Once
again, the month of October is upon us…. a time for hauntings, Halloween - and
all things spooky. This month, A
Grave Interest will take a look at several haunted cemeteries. Get ready as we explore some ‘lively’
places, and the people who make them so…….
Resurrection
Cemetery, on the outskirts of Chicago, is a comfortable cemetery – during the
day. But at night it’s rumored
that a young girl still roams the area in search of dancing partners and the
life she once lived…
Resurrection
Mary is one of the most popular ghosts in the U.S. The story is based on a legend about a local girl who had
gone dancing with her boyfriend at the Oh Henry Ballroom during early 1930’s. During the evening the couple had an
argument and Mary decided to walk home; she was struck and killed by a vehicle
while walking on Archer Avenue.
The driver fled the scene and was never found. Mary was buried in Resurrection Cemetery, near the ballroom.
 |
| Jerry Palus |
 |
| A Night of Dancing |
Sightings
of Mary began in the late 1930’s and continue to this day. The first reported occurrence happened
in 1939 to Jerry Palus. Palus
claimed that he met the blond haired, blue-eyed girl at the Liberty Grove and
Hall. They danced throughout the
evening and he offered to give her a ride home. After giving him her address, she remained quiet. During the ride home, Mary disappeared
from the car in front of the cemetery. Palus said he went to the address Mary
had given him and spoke with her parents who told him that Mary had been dead
for several years. And so the legend began…
 |
| Resurrection Cemetery Gates |
Over
two dozen people have reported picking Mary up as she walked along Archer
Avenue on dark, cold nights. Most
drivers report that she is dressed as if she has come from an evening of
dancing, in a white dress from years ago. Mary usually disappears from the car as it passes the
cemetery, or asks to be let out at the front of the gates where she disappears
inside.
 |
| Anna Norkus |
 |
| Marie Bregovy |
So
who was Resurrection Mary? It’s
not really known. Conjecture is
that she may be Mary (Marie) Bregovy who died in an auto accident on Wacker
Drive in 1934. Other reports claim
she is Anna Norkus who died in a car accident while returning home from the Oh
Henry Ballroom in 1927. Or, Mary may be nothing more than an urban legend, a
romantic story about the Windy City’s most famous vanishing hitchhiker
ghost. But over two dozen
eyewitnesses have described the same girl, doing the same thing, decade after
decade…
 |
| Bent Bars on the Gate |
In
1976, police responded to a call about a young woman being locked in the cemetery. When they arrived, no one was found
inside, but an officer did discover that the bars to the front gate had been
bent, with handprints burned into the metal. Cemetery officials said the gate was damaged by a truck and
had it replaced to stop curiosity seekers from coming out at night.
 |
| Blackmore's Night |
 |
| Ian Hunter |
Several
songs have been written about Resurrection Mary, including Laurie (Strange
Things Happen) by Dickie Lee in
1965, Resurrection Mary by Ian
Hunter in 1996, and I Guess It Doesn’t Matter Anymore by Blackmore’s Night in 2006.
 |
| Willowbrook Ballroom |
 |
| Willowbrook Book |
The
Oh Henry Ballroom is still there on Archer Avenue. Named after the Oh Henry candy bar, the ballroom opened in
1921. It now goes by the
name the Willowbrook Ballroom.
There is also a Willowbrook Ballroom book; maybe you’ll catch a glimpse
of Mary in an old photo, dancing the night away…..
 |
| Mausoleum in the Setting Sun |
 |
| Resurrection Cemetery |
 |
| Map of Area |
 |
| Alter in Mausoleum |
The
woman I spoke with at the main desk was not helpful. When I asked for a map and information on cemetery and its
most famous interments, (I made no mention of Resurrection Mary,) she would
give me neither. Luckily, I had already
researched the cemetery and knew what gems were there – hundreds of gorgeous
statues, an outdoor garden crypt with 5,000 vaults, and the Resurrection
Mausoleum, an architectural marvel with stained glass window walls.
 |
| Statue of Michael |
 |
| View of the cemetery |
Resurrection
Cemetery began in 1904 as a Polish Catholic Cemetery. Today, it serves all members of the Catholic faith with over
150,000 interments. The cemetery
is located at 7201 Archer Avenue in Justice, Illinois. It is open Monday –
Friday from 8:30 A.M. to 4 P.M. and Saturdays from 9 A.M. to 1 P.M.
Regardless
of who she was, the legend of Resurrection Mary continues to haunt Archer
Avenue and Resurrection Cemetery.
It just goes to show; you never know whom you’ll pick up along a
deserted stretch of roadway on a cold, dark night….
~
Joy
Once
again, the month of October is upon us…. a time for hauntings, Halloween - and
all things spooky. This month, A
Grave Interest will take a look at several haunted cemeteries. Get ready as we explore some ‘lively’
places, and the people who make them so…….
Resurrection
Mary is one of the most popular ghosts in the U.S. The story is based on a legend about a local girl who had
gone dancing with her boyfriend at the Oh Henry Ballroom during early 1930’s. During the evening the couple had an
argument and Mary decided to walk home; she was struck and killed by a vehicle
while walking on Archer Avenue.
The driver fled the scene and was never found. Mary was buried in Resurrection Cemetery, near the ballroom.
Over
two dozen people have reported picking Mary up as she walked along Archer
Avenue on dark, cold nights. Most
drivers report that she is dressed as if she has come from an evening of
dancing, in a white dress from years ago. Mary usually disappears from the car as it passes the
cemetery, or asks to be let out at the front of the gates where she disappears
inside. 
Regardless
of who she was, the legend of Resurrection Mary continues to haunt Archer
Avenue and Resurrection Cemetery.
It just goes to show; you never know whom you’ll pick up along a
deserted stretch of roadway on a cold, dark night….
What an interesting post. I can never understand why some cemetery personell go out of their way to be unhelpful. It's not as if looking does any harm.
ReplyDeleteBeneath They Feet
Thanks Nicola! It's always a toss up, will you be welcomed or harassed if personnel know you're there.
DeleteAs always Joy, very interesting and timely article! Dan
ReplyDeleteThank you Dan! I appreciate it!!
DeleteWhile I don't believe in ghosts, I do LOVE ghost stories. In Wayne County, Indiana, where I was reared, there was a tale about "Cry Baby Bridge," with a similar story line to Resurrection Mary's. Though the versions and exact location varies, as is the case so often with these tales, the legend has motorists either hearing and then reporting sounds of a baby's cry or sightings of a mother asking help in finding her infant child - and then vanishing in the dark.
ReplyDeleteMark, I've heard about it...Did you ever try to find it?
DeleteThanks for your great post! I'd heard the Resurrection Mary story, but never knew anyone who actually visited the cemetery. Now that you've been, would you drive past it late at night?
ReplyDeleteLoren of CemeteryTravel
Loren, it was one of the least 'spooky feeling' cemeteries I've visited in quite a while. Driving past it at night, no problem. Walking around in the cemetery after dark......Nah!! ; )
Deleteyou need to check out Ray Johnsons book,Chicago Haunt Detective,he covers the resurrection mary story and others from the chicago area,the cemetery is fantastic,as the whole Archer ave area,from St James on the sag to Resurrection cemetery
ReplyDeleteThanks! I will!!
Delete