, physician John Rauch, requested the abandonment of the city cemetery as early as 1858. Burials, however, continued until 1866, when Chicago lost a lawsuit filed by the Milleman heirs, who claimed $75,000 was owed to them as a result of the mistake-ridden sale of 1850. The city chose to move the bodies to private cemeteries located outside of the city limits and return the land to the heirs.

The Great Removal began. City Cemetery bodies were wagoned to Graceland, Oakwoods, Rosehill, and Wunder's cemeteries. The Roman Catholic choices were Calvary in Evanston and St. Boniface in Chicago. Jews had moved their burial ground to Belmont and Clark in 1856.

Chicago city government attempted to prohibit any new burials within the city throughout the late nineteenth century. Yet, as the city annexed additional land, it found itself contending with existing cemeteries inside its limits. Graceland, for instance, was situated two miles north of the city until the great annexation of 1889. The state of Illinois protected these private cemeteries from city bans on burials. Still, Chicago was able to exercise some control over their extension by passing an ordinance in 1931 that made it unlawful for cemeteries to expand or change their boundaries without a special permit. "

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Our Cemetery Transcription Page

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Cemetery Name	Township	Opened	Phone Number	Other Info
Oak Forest Cemetery (aka Potter's Field) at 159th & Cicero Oak Forest, IL 60452	Bremen			Primarily a "paupers" cemetery aka Cook County Cemetery aka County Poor Farm Cemetery aka Oak Forest Cemetery aka Potter's Field Cemetery aka Cook County Potters Field
Oak Glen Algonquin River Road	Thornton			aka Chunn Burying Ground
Oak Glen Ridge Road & Torrance Ave Lansing, IL 60438
Oak Hill Cemetery 131st St. & Southwest Hwy Palos Park	Palos	.	.	aka Briar Hill aka Oak Knoll aka Palos Oak Hill
Oak Hill Cemetery 11900 Kedzie Ave Blue Island	Worth	.	708-385-0132
Oakland Memory Lanes Cemetery 15200 Lincoln Ave Dolton, IL	Thornton		708-841-5800	aka The Old Dolton aka Oakland Memory Lanes
Oaklawn Cemetery Ridge Rd at 183rd St (Halsted St.) Homewood, Ill 60430	Thornton
Oak Ridge Cemetery Calumet City	.	.	.
Oakridge Cemetery 4301 Roosevelt Rd Hillside, IL	Proviso	.	(708) 344-5600
Oakwoods Cemetery 1035 E 67th St Chicago, IL 60093	Hyde Park	1854	(773)288-3800	Some Burials and other info
Odd Fellows Lemont, IL
Old Blue Island [Exact Location unknown]	Worth
Old German Methodist Tinley Park	Bremen
Old Settlers Cemetery St. Charles & Wolf Roads Elmhurst	.	.	.
Orland Center [Location Unknown]	Orland?
Orland Memorial Park Cemetery 153rd and West Avenue Orland Park, Ill.	Orland		708-873-1955	aka Cooper aka Orland Burying Ground Transcription
Orland Park Cemetery Harlem Avenue Tinley Park, IL	Orland Twp	.	Tinley-Orland Cemetery Association PO Box 1201, Tinley Park, IL 60477	north of Wheeler Road aka Christ Lutheran Cemetery
Orland Township Methodist 171st St. & 84th Ave	Orland			aka United Methodist aka Orland-Tinley Park Memorial aka Orland German M.E. aka German Methodist
Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Cemetery 1400 S. Wolf Rd Hillside, IL 60162	Lyons	1923	708-449-8300	Office & Interment Chapel located at Queen of Heaven Cemetery
Palatine Cemetery Location Unknown
Palos Hills Memorial Park 119th & Archer Ave Lemont, IL	Lemont			aka Mount Vernon Memorial
Palos Oak Hill 990 W. 131st St. Palos Park, IL 60464	Palos		488-0606	131st Street & 90th Ave aka Briar Hill aka Oak Hill aka Oak Knoll
Parkholm Cemetery 2501 N LaGrange Rd La Grange Park, IL 60526	Lyons	.	708-352-4143
Park Ridge Cemetery aka Maine Cemetery [Location Unknown]
Plum Grove Palatine				North east of the bridge on "Old Plum Grove Rd." So. of Palatine on South end of Theis farm Transcription
Polish National All Saints Park Ridge	Leydon
Presbyterian 21st St. & Chicago Rd Chicago Heights, IL 60411	Bloom			aka Resthaven aka Bloom Presbyterian
Proviso Proviso, IL	Proviso
Queen of Heaven Cemetery 1400 S. Wolf Rd Hillside, IL 60162-2197	Proviso	1947	708-449-8300
Randhill Park Cemetery & Shalom Memorial Park Highway 12 or Rand Road & Rt. 53 Palatine, 60067	Wheeling	.	773-274-2236
Resthaven Cemetery Irving Park Road	Located on the grounds of O'Hare airport			Website with more info and pictures
Restvale Cemetery 115th & Laramie Ave Worth, 60482	Worth	.	708-236-4077 708-385-3506
Resurrection Cemetery 7201 Archer Ave Justice, 60458	Lyons	1904	708-458-4770	Like ghost stories? Read about "Resurrection Mary" here.  (Not an endorsement - just passing info along)
Ridge Lawn 5736 N. Pulaski Rd Chicago, IL	Jefferson
Ridgewood Cemetery 9900 N. Milwaukee Ave Des Plaines, 60016	Maine	.	847-824-4145	Transcription (partial)
Rose Hill Cemetery   5800 Ravenswood Ave Chicago, 60660	Lakeview	1859	773-561-5940	Largest Cemetery in Chicago
Rosemont Park Cemetery 6758 W. Addison St Chicago, 60634	Jefferson	.	773-736-2553

