Monuments in Graceland Cemetery in Chicago

Walking through old cemeteries like Graceland in Chicago gives an interesting perspective on the history of the city. The beautiful monuments and the names and dates tell of those who came before us and built the city!

Peter Schoenhofen, 1827 - 1893 was a wealthy Chicago brewer. The monument features the unlikely combination of an Egyptian pyramid and sphinx with a typical Victorian era angel. There is a snake entwined around the door handle.

Potter Palmer, 1826 - 1902 & Bertha Palmer, 1849 - 1918
This grand Greek temple with the twin sarcophagi is a monument to the. Palmers. Mr Palmer pioneered customer satisfaction in his dry goods store, with money-back guarantees, merchandise on approval, and attractive store displays. He sold his successful business to Marshall Field and went on to become successful in real estate, including the magnificent Palmer House Hotel.

Lyon-Gary Monument

William McKibben Sanger Monument, not dated, features a bronze female figure in a gesture of prayer who leans forward from a Celtic cross on the front of the dark granite pyramidal base. William M. Sanger (1844-77) is notable for being the brother of Mrs. George Pullman (Hattie).

Joseph Mory Daggett monument

This tomb was originally built for William Wrigley Jr, founder of the chewing gum company and owner of the Chicago Cubs. He sold the then unused crypt to the Cox family when he moved to California. Amariah George Cox was a vice president at Wrigley.

Tomb of William Kimball
Founded WW Kimball Company 1857, Kimball rose to become the largest piano maker in the world

John J (1853-1927) and Mary Louise (1868-1927) Mitchell

The couple were prominent in Illinois society and John was a banker and sat on many boards including the Field Museum.
The couple owned a home on Lake Geneva in Wisconsin and one night while returning home to Chicago their chauffeur hit a patch of ice and overturned the car in a ditch. Mary died instantly and John a few days later.