The Lithuanian National Cemetery (Lithuanian: Lietuvių tautinės kapinės) is a non-profit cemetery in Justice, Illinois, that mainly serves the Lithuanian American community in Chicago. Established in 1911, it is the resting place of many prominent Lithuanians in politics, culture, and science.
| Lithuanian National Cemetery | |
|---|---|
 Lithuanian National Cemetery | |
 | |
| Details | |
| Established | 1911 |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 41°44′28″N 87°50′44″W / 41.74111°N 87.84556°W |
| Owned by | Non-profit organization |
| Size | Aprrox. 80 acres (32 ha) in 1986[1] |
| No. of interments | More than 13,000[2] |
| Website | http://lithuaniannationalcemetery.org/ |
| Find a Grave | Lithuanian National Cemetery |
History
editAs the Lithuanian immigration to the United States increased, Lithuanians in Chicago established the Catholic cemetery of Saint Casimir in 1903. However, this cemetery would accept only Catholics for burials. The cemetery was controlled by Matas Kriaučiūnas, priest of St. George parish, who was suspected of embezzling parish's funds.[2] The growing number of Lithuanian intellectuals felt the need for a non-religious Lithuanian cemetery. The idea was met with approval in February 1911 and the new cemetery was organized on 28 March 1911. The founding members were 21 different Lithuanian societies and organizations.[2] The organizers purchased 21 acres (8.5 ha) of land. The purchase price of $10,000 (equivalent to $327,000 in 2023) was divided into bonds of $50 or $100 that were sold to Lithuanian organizations. The bonds paid 3% interest and were redeemed by 1921.[3] The cemetery was officially opened on 30 May 1912 (the Memorial Day). The first burial was a two-year-old child reinterred from the Saint Casimir Cemetery.[4] The cemetery was blessed by Stasys Mickevičius, founder of the Lithuanian National Catholic Church (who is buried at the cemetery). The cemetery was and still is open to all regardless of religious or political convictions.[3] In 1934, the cemetery purchased additional 40 acres. In 1937, the cemetery added an office building (in the Art Deco style)[5] and a columbarium for cremated remains.[4]
The cemetery has a monument to Vincas Kudirka (he is not buried there). A traditional Lithuanian wayside shrine made of steel 18 feet (5.5 m) in height was erected in 1995 to commemorate Soviet deportations from Lithuania in 1941–1952.[6] Many of the headstones, particularly of those emigrants who were forced to leave due to the Soviet occupation, bear Lithuanian symbols – traditional wayside shrines and crosses, folk sashes, kanklės, Lithuanian coat of arms, Columns of Gediminas, Tower of Gediminas, etc.[7] After Lithuania regained independence in 1990, some of the remains were returned to Lithuania.[4] It remains the only Lithuanian cemetery in Chicago as the St. Casimir Cemetery officially dropped "Lithuanian" from its name in 1997.[8]
Notable burials
edit- Juozas Adomaitis-Šernas (1859–1922), newspaper editor[2]
- Kipras Bielinis (1883–1965), Lithuanian politician (reburied at the Petrašiūnai Cemetery in 1996)[9]
- Vaclovas Biržiška (1884–1956), Lithuanian bibliographer[2]
- Viktoras Biržiška (1886–1964), Lithuanian mathematician[2]
- Kazys Bobelis (1923–2013), Lithuanian surgeon and anti-Soviet activist[10]
- Jonas Budrys (1889–1964), Lithuanian intelligence officer, commander of the Klaipėda Revolt, consul in New York[11]
- Pijus Grigaitis (1883–1969), long-term editor of Naujienos[4]
- Kazys Grinius (1866–1950), President of Lithuania (reburied at his birthplace in 1994)[12]
- Vladas Jakubėnas (1904–1976), Lithuanian composer[2]
- Steponas Kairys (1879–1964), signatory of the Act of Independence of Lithuania (reburied at the Petrašiūnai Cemetery in 1996)[9]
- Marius Katiliškis (1914–1980), Lithuanian writer[2]
- Rapolas Skipitis (1887–1976), Lithuanian Minister of the Interior[13]
- Jonas Šliūpas (1861–1944), Lithuanian activist (cremated in Germany; urn with ashes buried at the cemetery in 1948)[6][14]
- Maurice Tillet known as The French Angel (1903–1954), French professional wrestler, buried in the same grave as his Lithuanian friend Karl Pojello (1893–1954)[15]
- Adomas Varnas (1879–1979), Lithuanian painter[2]
References
edit- ^ Batutis, Motiejus; Daukus, Aldona; Lazauskas, Grožvydas (1986). Lithuanian National Cemetery. Lietuvių tautinės kapinės 1911–1986 (PDF). p. 6.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Kusta, Algis (23 October 2015). "Kur santaikoje ilsisi Amerikos lietuviai". Kitu kampu (in Lithuanian). Lietuvos žurnalistų sąjunga. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- ^ a b Reneckis, Arvydas (2011). Lietuvių tautinės kapinės. Lithuanian National Cemetery 1911–2011 (PDF). Lietuvių tautinės kapinės. Lithuanian National Cemetery. pp. 19, 34–35.
- ^ a b c d Taraškevičiūtė, Rūta (31 May 2019). "Lietuvių tautinių kapinių praeitis ir šiandiena" (in Lithuanian). Čikagos aidas. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- ^ McCarthy, Jack (5 January 2011). "Justice: It's the living end. Tiny suburb is home to 4 cemeteries and more than 200,000 people, the vast majority of them dead". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- ^ a b Girininkienė, Vida (29 October 2011). "Kur guli lietuviai, "ieškoję šviesos ir gerovės"" (in Lithuanian). Lietuvos žinios. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- ^ Urbonienė, Skaidrė (2013). "Lietuviškas kryžius išeivijoje JAV: memorialinis paminklas, interjero atributas, dekoro elementas". Menotyra. 1 (20): 62–63. ISSN 1392-1002.
- ^ Reenan, Antanas J. Van (Summer 1998). "The Lithuanian Cemetery and the Archdiocese of Chicago: A Documented Clash Between the Universal and the Particular". Lituanus. 2 (44). ISSN 0024-5089.
- ^ a b Ilgūnas, Gediminas (2002). Steponas Kairys (in Lithuanian). Vaga. pp. 410–412. ISBN 5415016643.
- ^ "Kazys Bobelis" (in Lithuanian). Draugas. 30 September 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- ^ "Lietuvių tautinėse kapinėse Čikagoje – užmirštas iškilaus diplomato kapas" (in Lithuanian). Vakarų ekspresas. 15 January 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- ^ "Lietuva buvo ir bus" (in Lithuanian). Lietuvos prezidento K. Griniaus memorialinis muziejus. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
- ^ Tamošaitis, Mindaugas (2016). "Skipitis Rapolas". In Tamošaitis, Mindaugas; Bitautas, Algis; Svarauskas, Artūras (eds.). Lietuvos Respublikos 1918–1940 m. vyriausybių ministrų biografinis žodynas (in Lithuanian). Vilnius: Mokslo ir enciklopedijų leidybos centras. p. 359. ISBN 978-5420017784.
- ^ Jakštas, Juozas (1979). Dr. Jonas Šliūpas (in Lithuanian). Chicago: Akademinės skautijos leidykla. p. 281. OCLC 5223546.
- ^ Latour, Thomas (13 October 2017). "Karolis Požėla Proper Gentleman and Champion of the Mat". Draugas. Retrieved 14 July 2019.