Cemetery Name	Township	Opened	Phone Number
Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery Dundee and Lee Roads Northbrook 60062		1900	847-298-0450	Office located at All Saints Cemetery
Sacred Heart Cemetery                          Palos Park	.	.	.
Sacred Heart Cemetery Highland Park	New Trier	.	.
Saint Adalbert Catholic Cemetery 6800 N. Milwaukee Ave Niles, 60714-4420	Niles	1872	847-647-9845
St. Alphonsus Catholic Cemetery State St. North of Weimer Lemont, 60439	Lemont	1870	708-458-4770
St. Anna Richton
St. Anne Catholic Cemetery Sauk Trail & Westwood Drive Park Forest 60466	Rich	1865	708-758-4772	Office located at Assumption Cemetery
Saint Anne Cemetery Steger
St. Bede Catholic Cemetery Wilson Road & Grand Ave Fox Lake 60020		1873	847-362-1247	Office located at Ascension Cemetery
Saint Benedicts Cemetery 4600 West 135th St., Crestwood 60445	Worth	Consecrated in 1885	773-239-4422	Office at St. Casimir Cemetery The church affiliated with this cemetery is located in Blue Island
Saint Boniface Cemetery 4901 N. Clark St. Chicago, 60640	Lakeview	1863	773-561-2790	[alternate address: 4825 N. Clark St]
Saint Casimir Catholic Cem. 4401 W. 111th St Chicago, 60655	Worth	1903	773-239-4422
St Cyril & Methodius Catholic Cemetery Highway 4A Lemont, IL 60439	Lemont	1888	708-767-4644	Office located at Resurrection cem.
Saint Gabriel Catholic Cemetery 164th St & Cicero Ave Oak  Forest, 60452	Bremen	1913	773-239-4422	records for St. Gabriel are located at St. Casimir Cemetery 4401 West 111th Street The only visible thing in the cemetery is a statute of St. Francis. There are no grave markers
St Henry Catholic Cemetery 1929 W Devon Ave (Devon & Ridge Aves.) Chicago, 60660	Lakeview	1863	773-561-2790	Office located at St. Boniface Cem
St. Jacob	Bloom			aka St. James Catholic
Saint James Cemetery (Sag Bridge) Rts. 171 & 83 Lemont, 60439	Lemont	1837	708-257-7000	aka Sag Bridge
St. James Catholic Cemetery Calumet Expressway & Sauk Trail Sauk Village 60411		1847	708-758-4772	Office located at Assumption Cem
St. Johannes (aka St. Johns)	Located on the grounds of O'Hare Airport	1837	Owned by St. John's United Church of Christ, Bensenville.	Website with more info and pictures Read about the efforts to save this cemetery
St. Johns Evangelical Cemetery 1800 South Rodenburg Road, Schaumburg, Cook Co., IL				Southeast corner of Rodenburg & Irving Park Roads Transcription
Saint Johns Cemetery Berwyn	.	.	.
Saint Johns Cemetery Harvey	.	.	.
Saint Johns Cemetery Park Ridge	.	.	.
Saint Joseph Cemetery Belmont Ave & Cumberland Ave River Grove, 60171	Leyden	1904	708-453-0184
St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery Route 120, East of Fairfield Rd Round Lake 60073		1921	847-362-1247
