9 Sacred Graves Of Famous People Who Were Buried In Illinois
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Elizabeth Crozier
Author
There are plenty of popular people from Illinois, but not all of them make the Prairie State their final resting place. Nonetheless, here are nine famous graves found in our state that you can visit.
From historical figures to business men to entertainers, Illinois gives peace to many celebrities. Scroll on to find out the most recognizable people who were buried here.
Possibly the most well-known of famous graves in Illinois, the Lincoln Tomb at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield holds the 16th president's casket as well as those of his family. At the age of 56, Lincoln was infamously assassinated at Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C. by a disgruntled stage actor.
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Also buried at Oak Ridge Cemetery, this is the wife of Abraham Lincoln. They were married for more than 20 years and had four children, three of whom are also buried in the Lincoln Tomb. Mary died of a stroke at the age of 63.
Also known as the "father of modern Chicago blues," this entertainer's real name was McKinley Morganfield, and he is one of the most famous people buried in Illinois. He died in his sleep due to heart failure at the age of 70 and rests peacefully at Restvale Cemetery in Alsip.
This famous grave is found at Mount Carmel Cemetery in Hillside. Resting beneath is one of American's most notorious gangsters from the prohibition era. Also known as Alphonse Capone, he died of complications due to syphilis (including dementia and heart attacks) at the age of 48.
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There's a chance you have not heard of this guy, but you should definitely know who he was. Fermi was the first person to split an atom and produce a stable nuclear chain reaction. He won a Noble Peace Prize for his accomplishments and died of stomach cancer at the age of 53. His grave is found at Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago.
Known as the inventor of the first steel plow and the founder of the most famous tractor company in the world, this man's final resting place is found at Riverside Cemetery in Moline. The entrepreneur died of natural causes at the ripe age of 82 in his home.
Technically, this beloved comedian's body is buried in Massachusetts, but there is a marker for him included on his mother's grave at Elmwood Cemetery in River Grove. A member of the original Saturday Night Live cast and the most famous Blues Brother, the actor died of a suspected accidental drug overdose at the age of 33 while working in Hollywood.
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This is one of the most famous graves in the state, and you've likely been there already if you went to school in Illinois. One of America's finest writers, this man won three Pulitzer Prizes in his day. One was for a biography he penned about Abraham Lincoln while the other two were for his poetry. This man is so popular that Illinois set aside a special holiday just for him. The poet died at the age of 89 from natural causes and was buried at his birthplace, which you can visit in Galesburg.
Also known as Bernard Jeffrey McCullough, this man was one of the most famous black comedians and actors in the United States. After a career of movies and television, he fell ill with a disease known as sarcoidosis and died at the age of 50 from complications due to pneumonia. His final resting place can be found at Washington Memory Gardens Cemetery in the town of Homewood.
If you have photos of any other famous graves located in Illinois, we’d love to see them. Please share in the comments below.
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