Saint Joseph Cemetery Evanston	.	.	.
Saint Joseph Cemetery Ridge Rd. and Lake St Wilmette 60091		1843	847-864-3050	Office at Calvary Cemetery in Evanston
Saint Lucas Cemetery 5300 N Pulaski Rd Chicago,60630	Jefferson	.	773-588-0049	(aka St. Luke Cemetery)
Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery 87th St & Hamlin Ave Evergreen Park 60805	.	1888	708-422-8720
St. Mary Catholic Cemetery Rt. 59A & Erhart Rd Fremont Center 60048		1869	847-362-1247	Office located at Ascension
St. Mary Catholic Cemetery Ridge Road Highland Park 60035		1908	847-362-1247	Office located at Ascension
St. Mary Catholic Cemetery Sheridan & Spruce Lake Forest 60045		1885	847-362-1247	Office located at Ascension
Saint Marys Cemetery Arlington Heights	.	.	.
Saint Marys Cemetery Park Ridge	.	.	.
Saint Mary Cemetery West 87th St Evergreen Park, 60642	Worth	.	708-422-8720 773-238-3351	aka St. Maria?
St. Mary Catholic Cemetery 801 S. Genesee St Waukegan 60085		1873	847-362-1247
Saint Matthews Cemetery 129th St Lemont, 60439	Lemont	.	.
St. Michael Catholic Cemetery 159th St, West of Will Cook Rd Orland Park 60462		1868	708-422-3020	Office located at Holy Sepulchre
Saint Michael The Archangel Cemetery 1185 Algonquin & Roselle Rds Palatine, 60067	Palatine	1958	847-397-3284
Saint Nicholas [Ukranian] Cemetery 8901 West Higgins Rd Chicago, 60631	Leyden	.	773-693-9718
St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery Bluff Road Lemont 60439		1849	708-458-4770	Office located at Resurrection
St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery Brown School Rd South of Rte 173 Rosecrans 60083		1849	847-362-1247	Office located at Ascension
St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery Telegraph Rd near Everett Rd West Lake Forest 60045		1840	847-362-1247	Office located at Ascension
Saint Paul Cemetery Harvey	.	.	.
Saint Paul Cemetery Arlington Heights	.	.	.
St. Paul Lutheran Cemetery 7870 Niles Center Rd Skokie, IL			847-673-5030	Run by St. Paul Lutheran Church in Skokie.
St. Paul Lutheran Route 49 & Sauk Trail
Saint Pauls Cemetery Park Ridge		.	.
St. Peter Schermerville & Willow Rds Northfield, IL
St. Peter Catholic Cemetery 8115 Niles Center Rd Skokie 60076		1863	847-864-3050	Office located at Calvary aka "Niles Center Cemetery"
St. Peter Catholic Cemetery Rte 120, West of Rte 12 Volo 60073		1885	847-362-1247	Office located at Ascension
St. Peter Evangelical Harms Rd. near Dempster
St. Peter's Cemetery 208 E Schaumburg Road Schaumburg, Illinois			847-885-3350
Salem Cemetery Kirchoff & Euclid Palatine	Palatine	.	.
Sauerbier Family	Worth
Sayles Old Hicks Road & Aster Ave	Palatine			aka Bennett aka Sutherland aka Stafles Corners
Shalom Memorial Park Randhill Park Cemetery & Shalom Memorial Park Highway 12 or Rand Road & Rt. 53 Palatine, 60067	.	.	773-274-2236
Silverman & Weiss 1303 Des Plaines Ave Forest Park, 60130	Proviso	.	773-378-2838
South Side German Greeley St Palatine, IL				aka Union aka German
Star of the West [Unknown Location]	Proviso Twp
Stressler Long Grove Rd Schaumburg, IL	.	.	.
Sunset Memorial Lawns 3100 Shermer Rd Northbrook, IL 60062-7714	Northfield	.	847-724-0669
Sutherland Cemetery (aka Bennett Cemetery, Sayles or Stafles Corners Cemetery) Old Hicks Road and Aster Ave	Palatine	1840	John Davis at (312) 603-0040 or write: Cook County Real Estate Division, 118 N. Clark St., Chicago, IL 60602	east of Rand Road (Route 12), behind Menards near Knuppers small cemetery with about a dozen headstones
Swarzebach's 1700 S DesPlaines Forest Park, 60130	Proviso	.	.
Thornton Township Ridge Rd 60476	Thornton	.	.
Tinley Park-Orland Park Memorial 84th Ave & 171 St Tinley Park, IL 60477	Bremen		Tinley-Orland Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 1201, Tinley Park, IL 60477	Southwest corner of 171st Street and 84th Avenue
Transfiguration Catholic Cemetery Rte 176 East of Rte 59 Wauconda 60048		1873	847-362-1247	Office located at Ascension
Trinity Evangelical Lutheran 159 St & Oak Park Ave Tinley Park, IL	Lyons	.	(708) 532-9395	West side of Oak Park Avenue, North of 159th
Union Cemetery Barrington
Union Cemetery Smith St & Kenilworth Ave Palatine, 60067	Palatine
Union Ridge Cemetery   6700 Higgins Rd Chicago, 60656	Jefferson		773-631-0900
Vogt	Bremen			aka Oak Forest aka Tinley Park
Wagner Family	Palos
Waldheim Jewish Cemetery 1400 Des Plaines Ave Forest Park, 60130	Proviso		708-366-4541	Their website
Washington Memorial Gardens 701 Ridge Rd Homewood,60430	Thornton		708-798-0645	aka Hazelwood
West End Northfield				"across from Sky Harbor"
Westlawn Cemetery 7801 W Montrose Ave Chicago, 60634	Norwood Park		773-625-8600
WEST NORTHFIELD CEMETERY (aka Northfield Oakwood Cemetery) Milwaukee Ave.			Northbrook Historical Society, (847) 498-3404, has a complete listing for this cemetery.	(Route 21), south of Wheeling
Wheeling West Dundee Rd Wheeling, 60090	Wheeling
Whites Waukegan Rd & Main St Niles, 60648	Niles
Woodlawn Cemetery 7600 W Cermak Rd Forest Park, 60130	Proviso		(708) 442-8500
Wunders Lutheran Cemetery 3963 N Clark St Chicago, 60613	Lakeview
Zion Cemetery Tinley Park, IL	Bremen		(708) 532-1600	South side of 167th Street, approximately 6000 west, Tinley Park, IL
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Matteson	Rich

Make Sure and visit "Graveyards of Chicago"


Links to Cook County Cemetery records presented by "I Dream of Genealogy"